20th St Flea Market at 4th Ave

I think you'd be surprised, BP. The influx of younger people to Sunset Park is growing by leaps and bounds. In my three years, I'd say it's doubled. I think if they marketed better, they'd have a better turn out. I didn't even know about it til I saw it posted here.

Again, if it's marketed better, has a better turn out and takes off, I'm sure you could see yourself selling stuff on 4th Avenue.

honestly, the location is the issue for the vendors who aren't selling vintage or food.

a lot of artists i know have left the brooklyn flea because they're not getting tons of $$. if i can't sell a $30 tumbler in fort greene, i know i can't sell one on 4th ave. it's not a matter of snobbery, it's a matter of economics.

ligh, they might have done better (in terms of how vendors view them) had they come to us (artisans, and the whole flea community) *honestly*. instead they came out with mass emails to all the bk flea's vendors as though they'd found us in thin air, instead of going down the bk flea's list.

they might have chosen a name that didn't directly compete with the brooklyn flea (they're "brooklyn flea market")...

they are part of a larger group of other flea organizers who've tried to ride on the coattails of the brooklyn flea and have done so in what many of us feel is a sneaky manner. i'm not just speaking for myself here, lots of vendors talk with each other.

beav, perhaps i wasn't clear.

i won't sell at their flea for several reasons: first, i really don't think i'll make any $$. second, i love selling at the brooklyn flea and they get a whole lot of press and have been rated at one of the top fleas on the east coast. third, i don't love the way they are competing.

brooklyn flea is curated, as are many of the other local fleas. this keeps me from selling next to people who sell tube socks. they do great promotion and spend a lot of effort getting a lot of people there. i don't know that the brooklyn flea market is but pretty sure they're not.

re: other fleas. competition is good, lots of fleas give the one where i sell more exposure. but before the brooklyn flea, there were no fleas here that i know of that combined art/vintage/gourmet or trendy food. there's no trademark on the idea, but let's be real: brooklyn flea vs brooklyn flea market? not just in name but in web name? i don't believe that's a coincidence, i think it's underhanded and meant to confuse. it's as though someone created another ceramics design company and used my name by added my middle initial. (or, as has happened to me personally, used my designs and then named them similarly. it's not nice.)

finally, many of these other fleas that have cropped up have been, in the opinion of many of the brooklyn flea vendors, sneaky/not upfront about the way they found us to invite us. i don't think that's cool.

you might think politics within flea markets is stupid, but it's really politics among businesses

I don't know. I guess in this economy, barring all other complaints, I'd be willing to sell my wares anywhere. Just because someone lives in proximity to this particular flea market doesn't make them low income. And just because someone is of a lower income doesn't mean they don't enjoy pretty things and occasionally splurging on them.

thanks, timmy.