Flea markets are my nominee for best example of an equitable free market economy. The vendors put their wares out for one and all to inspect, fondle, mishandle or appreciate, and if someone likes what they see and wants to purchase it, then the vendor and customer engage in negotiations as to price, and if an agreement is reached, then both parties win - the vendor sells an item for a price he can live with, and the customer purchases something they want for a price they can live with.
The great variety of goods on display at this parking lot flea market was remarkable. There were the perfunctory book and record dealers, the clothing and shoe sellers, and the sports collectible traders that are found in every flea market from Japan to Jacksonville, but there were also some interesting specialty vendors.
There was a remarkable amount of folk art on display - from folks all over the world. Baskets and masks from Africa and Polynesia, blankets and sarape's from Mexico and Central or South America, and oddly painted mannequin parts from what I could only assume was an abandoned art school project from the F.I.T.
The lovely lady gets her moment in the sun
There were also a number of dealers selling what appeared to be the contents of storage lockers. Cardboard boxes and large Tupperware containers full of nick-nacks, picture frames, photo albums, dishes, toys - basically, the kind of stuff people abandon when times are tight and they have to restart life somewhere else.
The New York storage lockers seem to have a whole heckuva lot of homemade porn in them however. There were shoeboxes full of nude pictures of wives and girlfriends, strippers and dancers. It was eyebrow raising, to say the least.
Oh - $3.00 a picture, 2 for $5.00.
This particular parking lot flea market was as diverse as any I've ever experienced, not only in the variety of goods on display, but in the customers and the vendors. People were jawing with each other in Russian, Chinese, Spanish, French, Arabic - I think I even heard a few transactions go down in German. If a customer and a vendor didn't have a common native tongue, English was the language used to complete a transaction.
What was a miracle to me was how civil the discourse was. I've seen people nearly come to blows over the price of a door knob at a few different flea markets, but here in NYC the hemming and hawing was very low key. The deal making went something along these lines:
Customer: This is a nice book. What's a nice book like this selling for these days?
Vendor: That is a nice book, and rare to find in such fine condition. You have an excellent eye. That book is selling for...let me see...$30.00.
Customer: $30.00? That is a good price for a fine book and this book may be well worth that, but unfortunately, I have only $15.00 to pay for such a nice book.
Vendor: $15.00? That is unfortunate. I cannot sell that book for $15.00 and stay in business. Now, $25.00, that I could live with.
Customer: $25.00 is a good price, just a little more than I am capable of paying. Now, if that book was to sell for $20.00, that I could pry out of my pocket.
Vendor: $20.00? For this fine book? Well, it does need to be in the hands of someone who could appreciate it. If you have $20.00 for me, you have this book.
That pretty much sums it up, give or take an accent. Listening in was terrific.
No comments:
Post a Comment