In this short series we’ll look for the best places to find and buy antique magical objects and sacred or mystical art; starting with flea markets  & street markets…

 

The global Antiques and Art Market recorded aggregate sales  at over $65 billion in 2021.

Thats just for auction houses and registered dealers. It doesn’t even include the hordes of small cash operators who don’t file a tax return (of which there are probably millions…)

65% of collectors surveyed for the Art Basel 2022 Report recorded buying pieces at in-person events (such as Galleries, Auction rooms and Fairs), and 95% had purchased online, with 51% saying they did so regularly. Import and export across international borders is huge, with the main players being France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, the United States, and the United Kingdom. To put it simply, the antiques and art market is big, and busy, and can shift surprisingly fast.

So where do us little people fit into all this? The small private collector of Amulets, or a practising pagan looking for the perfect antique Altar figures?

When I started trading in the 1990s I had very little money, and even less real knowledge. I cut my teeth in the street markets and flea markets of England in summer and of South Asia where I’d go shoe-string travelling for the winters.

My heart is still in those kinds of places, and whenever I can I still buy from them today, so that’s where we’ll begin…

 

Flea Markets

Usually outside, usually a regular one day event, where all sorts of traders are selling every type of ‘tat’ you can imagine. This covers a lot of venues, from a small village car boot sale in the UK up to biggies like the French annual weeklong events such as Lyon, or closer to home, Malvern Flea held monthly at the three counties show ground. I’ve also been to decent Flea markets in the US, Eastern Europe, Amsterdam, India, and Marrakesh, I’m pretty sure the ‘flea-market’ is a world wide pastime.

What the markets I’m talking about here have in common is that anyone with a car or van (or even a bicycle) can turn up, hire a cheap pitch for the day, and sell pretty much anything they could fit in their vehicle.

Smaller Fleas are some of my favourites as they often have a better mix of sellers, some will be full-timers driving around several different markets a week, many will be part timers who sell regularly as a way to make a bit of extra cash besides the day job, and a few, (particularly at car boot sales) will be ‘private’ sellers, meaning folks who might be clearing their home out in a one off ‘spring clean’, or before downsizing, or just to make space and pay a bill or two. These can be amazing places to find unique pieces at bargain prices once you have developed ‘a good eye’.

The bigger monthly Fleas, like Malvern are more the professional end of things, and although there will be plenty of interesting pieces it’s harder to find a real bargain. Prices are higher and Eagle eyed professional dealers are the main population of both sellers and buyers at the biggest venues, they are quick, highly knowledgeable, and not much gets past them.

Know what you’re looking for

One of the wonderful things about specializing in something unusual, such as magical objects, (and to a lesser degree, Mystical art), is that after a while you will be able to see things that even the professionals may miss. No one can have all the knowledge about all the different antiques in the world. A furniture expert could easily fail to recognize a small and rare type of tribal talisman, A jewellery dealer may not recognize medieval carved limestone, learn all that you can about the things that most interest you, and I guarantee it will pay off quicker than you expect.

Hunting Tips;

* Get there early! – if it says it starts at 9am get there at 7, the sellers will all be rushing around each others stalls as they set up, trying to spot the best things before the public even arrive.

A good piece might be bought and sold twice before the masses arrive, and each time the price gets higher. Some Fleas may charge a small ‘early entrance’ fee to buyers, its almost always worth paying if you are serious about buying once you’re inside.

* Take cash, and take enough of it. Small markets and car boots may not have a cashpoint for miles around. The big Fleas held at show grounds or racecourses often do have ATMs, but there’s probably a queue, and you’ll waste precious time. Most sellers only accept cash, and all of them prefer it. You can bargain better with cash, try to have some small notes and even coins if its a car boot sale.

* Be organized – have a decent bag to carry your finds, make sure you’ve got the right pair of glasses / enough cigarettes / your phone / wallet / sandwiches / and whatever else it is you can’t live without. There are often traffic lines both arriving and leaving so you really don’t want to leave because you’ve forgotten something. Food queues are usually really long and slow, and expensive, and ultimately inedible (especially for vegans or vegetarians).

* Carry your cash somewhere safe, I know so many people, myself included, who’ve had a wallet stolen from a back pocket at these markets.

*invest in a ‘lupe’ or some other type of small portable magnifying glass. There will be times when you will really need it, especially if looking at anything made of precious metals or stones, anything written, painted or printed, anything that could be bone, ivory, or coral.

