Valhalla for buyers and sellers on the free market on the Singels in Groningen

She holds up a short, colorful dress. “The most beautiful dress in Groningen, now for 16 euros!”, the one-day saleswoman shouts to no one in particular. It is King’s Day, she is standing on the Praediniussingel in Groningen, the heart of the flea market.

Crowds of people stroll past, a few look up at the dress. A student picks it up, feels the fabric, admires the colors and wants to try it on. “That’s possible, behind that front door,” the saleswoman points behind her to one of the stately buildings.

Bargaining on King’s Day

While the student is trying it on, another customer has an eye for teacups from grandmother’s time. “Very wide and shallow cups, so that the tea cooled quickly and was drinkable,” the saleswoman explains. She turns the cups over, shows the mark of the Petrus Regout pottery factory and fishes out the corresponding saucers from a box somewhere. She is surprised about it herself. “Three cups and saucers, eight euros,” she says. “Six,” says the interested customer. Sold.

Meanwhile, the student girl steps out of the stately building in the most beautiful dress in Groningen. She is a beauty and she wants the dress but she is not at home in the game of negotiation. “You said sixteen euros?” she asks. The saleswoman sees her hesitating and just goes down sharply. “Twelve and a half,” she says, and the deal is complete.

Please don’t let it rain on the flea market

Ah, the flea market on King’s Day, what a party for the sellers. It is of course a struggle: the alarm goes off unusually early, the night has been restless because what if the chalk-lined sidewalk in front of the house of acquaintances has been occupied by other sellers for a day? And isn’t the sales associate – also a girlfriend with a van – oversleeping? And please let it dry.

Well, it’s dry, she showers quickly and then cycles through the quiet city with her son, a bag with sandwiches and a thermos of coffee on the handlebars, neat rugs to display their merchandise under the zip tie. He has the cash box.

There are customers immediately

Their place is still there! It is 6 o’clock in the morning, the first sellers have already set up their rugs or stalls. She and her son unfold the rugs and there she hears the heavy sound of the friend’s van, also with her son. They greet each other with a grin (“We’ll be there at six o’clock”) and unload the van very quickly. While the friend drives the van home, the dressing begins.

And trading starts immediately. Because there are the early birds, the traders who know that for real finds you have to be there on time at the flea market. They are tried and tested, of course do not show that they want something and nonchalantly ask the price of a Bakelite door handle, a seven-armed candlestick, a small hand mirror. And keep walking, only to come back a little later.

,,Mom! The neighbor across the street wants to buy those sunglasses, how much do they cost?” The son has only been a salesman for fifteen minutes and he already has a taste for it. “Just ask for seven euros.” He looks at his mother. “Five, mom.” That’s fine. Sold. The first five euros have been received and it is 6:15 in the morning.

The secret of a successful stall on King’s Day

Time flies unnoticed, the traders return, settle their goods and leave with their treasures. Unnoticed, all the other vendors-for-a-day have shown up, as well as the public.

“You have one of the three most beautiful stalls in the Singels,” an experienced flea market visitor tells them. What’s that about?

It’s a combination. It is about a tasteful and well-organized way of displaying, about the way of promoting, having a surprise in store, keeping something in reserve, about fun of course, but first of all about the items to be sold.

‘The biography of Ard Schenk! Weighs 5 kilos!’

That shouldn’t be a bunch of plastic toys that no one sees the beauty in – that should be beautiful toys that a child (or his parents) falls for: Noah’s Ark from Playmobil, for example. Or three Playmobil figures in complete pirate equipment that no one can resist. Or an impressive fire truck. A jigsaw puzzle of the Netherlands with not a piece missing. An old-fashioned moped top that still works just about as well.

Next to the toy corner is the book corner, with striking and diverse books. “Who will bid on Ard Schenk’s biography? Weighs 5 kilos!”, the saleswoman-for-a-day recommends the bulky book. Top sport of course, keeping a book about a top athlete in the air.

Stained glass windows and wind-up toys

Crockery is next to crockery, bags are next to bags, trinkets such as jewelry and beads and purses look better on an old mirror. Or in a wooden box, in front of which people crouch down and which gives them the idea of ​​finding a treasure. And interest attracts interest.

Golden tip? Offering a little bit of antique or vintage, not only because it makes money, but also because it serves as an enticement. Think of stained glass windows, wind-up toys, a rare biscuit tin, crazy retro 1950s bicycle bags, a slightly rusty sewing box (with contents!) or a not-quite-kitschy table lamp. That attracts people and as said: people attract people.

And you have to sell clothes in phases. “The most beautiful dress in Groningen, grass green!”, the saleswoman recommends another dress for a day. And before she knows it, it’s gone. Nine euros.

“You dare to ask,” says her partner alias friend with van. He approaches it slightly differently. She stands among the buyers, in front of the stall, and sells her goods while talking and discussing. Works too! And she has an old soup pot full of gems. Free market audiences appear to be crazy about gemstones.

Idleness sets in

And suddenly it’s 1 p.m., half the stall is already empty, acquaintances arrive, sales are no longer going smoothly, they are now running steadily. The sons are already accomplished salespeople after one morning. And the saleswoman-for-a-day sees time for a trick. She takes an empty cardboard box and writes on the bottom: “FREE: young kittens” and places it upside down at the front of the rug. Free works well, a friend who brings a bottle of wine over draws young kittens on the cardboard box and before she knows it the nest – which has yet to be born – is already empty.

With the wine the corniness makes its appearance. Prices plummet, acquaintances also turn out to be sellers, the number of visitors decreases, those last two hours are tough, but fun nonetheless. The partner alias girlfriend with van suddenly has good news. She made a large pan of spaghetti the night before and come, she says, I’ll pick up the van, we’ll load up the rest of our business and we’ll go home.

The sons count all those banknotes at home, all that change – they have never seen so much cash before. They feel like Scrooge McDuck and they eat spaghetti, have a Coke for once and just like their mothers and supporters, they feel tired and satisfied and happy. Next year again!

PS: How do they get new business? Simply: tidy up at home and ask family & friends if they simply want to get rid of their excess of stuff.