Flea market
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A flea market, also known as a swap meet, is a place where vendors come to sell their goods. The goods are usually inexpensive and range in quality depending on several factors which might include; urban or rural location of the flea market, part of the country that you are in, or popularity/size of the flea market. Flea market shopping is a popular pastime for many people in the Western world.
The vast majority of flea markets in rural areas sell goods that are second-hand. Larger selections of newer but usually inexpensive items can be found at some of the larger or more urban flea markets. The semi-spontaneous nature and vendor-oriented open-market layouts of flea markets usually differentiate them from thrift stores.
Many television shows (starting in the late 1990s) focus on the appraisal of second-hand goods, often found at flea markets, that turn out to be worth far more than the buyer paid for them. In the United States, the most popular of these television shows is Antiques Roadshow.
The original flea market is likely to be the Marché aux puces of Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis, in the northern suburbs of Paris, a large, long-established outdoor bazaar, one of four in Paris, that earned their name from the flea-infested clothing and rags sold there. From the late 17th century, the makeshift open-air market in the town of St-Ouen began as temporary stalls and benches among the fields and market gardens where ragpickers exchanged their findings for a small sum. In modern days, the largest "flea market" for antiques is still that at Saint-Ouen.
External links
- Paris flea markets (http://other.franceguide.com/magazine/article.asp?idc=9609)de:Flohmarkt