Here's a close-up of the flower pendant/brooch which I payed $4 for. The piece is indeed a pendant, however, the chain I purchased didn't fit through the hole so I added two large jump rings and put the chain through that way. You can purchase jump rings at any craft supply store, but I've actually had very good luck with ones I purchased at Walmart. They are high quality and super cheap.
The chain was purchased at a permanent vendor inside the building at the flea market. The vendor had thousands of vintage jewelry items, including about a hundred vintage chains. This particular chain cost me $5. Not too bad considering it matched the brooch perfectly! Personally, I love having an almost entirely (besides the jump rings) vintage piece as opposed to just buying a chain at a craft store with a faux vintage patina.
And here's a tip! Use a few drops of clear nail polish to seal the pin shut so you're not unexpectedly stabbed in the throat if the pin opens.
The reason I used two jump rings to assemble this piece is so the pendant faces forward when the necklace is worn - basic logic! However, there are times when pendants are stubborn and they just don't seem to want to face forward. In that case, try what I've done below with a new (meaning non-vintage) owl pendant and chain I purchased a while back and assembled myself. Basically, use jump rings to form a triangle! Easy peasy.
This next flea market find consists of a vintage key and another vintage chain from that same vendor. Note: A chain with this patina is RARE. This is the only one I have seen in all my years of antique shopping and it was the only one out of those one hundred chains the vendor had. So if you see one, buy it! You'll regret it if you don't. Both the key and chain costed $4 each. I only needed one jump ring to assemble this beauty!
My last find at the flea market was this darling little ring. Yes, I already have four rings in this style, but they're all different colors and fit on different fingers so it's okay I bought another one, right??? None of the rings I have like this are gold so this one's special! (This is an example of a shopaholic trying to justify her purchases...)
Overall, I enjoyed my day at Hartville Flea Market. This wasn't my first time there and I really do enjoy it every time I go there!
Here's my advice for going to Hartville Flea Market:
- GET THERE EARLY!!!! I cannot stress this enough. Many of the outdoor vendors start to pack up around noon or possibly sooner (they get there at 6 a.m. or earlier so you can't really blame them). If I see something I'm interested in buying at a vendor, I've gotten into the habit of asking them how long they'll be there so I could always go back for the item later if I decide I want to buy it.
- As with any flea market, bring cash. It just makes things easier.
- If you want to shop hardcore, go on a holiday/special event. I went on Memorial Day once and it was absolutely insane. Not only were there significantly more vendors than usual, but there were many unique items that I hadn't seen before at the market.
- Stock up on produce. The produce in my experience is of great quality and prices are competitive with the West Side Market. Also, the crowds are smaller at Hartville compared to the West Side Market.
- Don't be afraid to negotiate for vintage items, especially if it's a big-ticket item. The vendors expect it; you're not being rude, I promise!
- Shop smart. My tactic when shopping anywhere is to look at everything first, then go back and buy items that are still on my mind, because if it's something I can't stop thinking about, then it's probably worthwhile. However, I do buy items in a heartbeat at times if all of the following conditions apply...
- It's the only one of it's kind at that vendor/market
- It's something you've been specifically searching for and it fits your vision exactly
- It's a good price
- It speaks to me!! If I have any doubt at all, then whether or not I buy the item depends on the three aforementioned factors. But as a wise friend said to me recently, it's better to buy a few things you love than many things that are just okay.
- By shop smart, I also mean you can literally use your smartphone to see if you're getting a good deal. Antique stores where it's one vendor who owns the store and all the merchandise usually know what their items are worth. Antique stores that consist of vendor booths & vendors at flea markets sometimes know what their merchandise is worth - it depends on how much the vendor cares about what they're selling. Thrift stores in my opinion are the best place to find valuable items because the seller has no attachment to the items and they get such a large amount of goods that they don't have time to go through every item and see what it's worth. For example, I bought a book at a thrift store for 25 cents. As it turns out, the book is worth about $55 according to Ebay. A caveat though - just because an item is listed at a certain price online doesn't mean it will sell for that. Find out what the item actually sold for or how much it or a similar item has been appraised for.
Good luck and have fun!!!!
Click HERE for more information about Hartville Flea Market!
