The Arlington Civitan Open Air Market
Sponsored by the Arlington Chapter of Civitan Internatianal
Arlington, Virginia
YOUR CAR:
Make sure that you have cleaned out your car or van in preparation for your purchases. Check to see that the trunk and back seats are free. Store an extra blanket to wrap up things that might get damaged, and bring along some stout cord or string, along with used shopping bags and a tape measurer.
AM SHOPPER vs PM SHOPPER:
Shopping early in the morning can score you the best selection, but unless you are a savvy negotiator you might want to wait until later in the day when vendors are anxious to unload and offer discounted prices.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR A DISCOUNT:
If you feel the cost is fair, then buy it. If not, don't be afraid to ask the vendor to go lower. For the more experienced pros money is the big motivator for their business and they usually won't take more than 10-25 % off, so don't try to go too low. They need to make a profit, you know! On the other hand, if you can tell that the person who is selling just wants to get rid of their stuff, it is acceptable to ask them to discount you as low as 50% off. Your chances are increased since most likely they don't want to lug things home again.
RUN A PRICE CHECK:
Did you know you can run a price check with your cell phone? Simply text the name of the item and the word "price" to GOOGLE (466453) and you'll receive a list of current listings on the Web for that item. This is a free service, but sometimes it can take a couple of minutes to come up in addition to having to type everything on your small telephone, but it can really settle a price question.
BRING A ROLLER BAG OR CART:
This is really indispensible for serious Flea Market devotees. Saves aching arms and backs for carrying heavy things or too many things. This is one item you should never forget to bring.
NEWSPAPERS AND BUBBLE WRAP: If you are looking for fine collectibles such as china, figurines, etc. make sure that you bring newspapers, plastic bags and/or bubble wrap-sometimes vendors do not have enough to wrap up your goodies.
TAPE MEASURE AND SWATCHES:
If you are looking for specific items such as furniture or drapes make sure to pack your tape measurer and bring along swatches or anything else you need to match such as photos of that china collection you are trying to match.
HAND CLEANER: A nice alchohol based hand cleaner or wipes take away that grimy feeling you can get from handling a lot of items, such of which might be dusty.
CASH!
Don't leave home without it. Most vendors prefer cash over checks. How much to bring? $50-100 for regular purchases should do the trick, but count of bringing $200-300 for big-ticket items, collectibles or fine jewelery.
To see the Flea Market in action please click on the following links to Youtube to see the Flea Market in action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIKBNfolcnY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-XOAcs8VI0&feature=related
BARGAIN HUNTERS ALERT!
There is something for everyone at the Arlington Civitan Flea Market. If you love browsing for fabulous finds and fantastic treasures, then come on down and strike it lucky.
The Civitan Flea Market, one of Northern Virginia’s largest and oldest public Flea Markets, is located in the I-66 garage in North Arlington adjacent to Washington-Lee high school and the Arlington Planetarium at 15th and North Quincy Streets, in Arlington, Virginia.
The Flea Market takes place each first Saturday of the month from April through November from 7 AM to 1:30 PM.
Here you’ll find over one hundred and fifty vendors selling a variety of goods ranging from books, clothes, furniture, garden tools, household goods, jewelry, shoes, toys, records and so much more. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure so you are guaranteed to find something to tickle your fancy and save you money at the same time.
Spread out over 5 levels of a 20,000 square foot parking garage the Flea Market was originally conceived as a way for local people to sell goods in a central location.
Today we not only have local vendors, we have people who come from neighboring states such as Maryland, the District of Columbia and as far away as Pennsylvania and Deleware to sell crafts and antiques.
There is plenty of free parking located across the street at the Quincy Tech Park from the 15th and N Quincy street entrance, and additional parking on the streets surrounding the garage.
Make each Saturday of the month from April to November your "Bargains Galore Day" with a little help from your friends at the Arlington Civitan Flea Market. We'll see you there!
ATTENTION
FLEA MARKET VENDORS
Whether you are an occasional flea market/yard sale vendor or a seasoned pro, the Arlington Civitan Flea Market offers a unmatched venue in which to sell your goods- a five story parking garage.
TONS OF SPACE
Because we are located in such an immense parking garage you have plenty of room to spread out and showcase your items. It doesn't matter whether you sell large furniture pieces or fine collectibles-you'll find that it is easy to drive through the garage and offload goods right on site.
COMPETITIVE PRICE
We charge only $20 for one parking space. This is a competitive and often cheaper price than many other flea markets in the immediate area. If you would like to rent a jumbo space please let us know so we can discuss it. As always, we strive to offer our vendors a reasonable price and we haven't raised our rates in over three years.
LOTS OF TRAFFIC
We have over 1200 people who visit the Flea Market each Saturday of the month. Customer traffic is never a problem, since we are open rain or shine. Part of the Flea Market is in an enclosed area on four of the five levels of the garage.
ADVERTISING
The Arlington Civitan Club is committed to providing a wide spectrum of advertising through print and electronic mediums to spread the word about the Flea Market. We have recently been featured in a segment on AVN Comcast Channel 25 in Arlington. How does this help you, the vendor? Through our outreach we reach thousands of people in the DC Metro area, all of whom are prospective visitors to the Flea Market. You win, because the more people that visit, the greater your chances of selling your goods.
WE GIVE TO CHARITY
Finally, one of the primary reasons for the Flea Market is to provide financial support of the Arlington community by service to others. All monies earned through the Arlington Civitan Club is earmarked for various charitable organizations such as Special Olympics and research for developmental disabilities. Each time you rent a space from us you are helping us help others.
"My ears hear the cry of children and the call throughout the world for peace, guidance, progress and unity."
