FLEA MARKET" SHOULD BE WRITTEN AS ONE WORD

In this issue, I will talk about my visits to FLEA markets (OLD GOODS MARKET). Although I’m not a regular yet, I know it's just a matter of time. So far, I've visited the flea markets in Esenler, Dolapdere, Tuzla, and Kadıköy. Almost every weekend (unless I’m not taking photos), I am definitely at one of them.

I also had the chance to visit the Yalova flea market. I haven’t visited Üsküdar, Feriköy, and Ataşehir yet, but they are on my list of flea markets to check out.

When I was a child, I used to think that fleas were sold at the flea market. Some people think that old junk and unnecessary things are sold there. Flea market shopping is a whole different culture, I must say.

I can’t help but make the joke, "The flea market is a culture, you either like it or you don't, I don't care." 😊 Joking aside, for nostalgia lovers like me, it’s perfect.

Sometimes, it’s just a stroll, and I go home empty-handed. Other times, I return with many sweet things that I had no intention of buying. But I always leave happy at the end of the day. Generally, I’m looking for old books, vintage objects, porcelain cups, glasses, or anything related to photography, though I browse everything.

Why is it called a flea market? Let me share the story that seems the most plausible to me. This second-hand market was first established in France in the 1860s. The term "flea market," as the English translation, made its way into our language as "bitpazarı." These markets were places where items inhabited by fleas were sold or traded. Although second-hand clothing or goods aren't as common or popular in our culture as they are abroad, I appreciate the idea of recycling, exchanging, and giving new life to things.

In our culture, they say, "If there were interest in the old, flea markets would be showered with light," but I see a bright future. The second-hand or vintage culture seems to be getting trendy lately.

Let me share some anecdotes.

In our Kadıköy flea market, shopping used to be done only with cash. But now, even the oldest seller at the market gives out their IBAN. Technology is for all of us; it’s a nice development, as sometimes finding an ATM can be really difficult. Recently, I spent money on things I hadn’t planned, and I was alone; I sent 100 TL to an old man’s IBAN. I should also mention this for newbie flea market customers: bargaining is a tradition in these open-air museums.

So, what can you find?

Computer games, arcades, decorative items, clothes, magazines, postcards, old coins, postage stamps, jewelry, figurines, paintings, badges, toys, cassettes, CDs, computer parts, cables, chargers, old radios, old photos, and even old letters, notebooks, and journals filled with handwritten pages…

What else? I’ve seen many people searching for porcelain cups, especially in porcelain stands. Also, there are collectors searching for character toys, and they are not a small number either.

From time to time, you might come across antique items at flea markets. I advise you to be careful.

Conversations at the stands can get quite lively, with both the sellers and other shoppers. You become friends with the vendors; you buy one item, and then they start giving you the second one as a gift; that’s how it happened for me. 😊

Amid all the things and parts I don’t even know the names of, I walk around happily, asking, "What is this?" I haven’t gotten a beating yet. 😊 Most of these things are rusty old items I’ve never seen before. I’ve learned so many things, satisfied my curiosity, and encountered new people with different perspectives, which is one of my favorite activities.

Also, it's nice to see the joy of people who find what they’ve been looking for at the stands, a paradise for those who find what they were searching for.

There’s also an antique market held on Sundays, which feels like traveling through time, accompanied by the sound of old vinyl records. This nostalgic journey reminds you of the old days. Then a saxophone adds to your journey. A smile spreads across your face as you explore this world of discontinued products.

For those who long for the past, break your prejudices.

Life flows by without caring about us, and everything gets old, lost in history. Spend a few hours at these special places; it’s worth it for a different experience. You won’t regret it.

I believe there’s something for everyone at the flea market. 😊