flea market finds getting scarce

GuntherHess · Jun 14, 2009

Hit a few flea markets and antique stores yesterday and didnt find squat. It seems like flEabay has sucked the life out of them. More and more dealers are closing up rather than spend time or money selling offline.
I typically looks around MD and South Central PA

How are the pickin's where you all live? See any deterioration in the last few years.

tigue710 · Jun 14, 2009

there are good days and bad days Matt, but the antique stores and even a few group shops and flea markets have been dropping like flies... there also seems to be less interest in antiques now a days...

cyberdigger · Jun 14, 2009

I was at a flea market today, and found someone selling hundreds of dirty dug botles for a buck a piece.. most were in boxes.. the woman knew nothing about bottles so as I sifted through the lot I volunteered quite a bit of info on them.. I only found one decent bottle, an applied lip mallet-shaped aqua whiskey full of potstones.. as I reached for a dollar in my pocket, she said she had to call her husband and walked away.. came back and told me this particular bottle is $20, but she'd go to 15.. I walked.. thinking if I'd kept my mouth shut maybe I could have had it for a buck..
I think it's just getting harder and harder to find good bottle deals in general.. they ain't getting any younger.. ebay is probably a contributor, and I think Tigue is right that people dont care so much about antiques.. they spend their money on tech gadgets now.. even at the flea markets. The economy is making people less willing and able to be reasonable about selling their goodies, too..

cookie · Jun 15, 2009

Matt-There's definitely been a big drop off at flea markets here in Vt and nearby NY..all you see are bottles that are worth absolutely nothing. I'd rather take my chances at a tag sale or digging...classified ads over the years have worked pretty good.

GuntherHess · Jun 15, 2009

thanks for all the replies

RedGinger · Jun 15, 2009

We are considering having a space at the local antique mall, but I'm not sure it's worth it in this economy. We are looking to see a great Burger crock. Lobey was kind enough to help me get some more info on it, but at today's prices, I'd get only half of what it is worth.[&o]

privvydigger · Jun 16, 2009

We still find stuff around but usually the pits are the best place to shop.....

photolitherland · Jun 20, 2009

I havent been doing it very long, but its hit and miss. It seems some towns I go to in Arkansas have tons of dealers with antique bottles, other towns, you cant find crap. The only places I really ever find bottles is in big touristy towns that live off of antique tourists and history tourism. But even then, its hard to find em and when you do, they usually know the prices so, oh well. You cant dig for em much where I live either because people are so protective about their land and most of the old pits have been dug out anyways. I just randomly find bottles around downtown in alley ways or in the creek that runs through town.

Dabeel · Jun 20, 2009

Hey Matt,

When I spent a couple of months with family in the Deep Creek Lake area of Western Maryland, I found some good buys on local bottles in Oakland MD antique shops.
Might be worth stopping in those next time your close to that area. I wanted to try Frostburg to see if they had anything, but didn't make it there.

Doug

Dragon0421 · Jun 20, 2009

It seems like anywhere you are with the posts it the same thing everywhere. The people in the fleamarkets usually think that they have a gold mine in the stuff that they have and you just cant run into anything outhere anymore it seems like they have all just vanished in thin air the bottle either not there are there is someone with a huge building somewhere with everything. The prices on some of the booths are crazy at some of these shows and antique shops just trying to turn a profit is hard enough in these times. I have found in the last few years people just dont want anyone around looking on there property or even ask if you can dig even if you give them the history of what you are looking for. Even the people that say you can dig are scared to death that you are going to find a fortune in there yard. If i was getting rich off these bottles i would go to work everyday. That is just my rant for the day a little teed off not alot of luck on good stuff here lately.

flea market finds getting scarce

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GuntherHess

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