* Get a good night’s sleep and try not to arrive with a hangover, – yeah I know that sounds a bit preachy but… I have made some truly ridiculous decisions based on lack of sleep and a fuzzy head. I once walked away with only half of a collection of ancient Chinese miniature votive jars that I was buying at car boot sale, in some crazy hungover moment I left four of them on the table because ‘they weren’t quite as good’… the seller didn’t know what they were and was charging £1 each for them, I’m still wincing at the memory of my foolishness 10 years later….

* Comfortable clothes and suitable footwear, you’d be surprised how far you will walk in a morning.

* Don’t walk away from something you love that is reasonably priced, it won’t be there when you rush back twenty minutes later.

* Try to be confident enough to hold your own space. In the ‘rush hour’ at the beginning of many car boots, flea, and street markets there will be certain dealers trying to monopolize the most promising stalls. They can be pushy and overbearing, they may even hover over everything as it comes out of the van, quickly grabbing at whatever catches their eye so that no one else can get a look in. If you see something you’re interested in pick it up and hold onto it until you’ve had a good look, found out the price and made your mind up. I hate these aggressive types of buyers, and they’re a nightmare to deal with if your selling too, but try not to be intimidated, and hold your own space, you’ve as much right to be there as anyone else.

* Keep an eye out for the ‘house clearance’ men, usually with a large van full of chaotic boxes and ropey old furniture – they are in the business of selling everything as quickly as possible so they can go get the next lot, They are usually pretty cheap and just want stuff gone, they sometimes have real hidden gems, (you will know them because those pushy dealers will be all over them like flies).

Also look out for the amateur ‘private sellers’ – They sometimes have wonderful things to sell at reasonable prices. Older people who are downsizing and clearing out a lifetime of clutter, especially if they have been well travelled or artistic or a bit ‘bohemian’ – may have just the kind of treasures you are searching for.

* Make at least two rounds of the stalls. If you’ve arrived early enough the sellers will be setting up as you make your first round. You won’t see everything straight away and if it’s busy and exciting as it often is, it’s easy to miss things. Everyone misses things as they hare about in the first hour, so give yourself a second round when you can relax more and take in everything on offer.

And finally…

* When you turned up before sunrise the parking field was empty, now you are exhausted and want to go home but there is a sea of cars and you’ve no idea where you left yours….make a mental note when you arrive of how you are going to re-find your car…

Street Markets

By street markets I mean the sort of traditional weekly market that every small English town held until a generation ago. It’s so sad that most of these have disappeared, but some remain and they are definitely worth a visit.

Look for those listed as antiques and crafts, vintage, second hand, or similar. There are the famous ones like Portobello, Camden and Spitalfields in London which can be good, but these days will certainly be expensive and more geared to tourists than anything else. Then there are places like Bermondsey and Kempton that are really  dealers trade markets and probably best for once you know the ropes.

Less well known markets in small provincial towns are totally worth a look if you’re in the area, and most of what applies to flea markets applies here too, (except for needing to take your own sandwiches).

Street markets in the UK at least are usually a bit smaller, with the same regular dealers turning up each week and usually standing in their own regular ‘pitch’. Some of these traditional weekly markets have migrated indoors and are now held in a town hall instead of the street.

They tend to be a bit heavy on things like jewellery ‘nik-naks’ and collectible porcelain, but some markets have a bit more character, and those are the ones to seek out.

The more creative, artsy or ‘alternative’ a town the better their market is likely to be for the sorts of things I search for. University cities can be good too, but markets can and do change character over time. Oxford used to have a great market where I traded for years but one bad decision by the city council changed it completely, and now its mostly just food stalls.

* If you’re lucky enough to find a promising market in your area, make it a regular thing. You will quickly be able to build a relationship with a dealer who has the same tastes or interests as you if you start buying from them. These relationships can go a long way, I used to hunt down objects on my travels all over the world that I would bring back for my best regular customers.

* Bargaining is welcome and even expected, but once the seller has given you their ‘best price’ don’t harangue them to keep going lower – professionals have to work very hard to get their stock, often driving hundreds of miles a week and frequently getting up at 5 in the morning, – they also have to pay for it. Pushy bargaining just pisses people off, and you want to build relationships with good dealers, not have them groan when they see you coming.

A Final Word…

For me Flea and Street Markets are among the best fun places to go searching, You will be able to look at and handle hundreds of different items, which is far the best way to start learning and training your ‘eye’.

You can buy without spending a fortune, so any early mistakes won’t ruin you, and you’ll get the chance to talk to dealers who are usually pleased to share what they know.

Go well & happy hunting!