Flea markets feeling the ’Net’s sting

Some vendors are blaming eBay in particular.

COLUMBUS (AP) — Roger Koch had been displaying his wares at the South Drive-In Flea Market for three hours on a recent Wednesday when he decided to pack it in.

“There’s nothing,” he said. “This year, it’s been the pits.”

Actually, business has been poor the past four or five years, he said.

After 25 years, he’s packing away his spoons and his mirrors, his saber saw blades and his piles of women’s clothing, including that little red negligee. Whatever he doesn’t sell in the coming weeks, he plans to throw away.

“It used to be a lot of fun,” he said, sitting near his van, which was parked between two trees, away from the dusty gravel lot of the drive-in movie theater.

“Now, you spend a lot of time, and you don’t make a lot of money. It’s time to give up.”

At least three central Ohio flea markets have done just that in the past five years. The Southland Expo Center closed this year; the Livingston Court Flea Market shut down about three years ago; and the Amos Flea Market, two years before that.

Koch blames the Internet and specifically eBay, which has hurt sellers, he said, because everyone wants to buy something cheap to resell on the auction site.

Others — such as Jean Crowe, a longtime vendor at the West Side Flea Market — think the state’s insistence that sellers get vendors’ licenses has hurt the industry.

In 2004, the state began cracking down on flea markets that didn’t require licenses from their sellers. Now, most do, and Crowe said it’s not worth the hassle to sell junk out of the closet.

Embracing e-market

Still, the National Flea Market Association says it has 1,600 member markets in the nation (30 percent more than three years ago) and that most are doing well.

“Our surveys show an increase in vendors, an increase in traffic and an increase in sales,” said Gail Barron, executive director of the association.

Columbus’ newest flea market, SouthPointe MarketPlace, is a far cry from those of old. SouthPointe, which opened in May in a former Kmart just down South High Street from the South Drive-In, is clean, air-conditioned and houses a flea market, an antiques-and-decorator mall and an auction house.

“We’re a little different animal than a flea market,” said Jeffrey Katz, developer of SouthPointe.

The place is more like a mini-mall, with small booths filled with new products: clothes hanging on racks, new jewelry, handmade (on site) pillows, housewares — even garage doors. Soon, a tattoo artist will join the other vendors.

Just about the only place you’ll find used merchandise is in the antiques-and-consignment area.

SouthPointe is also embracing the online marketplace. It will open an eBay store where vendors (and the public) can list items online.

James Woodrow, sales director at SouthPointe, said the Internet has changed flea markets by making previously rare items common today. For instance, a piece of McCoy pottery was once considered a good find at flea markets.

“It used to be considered unusual,” he said, “People would buy it up.”

Now there are more than 700 McCoy pottery items listed on eBay, starting at 95 cents (plus $11.50 for shipping).

One man’s junk …

Still, that doesn’t mean flea markets will dwindle, he said.

“There will always be flea markets because they’re social events,” Woodrow said.

That is certainly the case for Bill Harris, a self-described junkman who sells at the South Drive-In every Wednesday. Recently, he was trying to unload a motorboat, a rusted snowplow, a stoplight, a “walk/don’t walk” sign, a painting of a lion, mobile-home tie-downs, a pool-table lamp and climbing spurs.

“Guarantee it not to leak, buddy. Hundred and a quarter,” he said to Larry Muncy, who was looking at the red-and-blue motorboat. “That thing will send two guys down the river like nothing.”

Muncy didn’t buy the boat. He didn’t think it was worth $50. Like Harris, he comes for the fun of the treasure hunt.

On that Wednesday, Muncy’s treasure was a box of red peppers for $8.

“You can’t grow them for $8.”