Behind the Scenes at the 21st Century Flea Market
Jo-Anne Lauzer

The line up was just starting to wrap around the corner and spill outside. Vendors were putting their last touches on to their display tables and Renee Lafontaine, the event organizer, was doing her last walk about. "I enjoy the organizational part of all of this. I am very detailed oriented and with this event I get to use all of my best skills. I have also been in their shoes so it is important to me that all their needs are met." This is her fifth flea market and she has meticulously organized every detail.

Well, almost every detail --she left me in charge of the crowd with explicit instructions to not open the doors until precisely 10 a.m. Having not worn a watch for many years, I rely on the kindness of strangers (and my car) to tell time. Having been there since 5:30 a.m. working on gathering research for this story, I had not hit my second wind yet and was a bit sleepy at the helm. So when a nice couple in the line politely told me that it was 10 a.m. sharp, I promptly opened the doors and the crowd eagerly swarmed inside. All was going according to plan, or so I thought.

I was quickly informed that it was only 9:55 a.m. and I had been duped --but I would prefer to think that the nice couple's watch was a bit fast. Now five minutes may not seem like much, but for many of the vendors who have been getting ready since 7 a.m. or earlier, those five minutes are critical for last minute preparations (and a bit of shopping). Renee, who herself sells at a variety of shows, takes particular pride in ensuring that the vendors have everything that they need for the show. As a result, she has earned the reputation of taking excellent care of her dealers and putting on a well-organized event. Fortunately, my little blunder has not affected her reputation.

It is easy to understand the crowd's eagerness; this is a great show. There were over 150 tables set up with a terrific array of items including vintage housewares, toys, furniture, tools, antiques, collectibles, and much more. A few tables had also been set up for charitable organizations, some of which were handing out information while others set up their own booth of vintage wares. Renee believes strongly in giving back to the community and allows the non-profits to set up for free.

Organizing this type of event is no easy endeavour, a great deal of planning goes on behind the scenes well before the first person walks through the doors. For Renee, this means arriving just after 5:00 am. "I don't like to rush so I am usually up by 3:30 having my coffee and sorting through the last few details before I head out."

Although dealers are not supposed to start setting up until 7:00 am, many arrive early and Renee likes to be prepared. "The first thing I do is post the floor plan and the list, this way everyone knows where they are going." It can be rather chaotic once all the dealers start to arrive, so it is important that their most basic needs are met quickly. Dollies are also available at the door, making it easy for them to transport their wares without too many trips to their vehicles.

Most of the dealers who come to these shows are collectors themselves and are here because their own collections have gotten out of hand. And Renee is no exception, an avid collector of Jadite and Majolica, she started selling at shows about 12 years ago when she was running out of room for her own collection. She started part-time and eventually made the decision to leave her lucrative position at the Four Seasons Hotel to follow her passion and began selling at shows and antique malls full-time. Two years ago, she took it a step further and started her own Flea Market. Since then, she has created a rather loyal following of both dealers and shoppers.

Cheryl Krecsy, who has been a regular at this show since the beginning, is one of the dealers who enjoys getting there early. "One of the main reasons I arrive early is so that I can have enough time to set up and then shop a little before the doors open for the public." For Cheryl, who also sells at the Village Antiques Mall in Fort Langley and the Cloverdale Antique Mall, selling at the flea market allows her an opportunity to clear out some of her old stock and acquire some new items. "I have limited space and this a terrific way of liquidating and changing my displays."

Another regular vendor at the show is Derek who lives in a character home filled with many treasures acquired over the years. He recently left his corporate management position to start selling about a year ago. He currently sells some things on consignment in stores as well as at the different shows. Derek enjoys the shows and connecting with all the different people and their stories. "The hunt is addictive, but I also like knowing the stories and then selling the connection to that memory." He is also an avid collector, but had chosen to arrive a bit later so as not to spend too much time shopping before he set up. However, I did catch him shopping a little later in the day, "I just couldn't resist...once a collector always a collector."

I also met Sandy who was new to selling at this show. He still has his full-time job and just does this as a hobby. He sells vintage toys but is clear why he came "I am more here to find toys to add to my own collection. If I can sell a few along the way, then that is great too." His display booth was set up long before most of the other vendors arrived.

You can find out more about the 21st Century Flea Market by checking out the various listings for upcoming shows in the Market/Event Section. The shows are held at the Vancouver Croatian Cultural Centre the scheduled shows for 2002 are:
April 7, 2002
July 21, 2002
September 15, 2002
November 24, 2002

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