Showing up to a flea market with nothing but your wallet works fine for a casual browse, but it’s a bad plan if you’re actually hunting for something specific. A little preparation goes a long way toward making the trip worth the drive.
Cash, in smaller bills. Plenty of vendors take cards or payment apps now, but cash is still king at most markets, and it gives you real leverage when negotiating — a vendor is more likely to round down to an even number for cash in hand than for a card swipe. Bring a mix of small bills rather than a stack of twenties; making change is a hassle for vendors early in the day, and it can quietly work against you at the negotiating table.
A tape measure. This is the single most overlooked item, and the one that causes the most regret. That dresser looks great until you get it home and it doesn’t fit through the doorway, or that rug is a foot short for the space you had in mind. A cheap retractable tape measure, plus the dimensions of the space you’re shopping for, saves a lot of return trips.
A reusable bag or two, and a box or blanket in the trunk. Vendors don’t always have bags on hand, and if you’re buying anything fragile, having something to wrap it in for the ride home matters. A folded moving blanket in the trunk is standard practice for anyone who buys furniture or glassware regularly.
A phone with a full battery and a flashlight app. You’ll want it for reverse image searches when you’re not sure what you’re looking at, for checking prices on similar items, and for peering into dim corners of poorly-lit booths — indoor markets in particular are not always generously lit.
Comfortable shoes and, if the market is outdoors, sun protection. This sounds obvious until you’re two hours into a market that turns out to be significantly larger than you expected, which happens more often than not.
A general sense of what you’re looking for — and a willingness to be surprised anyway. Shoppers who go in with a rigid list sometimes walk right past the best find of the day because it wasn’t on it. The better approach is to have a loose target in mind while staying open to whatever turns up.
Finally, patience. The best deals at a flea market rarely announce themselves. They’re usually sitting in a box under a table, and finding them takes time most retail shopping doesn’t require.