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!

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.

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! 

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.

August Flea Photos

Here are just a few snaps from 3 of our stalls on Saturday. I managed to get out of the kitchen long enough to take some photos, buy a few choice items and hand out our traditional free ice cream to our stall holders.

Sunday at Judy's Vintage Market

This Sunday morning, feeling a little sleepy, I went along to the HMV Picture House for a root about amongst the stalls at the buzzing Judy's Vintage Market. Loved the DJ on the stage, the bright lights and the creative use of old vinyl by one of the stall holders. Judy's next Edinburgh Market will be held in the drill hall - watch this space for details...