A bustling scene at Anyang Flea Market
(PHOTOS: Lee Su-hyun)
A flea market is a great spectacle that also has meaning. It’s a chance to save money and help the environment by buying used things. It’s like combining shopping and recycling! In spite of these benefits, flea markets are becoming harder to find. On a fine autumn day in November, I went to Anyang Flea Market in Joongang Park. I wasn’t, however, just there to shop. I was also a seller, bringing things like clothes, books, and toys I didn’t use anymore.
Anyang Flea Market has been held every Saturday for twelve years since 2001 and has been a local attraction for the city. From children to the elderly, the park is crowded each Saturday with people who want to sell their used things, buy something they need or just look around. It looks like a little festival!
The stuff that sells in the flea market goes for between 100 won and 2,000 won. Even though the items are used, the quality is good. It’s a real bargain! One visitor to the Anyang Flea Market, with his hands full of bags, said the flea market is a magical place where he can buy everything he needs for just 25,000 won! Shoppers are not the only ones who benefit. Sellers can earn money selling stuff they no longer use. On the day I went, I earned 130,000 won!
At the flea market, buyers can get things they need from sellers willing to part with their possessions for a very reasonable price. This kind of sharing adds meaning to our lives and brings communities closer together. For me, it was also a great chance to meet new people, talk with them, and practice my negotiating skills when they asked for a lower price.
Relating to strangers is not easy in modern life. The flea market is one of the few remaining traditions that allows us to feel affection for each other. Do you want your next Saturday to be a special one? Visit a flea market! You’ll always leave with more than when you came.
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