Merry Market & a Happy New Year

It's business as almost at the Drill Hall this Saturday as the monthly flea market will be opening it's doors at 10am for some festive finds. Avoid the busy high street for some Boxing bargains at the market where it's always the January sales. The Drill Hall cafe will be serving up fresh cakes, festive soups and there will be our signature mulled wine to keep you and our stall holders warm!

November Flea Market this Saturday

Remember this Saturday is the November Flea Market. It's your chance to scout out some unique and individual gifts or find a new old treasure for yourself at our 3rd anniversary Flea.
Also this month we will be host to a special Help for Heroes stall where there will be a range of great prizes to be won.
As usual the cafe will be serving up tasty treats, hot mulled wine and cider and hearty food from 10-3.
See you there!

Flea & Books this weekend at the Drill Hall!

It's all happening this weekend at the Drill Hall - we are hosting the Radical Book Fair & a mini, but top quality, Flea Market. Come along and have a rummage through new independent books & wonderful old treasures. 

Stephanie 

Important Dates for your Diary!

October Flea Market will be a little different this year so here is a list of important dates for upcoming Markets and Booking dates (All Saturdays): 

- September 28th - SOLD OUT - call 0131 555 7100 to join the reserve list to get notified of any cancellations 

- October 5th - Book a stall for the October Flea Market - being held on November 2nd!

- October 26th - Wee Flea and Radical Book Fair (no open booking)

- November 2nd - full market in place of the October 26th Market and Book a stall for November Flea Market on November 30th 

- November 30th - Flea Market as usual 

- December 7th - Book for December 28th 

- December 28th - Flea Market as usual!

Festival Flea!

Whether you are sorry to see it's end or glad to see the back of it the Festival is nearly over and this Saturday will be the last flea market of the summer season. We'll be glad to be back to normal and looking forward to an autumn full of fairs & markets to explore. Next Saturday (September 7th) we'll be booking up our market on September 28th and from next month the Drill Hall Flea Market will no longer be the only one in town. Southside Community Centre will soon be a venue for a series of Flea and Vintage Markets, for details see: http://www.vintageevents.biz/ The cakes in the Drill Hall cafe have taken a decided autumnal turn with spiced ginger and foraged apples featuring among our baked treats and tomorrow & Saturday we will be hard at work preparing tasty nourishment for bargain hunters and stall holders alike. We'll be open from 10 and as always entrance is free so come and have a look...you never know what you might find!

This Saturday is Flea Market Day!

This Saturday from 10am come along to the Drill Hall Flea Market for a good rummage around at our summer market. We have 50 stalls with all kinds of treasures, lovely coffee, tasty homemade food & fantastic cakes. Looking forward to seeing you this weekend! And if you want to have a spring/ summer or autumn clear out then come along and book a stall - we start selling pitches on the first Saturday of the month for the market at the end of the month. For example if you would like a pitch for the market on August 31st then come along or call the cafe on August 3rd from 10am. Our number is 0131 555 7100. Thanks.

Pitches for July 27th Flea Market - only a few left to book

There are still a few pitches available to book for the market on July 27th so if you fancy a pitch then please call us on 0131 555 7100. Thanks

Booking for July 27th Flea Market

Fancy a pitch at the Flea Market this July? Book a spot from tomorrow at 10 am by calling 0131 555 7100 or come in to the cafe. 
Thanks!  

Flea Market Tomorrow & July Booking

Afternoon Flea Markets Fans! We're busy in the kitchen baking up all kinds of nice things for tomorrow and just wanted to take a minute to update you with some flea market news. 1) If you want a stall at July's market on the 27th then pitches go on sale next Saturday 6th of July. It's £15 for a pitch and if you want a stall with a sturdy trestle table it's £20. Please call 0131 555 7100 or come in to the cafe to reserve your spot. All pitches must be paid for in advance of the market so please if you book by phone, don't forget to come in to pay. 2)If you have a stall tomorrow please be considerate to our neighbours and other stall holders, especially in the morning when unloading your car. Cars have blocked the bus in the past and we don't want to do it again. All the pitches are the same size and there is one for everyone who has booked and paid their fee so no need to hurry and no need to push! Thanks and Look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

A few photos from the May Flea Market

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Booking for June 29th Flea Market

Book for the June 29th Flea Market from next Saturday June 1st from 10am. Come in the the cafe or call 0131 555 7100 to reserve your pitch. Pitches cost £15 and or £20 with a table. Thanks

Hints & Tips at the Drill Hall Flea Market

The monthly flea market at the Drill Hall has a reputation for being pitched nicely in between the carboot and the antiques fair. We have a lovely bright hall, a carefully selected soundtrack and a cafe providing homemade treats & meals, and a perfect place for you to have a seat and revue your purchases. If you have a pitch on a regular basis or just once in a while here are some tips collected from various websites, market traders and bargain hunters.
 - Think about your display. You can request a trestle table but most people like to cover this with a cloth or similar. Put the best items on the table so people can see them clearly and have one or two boxes on the floor for people to rummage through, people like a bargain. Use the walls & the railings to hang stuff - you must stay in the chalk line on the floor but go as high as you like. Bring washing line, rails, hat stands - whatever you wish! 

- To label or not to label - I personally prefer labels but whether you want to spend the time doing it is up to you. It does have the advantage that you can ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your stall while you get yourself a cup of tea & cake.

 - Have plenty of change - seems obvious but there it is.

