My mom wanted to sell a bunch of junk, so she had the opportunity to sell them at the flea market, and took it. So I went with her to help. It was highly entertaining and relatively successful. But I thought I would share the 10 things I learned at the flea market a few weekends back...One of the hardest tasks of leadership is understanding that you are not what you are, but what you're perceived to be by others."
-- Edward L. Flom,CEO of Florida Steel
- Somewhere, at some time, someone made jeans with elastic bottoms
- Some women still where vintage red Reebok hi-tops as their original style. (You can get yours on ebay)
- The Simple Life (with Nicole and Paris) has apparently influenced a whole new population of chihuahuas dressed in clothing and accessories... so much that there is an entire store that sells dog purses and special strollers made for dogs! (Yes, at the indoor flea market! Aisle 7.) Here were the supermodels, in their full glory.
- You don't have to clean your hands between touching the register/money and touching the food... even if you are working the popcorn/food station. Who knew?
- There is actually an inexpensive place to buy stainless appliances - new! Seriously, if you need them.. try the indoor flea market!
- People sell and buy the weirdest stuff ever... from an entire booth dedicated to beef jerky to guy with everything imported including the stretchy ball shaped like a boob that looked like a kids toy, not an adult toy.
- There are very few booths with "used items," rather these are true business ventures for people who either make things, or ship them from Taiwan or China inexpensively to sell for a profit.
- If you want a bargain, just tell them you are a "dealer," with a booth "down in aisle 5." (Like they'll check... but you can probably only do this a few times, before they wonder what you sell too.)
- Overalls are, overall, just unattractive.
- You can't sit in the back of the booth and TRY to write a creative brief for work, but it won't actually happen. That is because the entire idea of a flea market is distracting - the people, the stuff, the people... just give up... take it all in, and write a blog about it later!
Today's things to be happy about: March Madness, naps, a glimmer of hope in the office pool, Steamfresh vegetables, girl scout cookies, and two days to work off the weekend before your weigh-in.
