During the period from 1971 to 1974, I found myself idle during the weekends. I had time on my hands and someone like myself, just couldn't sit still!
The Flea Market King (Part 1)
During the period from 1971 to 1974, I found myself idle during the weekends. I had time on my hands and someone like myself, just couldn’t sit still! I cannot remember how I met her, but it might have been through “kites”. It was the “Go Fly A Kite” company where I think we first met.
She was the first one I ever met who drove a small compact car with a hoard of balloons surrounding her and with just enough room to drive! She sang “Happy Birthday” to kids, moms, dads and also anniversary celebrations and did her best to entertain on a one-to-one basis. I was really amazed that a girl had this much foresight and stamina to do this from morning to night. She even got me to put on a “Gorilla Costume” and sing at a front door! To me, it was fun and I could actually earn money having fun. This is almost as easy as songwriting for royalties.
Her name was Peggy. She was a short, cute young lady with a very unique business mind. One day we discussed working together. We decided to visit a few stores in the garment district in New York City to get some ideas of products which had a low cost, which we could sell at local flea markets in New Jersey.
I had already owned some tables in New Jersey but I had others working for me and overseeing the inventory at each table. I would go there at the closing on Sunday evenings.
We came upon a closeout store which was selling quality bed comforters. Some were covered in beautiful patterns, some were covered in a smooth felt-like material. The colors were beautiful, wintergreen, dark blue and deep brown. These comforters were sold as “seconds” but actually, they were few, that we found which had any imperfections. These beautiful items sold for as much as $250.00 each at stores such as Macy’s, Lord and Taylor or Saks Fifth Avenue.
We sold them for $125.00 to $150.00 each. Peggy was a super sales person and, to this day, she continues to network her products and market her great ideas as successfully as ever.
Englishtown was about five football fields wide with over 600 dealers outdoors and another 100 indoor booths, all heated. I don’t believe we ever worked a heated booth. We owned two tables, at a cost of $6.00 each.
I remember, however, creating a “motto” for our business, I would wrap a warm comforter around myself on those bitter cold days and say out loud, “Most Stand By their Product!”… but “I Stand INSIDE Mine!”
The Route one Flea Market in Edison, New Jersey was an Indoor Market. The manager, Ray was jealous because he saw our comforters (and later pillows) flying out the door at a rapid pace. Eventually he raised our weekly rate because he was jealous. We did very well and after a while, it came to the point where I had no time to go with Peg to New York to pickup product because my music partner, Gene Allan and I were offered a staff writing position with Don Kirshner.
Those days will never be forgotten. They are so memorable because that was the most fun I had in business over a number of years!