Camberwell Market

Busker at Camberwell Market

What it is: The market itself is officially the Rotary Sunday Market and consists of almost 400 stalls that people book to sell their stuff.

Where it is: Station Street, Camberwell.

Hours of Operation: most Sundays from 7 am till 12.30 pm (refer to the website for days when it is closed)

What you’ll find: Clothes, clothes, and more clothes. Plus shoes, accessories, furniture, brick-a-brack and food stalls. About half the stalls are young girls selling their old stuff while others have an actual store and sell their new handmade stuff (soaps, jewellery, clothes etc..). There are also oddball stores selling oddball stuff.

Why I love it: Whether you want to buy something old that looks new, new that looks old or old that looks old, you’ll find it here at a bargain. Plus, you can bring your dog, if your dog likes crowds and doesn’t pee on everything.

Sgt Sookie stall # 385

Puppy enjoying all the attention at Camberwell Market

Colourful fabrics at a regular stall at Camberwell Markets

What there is for guys: To be honest, not much. There are a couple of food stalls, furniture stalls, and sometimes there is one stall hidden among the other 400 for men’s clothes.

Furniture stall at Camberwell Market

While most designer luxury items might only be found at or just before 7 am, not everyone will have your particular style and you can find bargains at any hour (until it closes at 12.30 pm). Trust me, you will come home with heaps of awesome crap.

My advice for getting the most out of this giant market:

• look for stall holders that are wearing clothes you like and are roughly your size.
• get there at 7 am if you can and are looking for designer items
• get there at 10 am if you are on a budget, as a lot of stall holders will start to slash their prices
• don’t arrive any later than 11 am, as you won’t have enough time to get to all the stalls
• bring a hat and sunnies as there is barely any shade
• bring a gold coin for entry (goes to Rotary Club charities)
• don’t take your dog if it’s a warm day as there’s no shade and the ground is hot
• get the sweet potato wedges with sweet chilli sauce from the food stall that says falafel on it.

Let me know how you go!

Northcote’s Suitcase Rummage Market

What it is: The idea behind the market is that stall holders sell out of their suitcase, to create a very chilled out picnic ambiance.

Where it is: Northcote Uniting Church, 251 High St, Northcote, VIC

Hours of Operation: every second Saturday of the month, from 11am – 4pm (check out the official website for any changes to the schedule)

What you’ll find: Clothes, clothes, and more clothes. Plus shoes, jewellery, furniture, and brick-a-brack. Half the stalls are typically creative types selling their creations, while the other half are those selling their secondhand wares. No food stalls are allowed, however there is a small sandwhich shop nearby & busy High street has many shops to sell you food.

Why I love it: It has a very chilled out vibe, plus there are comfy chairs outside the stall area where you can just relax with your friends. It is also on bustling High St, so while the market is relatively small, you can get your shopping fix from quirky stores nearby.

The delightful Anna from Sabiha Jewellery

Sabiha Jewellery

While the doors open to the stal holders at 10 am, it does not get very busy, and as such it is not vital that you arrive earlier than 11am, when the doors to the public open.

My advice for getting the most out of this suitcase rummage market:

• even though it is a little awkward, do take the time to sit infront of each suitcase and RUMMAGE! It is hard to display items in a suitcase, so you never know what treasures you’ll find!
• buy lunch on High St and come back and eat it on the chairs just outside the stall area – very comfy chairs await your behind 🙂
• it is an indoor market, so while it is super children friendly, maybe don’t bring your dog to this one.
• it’s free to attend as a shopper, but stall holders pay a $25 registration fee (well in advance)

Let me know how you go!

Abbotsford Convent’s Supper Market

Stalls at the Abbotsford ‘Supper’ Market

What it is: The Supper Market is a free family friendly affair (dogs included) focusing mainly on food.

Where it is: The Abbotsford Convent at 1 Heliers St., Abbotsford, Victoria.

Hours of Operation: Friday evening from 6pm – 10pm, all throughout summer (till March 1, 2013) – ONLY ONE FRIDAY LEFT!!

What you’ll find: Permanent restaurants & temporary stalls selling food and drinks from many different countries, plus some stalls selling clothes, accessories, soap etc… But please note this market is mostly a food market. There are also live bands and plenty of space to hang out, whether it’s in front of the band, or other grass areas around the convent.

Why I had an awesome time: I brought along my best friend and we browsed the stalls, sat in the park, stuffed our faces with vegetarian paella and yummy sangria while enjoying the amazing view of the night sky and convent backdrop.

Sangria stall at Abbotsford Supper Market

Winkie Vintage clothes stall at Abbotsford Supper Market

 

 

Chai Stall at Abbotsford Supper Market

What is there for kids? There was a stall for face painting that looked tempting enough for me, and a few big trees that some kids were climbing on. Plus there is lots of grass to run around on towards the back of the convent, where someone was playing fetch with their dog.