 - The Drill Hall can get very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer. We provide tea and coffee on arrival but after that it’s not a bad idea to have a flask. Now that the weather is getting better it will start to get very warm in there when the sun is shining. So you will be happy to know that in the summer months your pitch fee also includes an ice lolly!

 - Remember haggling is fun for customers so be nice about it and be flexible on your prices where you can.

 - Watch out for the early traders scouring the market, they may know the value of something that you don’t - it is ok for you to tell them to go away until you are set up - this is up to you but if you are bothered by it let us know and we’ll have a word.

- Keep an eye on your stock & and look out for each other. The flea market has a great, relaxed atmosphere and although it is uncommon, we have had reports of theft so please be aware and again let us know if you do spot anything suspicious and we’ll keep an eye on it.

For Buyers

 - Arrive early or late? Earlier you get more choice but near the end of the market is when you can really walk away with some last minute bargains when people are thinking if they really want to take that box of 1950’s kids encyclopedias home again!

 - Take a bag for your purchases, this keeps hands free for more rummaging.

 - You want something that you think is too much or haven’t enough pennies? Haggle! Its fun and its free. If they say no, at least you tried.

 - Try it on! Most of our stall holders won’t mind if you duck behind a door or nip to the loo to try something on and it is much better to know that the beautiful blue velvet skirt or waistcoat fits before you take it home.

MAY MARKET!

Thanks everyone for coming on Saturday, we had a really good turnout, and loads of people through the door. Thanks to BBC radio Scotland for inviting me on their 'what's on' section and giving us the chance to plug the flea market! 

Booking for the May 25th  Market  will begin on Saturday 4th of May from 10am. Please Come into the cafe or call us on 555 7100.  Just like old times! 

If you have been regularly taking a stall at previous flea markets and I haven't spoken to you about the possibility of becoming one of our Regulars and  planning for next 6 markets then I will be in touch or you can call me Wednesday to Friday from 9am. 

Thanks, 
Stephanie 

With every change there is bound to be some teething issues but in this case I think that I have actually created more work for myself then less.  And at the last market we were listening to your feedback and had some very helpful suggestions for a way forward that allows Regulars to have a good idea of what markets they can do and allows new people in who just want to do a stall every once in a while. On this Saturday April 27th I will take time in the afternoon to come round the market and speak to people who are interested in being Regulars and give everyone the opportunity to make and hear suggestions. For the time being I have postponed the booking for the May 25th Flea Market until May the 4th so that I can use this Saturday as an opportunity to get more feedback.

Thanks for all your suggestions so far and see you saturday! 

Book pitches for April 27th from this Monday!

Call in or call us on Monday to tell us if you'd like a pitch for the end of the month. We'll draw names on the 7th and let you know then or shortly after if you have a pitch.
Our number is 0131 555 7100 or email edinburghfleamarket@gmail.com

April blows in the winds of change to flea market booking procedure!

It's Spring - even though you wouldn't know it by looking out the window - and we're taking the opportunity to rethink the way we do things and introduce some big changes to the flea market. Since the Drill Hall Arts Cafe started the market in November 2010 the demand for pitches has increased dramatically while the number of pitches on offer every month remains the same. This has led to queues outside the door on booking mornings, markets being booked up in the space of 1/2 an hour (as featured in the Edinburgh Evening News) and of course many disappointed potential stall holders!

We want to make things easier for everyone and give new stall holders a chance to get a look in, so from April 1st the first come first served system is going to be scrapped. Instead we will be drawing names out of a hat: in the first week of the month you can let us know if you want a stall for the end of the month. We will get in touch with you only if you've got a pitch and then you will have 7 days to pay for you pitch in full. Any unpaid pitches will be re-offered and then the 7 day payment period starts again until all pitches are allocated and paid for!
Please get in touch via telephone on 0131 555 7100 or in person. We can let you know if you get a pitch via text, email or phone.

Thanks, Stephanie & the Drill Hall Arts Cafe 

March Flea Market - Sold Out

As usual it didn't take very long for the flea market to sell out. By 1:30pm on Friday all pitches were reserved. Do call and leave us your name if you are interested in being on the reserve list for a stall and we can contact you if we have any cancellations.
In time for the April Market we will be introducing a new booking system so watch this space for further details.

Thanks!

March Flea Pitches on Sale this Friday!

Once again it's time to book next month's flea market which will be held on March 30th. This Friday from 10 am pitches will go on sale. As usual you have two options - come down to the Drill Hall Cafe and book in person or call us on 0131 555 7100. Pitches do sell quickly so early booking is advised.

Photos from January's Flea Market

Thanks to everyone for coming to Saturday's Flea Market, stall holders and bargain hunters! From my point of view it was a great market with loads of interesting items on offer - the only problem was I was too busy in the back getting bacon ready to get an early scout around! We've been getting quite a bit of attention, our little market, with regular features on blogs like the fantastic Is it Vintage and The Edinburgh Evening News -

Thinking of February Flea..

This Friday Jan 25th stalls for the February 23rd Flea market go on sale. Call 555 7100 or come into the Drill Hall Cafe from 10 am Friday morning to book your pitch.
Pitches are £15 (without a table) or £20 (with one of our sturdy trestle tables).  

December Flea Market Pics

Thanks to all the stall holders and customers who tore themselves away from leftover turkey sandwiches and came to our flea market only 4 days after Christmas. Although quieter than normal, it was still a good market and I managed to spot another Tala brand tin to add to my growing collection of vintage kitchen ware! Next market is the 26th of January and there a still a few spaces left for anyone wishing to have a stall.