Just courious on trends from around the country.
This swap I go to has a long history. Was sold to current owner due to being confiscated by authorities.
Last owner was involved in organized crime (allegedly) and new owner has been investigated but not charged.
Swap has been frequently raided and focas of sting operations by local and state police. As well as ATF and FBI for individual vendors, not the swap as a whole.
There is a great deal of vendors selling "shop lifted goods" like allergy meds, high end shampoo....
Lots of car stereo's and lawn equipment.
Easily stolen, easily sold goods.

Even some stalls I assume were "fell off a truck" stuff.  Tho possible they buy wholesale...?

Police frequently go by stalls and run serial numbers and anything that is missing number or number is altered/scratched out...it will be confiscated and you have to go to court to claim it.


To the question....
Obviously swaps are a great place to sell stolen goods. Been going on for decades.
Just wondering how open it is in your neck of the woods?
And do your authorities take action?



Just started attending this swap and was amazed at how obvious and open

Reading several threads on staged units and thought I'd share.....
Now this was told to me back in 1989-90ish by sn OLD timer and he was known to tell some good stories.
Some were truth....some based off truth....some...um....who knows?
So take this with a grain if salt.....

This guy was an 'events stager'. He'd set up for conventions.
Primarily for Sears (I think it was) so he would store displays till next use.
99% of the stuff (lawn mowers, air compressors ...) were either extremely good plastic replicas or the real thing with no guts. And of course a ton of boxes for the back drop.
He lost the account and everything was in s storage unit. He didn't want to empty and dispose so he defaulted on purpose.
So here comes the auction, doors open and looky here!!!!
LOOKS like a 20x30 filled with brand new lawn mowers, compressors, tools, tires.....and unopened box's stacked floor to ceiling, wall to wall!!!

Bidding went thru the roof!
He didn't know this but what ever is bid pays the storage bill....anything over the bill and legal fee's? Yep...he got sent a check for several thousand dollars and the bidder got stuck with empty boxes and plastic replicas.

By how he talked I'd say this was in the late 70's so several grand was a lot.
He said he did it a few more times and made a killing.
He was a conning, untrustworthy sort that'd sell ya out for a dollar and always a scam brewing so maybe this story is true. Maybe it's just something he thought up but never tried and turned it into a story....?

Nice math did not figure in the gas and time.

My friend didnt understand the gas thing.  I made some "jokes" about it hoping he would kick in a few bucks.
He'c never been to estate sales and after a few was hooked.
I had a nice list and it went in a circle so wasn't driving all over. He was trying for going to this one and that one....things 60miles round trip outa our way!

As it was I spent $25 in gas. So when he asked to go yesterday I told him sure but HE buys the gas.
We didn't go. lol


I'm heading down south soon to do some pick'n.  Hit Oklahoma City and Dallas area for sure. Depending on if I have time, I'm thinking of driving over to panama city, with a weekend stop in NOLA just because I really like it there.  Oh, and the 20hour lay over in Vegas! That's just for fun too! 

But anything I pick, air/hotels/car/gas/food.......will NOT be included in the items price. Looking at it as a vacation and picks are just a bonus

So a few days ago I posted about the high prices at the Goodwill distribution center. Specifically the chairs at almost retail. The one I remember the best was an Ikea chair priced at $35.

Today I was at a local goodwill and saw the same chair (it might even be the SAME chair) for $7.99!
And it was pink tag which is 50% off on Thursdays so $3.99!   WTF?

That must be what our goodwills are doing. Price checking.
I was doing okay selling chairs but now all the thrift stores have them marked at retail.
Some still have a margin but not big enough to play the odds.

I've even noticed that CL is pretty slim on 'free' furniture and the 'antique' section is up.
Tho most aren't antiques, just old.

I'm not an expert at antiques in the slightest but I'm pretty sure, and I could be wrong here, that if a piece was sold at Ikea.... not antique. lol

My favorite is the ad's that say 'antique looking....'
What does that even mean!?  Been sitting outside in rain and sun and is worn and cracking?

And how did I take this post from value village finds to a rant on CL listings?
Sorry about that.

Guess it's good if you have books just hanging around but put in all my books and 99% they didn't want.
The rest came to about $15.

Put in my friends text book that he paid $60 used and they offered $4.70.  Book store will pay $28.

But I figure my dads gf buys all the new releases in hardback then passes them to me.
I usually just pass them along or donate. Even a couple bucks apiece is better than donating....

I had a card swiper but it just copied the card info and then had to transfer info to laptop (5second process) and it held info. Later you downloaded to get paid.
Basically you couldn't get authorization/conformation numbers.

Other option is to have a mobile hotspot so if people had paypal..which few do and fewer willing to log onto their accept via some dudes laptop.

Today was looking into this subject for a friend that wants to do a summer business of a food truck down at the beach.

Found this and thought I'd pass along to you flea market people.

squareup.com/pricing


Not vouching. Never used. Don't know anything about.
Passing along an idea. Not nessesaraly this product/company.