Kids’ Face Painting Stall at Abbotsford Supper Market

Tips for enjoying this market:

• Parking is tough if you arrive late, so either get there early, bring $6 in coins to park in the parking lot opposite the convent, or bike ride there.
• Bring insect repellent, especially if you plan on sitting in the grass after dark.
• Bring some friends & enjoy!

Let me know how you go, and if you have any other tips for this market.

 

 

MarketFinds Goes to Zurich, Switzerland

The past month has seen me use up my entire annual leave, as well as be one week in the negative, to prance around Poland & Switzerland. Whilst I have had an incredible adventure, I have been feeling rather guilty of neglecting my baby – this blog. So as a thank you for your patience, I wanted to share with you some photos from a market in Zurich that I just happened to stumble upon one fine Swiss morning.

Market in Zurich

The first thing you notice when going to a market in Europe is that antiques are far more common, and you can get some REALLY old stuff! Switzerland is expensive in general, so market shopping is the way to go in this country. This particular market is sometimes a farmers food market.

Sweet little dress in a Zurich market

There was an abundance of interesting musical instruments & books:

Musical Instrument in a market in Zurich

Platen Book in a market in Zurich

Musical Instrument in a market in Zurich

And vintage jewellery galore:

Vintage Jewellery at a Market in Zurich

And others:

So that was my Swiss market experience – I would highly recommend you check it out if you are in the area, and I will endeavour to update this post with specific details of this place once my jetlag has left me & I have properly unpacked & found my notebook with all the details. Until next time, it’s good to be back!

Rose Street Artists Market

Rose Street Market

What it is: A quaint little artist’s market that embodies the feel of Fitzroy with graffiti walls and its own cafe.  Here you can find art, photography, fashion, accessories, home-wares, vintage items, and can even hire a bike here. Don’t forget to say hello to the friendly guy handing out fliers on the corner of Brunswick St. & Rose St.

Where it is: On Rose St. in Fitzroy (side street off Brunswick St.)

When it is: While the cafe opens at 9am on the weekends, the market is open from 11am – 5pm every Saturday & Sunday.

Anything for the males of the world: absolutely! Mostly accessories, homewares, art & photography.

How to get the best from this market:

• The market is very small, and you can walk through it all in less than an hour, so it would be best to visit Fitzroy for breakfast or lunch on Brunswick St. and then pop in to the market
• Visit their facebook page to see details on how to get a free coffee in June
• For upcoming events at the Rose St. Market, check out their blog
• Friendly dogs are welcome
• Let me know how you go 🙂

Round She Goes… Where she shops, no one knows

It was a gorgeous Melbourne day, so I took my mum and drove to Kingston Town Hall.  After spending at least 20 minutes searching for a park, we headed to the market with our cash and empty shopping bags, paid the $2 per person entry fee and climbed the stairs.

The market was bursting at the seams, with stalls lining the entrance to the hall, the first of those being the gorgeous Mecino vintage & contemporary jewellery stall.

At 11am, the hall was already packed with stallholders and shoppers.  After a while, mother dearest, who proudly claims she has never bought a second hand item in her life, started getting into the spirit of things and found herself a bargain – a $1 vintage necklace.  The verdict is still out on whether or not she’ll wear it.

Round She Goes market at Kingston City Hall in May 2012

There was plenty of vintage and new jewellery on display, and these were our favourites:

Vintage earrings & brooch set at RSG market 2012

Run Wild Horses display at RSG in 2012

And that was our half a day at Round She Goes.  To be honest, I went to look for shoes, but ended up spending most of my time looking through the gorgeous jewellery on offer.  Mum was having a grand old time seeing items that were in fashion in her day.  All in all, a great day, but I really wish I had taken the train… Maybe next time 🙂

Upcoming… Round She Goes

Round She Goes is back on this Sunday in Victoria, and I’m hoping my flu will leave by Sunday so I can buy all the pretty old things.

Round She Goes market at Kingston Town Hall

What it is: The brainchild of sisters Emma & Anne, Round She Goes is the market for girls – it even won an award! With 100 carefully selected stalls selling crafty crafts and quality vintage and designer pre-loved frocks & accessories, you won’t find any sportswear or t-shirts here.

Where it is: When in Melbourne, the market is held in the very large Kingston City Hall (a.k.a Moorabbin Town Hall) at 979 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin, VIC 3189. It is very close to Moorabbin station, and free parking is available on site.

When it is: From 10am to 3pm this coming Sunday (20th of May, 2012). The one after that won’t be until the 9th of September at the same location. For future events, please refer to the website.

Anything for the males of the world: nope!

How to get the best from this market:

• There are communal change rooms available, so wear your best underwear. I usually wear stockings too.
• The market is quite large and you only have 5 hours to shop (assuming you get there on time of opening) so be efficient. Don’t assume you will come back to a stall later.
• It is mostly pre-loved & vintage items at this market, so if that’s not your thing, you might as well give it a miss.
• A stall holder is most likely only going to have one of each pre-loved or vintage item, so if you love it, don’t wait till someone else has bought it to realise it’s the only thing that will make your wardrobe complete (I am still longing for that red glomesh purse)
• Wear something comfortable but makes you feel good – you may get snapped up with your photo on the website
• These guys have a newsletter you can subscribe to and win cool stuff too.
• Bring cash (there is an ATM across the street, but none in the hall).
• Let me know what you got, and check back for my review and photos next week, if I get better in time – wish me luck!

Upcoming… Garage Sale Trail

A friend of mine went to this last year and raved about it for a while afterwards, and I was really jealous kicking myself for not knowing about it. She was expecting her first child at the time and had managed to fill her whole nursery full of goodies from nearby garage sales, held on the one day.

What it is: a well organised nation-wide garage sale where those holding garage sales list their event on the one website, while those that wish to shop can create a ‘trail’ of places to visit. There were 1600 places that participated last year, all across Australia.

Youth Projects’ Hosier Lane Sale

Where it is: you need to sign up here to have access to all the places (households, communities, schools etc.. ) that are hosting a garage sale, all across the nation.

When it is: it happens once a year and it’s on this coming Saturday, May 5th, and I’m very excited!

Garage Sale Trail

How to get the most out of your one day:

• narrow down the many options by what places are selling what you want to buy & are near where you live
• visit the houses in the order of what time they start
• keep things civilised and don’t wake people up before their start time, demanding bargains as I’ve heard some people have done.
• be friendly and presentable, as this is a great way to meet people that live in your area
• if there is something out of your price range, come back later in the day as they may slash prices
• have a great time!

Are you going to be holding a garage sale on Saturday?

I Love Vegans Festival

Melbourne turned on a gorgeous Sunday, so we were out and about enjoying the sunshine in St Kilda when we came across this fine gem.

What it is: a free festival, including ~ 10 stalls, to enjoy all things vegan: fashion, food, health and fitness, music & film, among others.

Where & when it is: Port Phillip Eco Centre, 55 Blessington St., St. Kilda (St. Kilda Botanical gardens, near where veggies are grown).  It was held on Saturday the 28th & Sunday the 29th of April, 2012.

I Love Vegans Festival at St Kilda Botanical Gardens

What you’ll find: live cooking demonstrations, film screenings, yoga, zumba, health discussions, and fun activities. There is a vegan clothing swap, as well as a fashion show, and people selling amazing food from warm meals cooked on the spot to yummy cupcakes to smoothies and healthy snacks. There were other stalls selling other stuff from cookbooks to dog toys, but this is a market and festival for those who love food, health and fitness. It really is a very chilled out atmosphere, and everyone is friendly and cheerful, so although it’s always good to go with a friend to markets, you could probably make a friend at this one. Maybe you can take this new friend with you to the other markets.

Organic Food Box Ad

Beanstalk Bakery Cupcake & Hot Food stall

U Little Beauty cosmetics

How to get the most out of this market:

• Bring cash (there’s an ATM in the seven-eleven on Ackland St. nearby)
• Check out the program for the day here and arrive according to what you want to take part in or see
• Try food from all the food stalls, but save room for the cupcakes
• If you have a dog, buy him (cos all dogs are boys) a toy from the Soidog stall – they are cheap, awesome, and the money goes to a great cause
• Feel free to bring your friendly dog(s) and child(ren), as there’s lots of grass and shady areas nearby
• Check out the veggie patch, you might learn something

Lenny enjoying his new Soidog toy

Motorbike parked outside the festival

Finders Keepers market

What it is: A free bi-annual independent design & and art market, featuring mostly friendly people selling their new & recycled & occasionally delicious creations.  It changes locations, so check out the website for times & venues, but the blog below is mostly about the event in Melbourne in April 2012.

The poster add is pretty, so I might as well let it give you the Where & When:

Finders Keepers' Pretty Poster

What you’ll find: Lots of cool stuff ranging from colourful helmets, tiny onesies, retro lamps, funky ‘lomo’ cameras and cupcakes to die for.  There are food stalls inside & outside the venue, plus some chairs near a stage with live music to chill out.  Each stall is absolutely gorgeous – it is clear a lot of effort has been put into presenting the brand of the creative as well as in the product.

Finders Keepers market at the Royal Exhibition Building

Kimono Reincarnate designs

Anything for the guys? Yes! There were many stalls that catered to both sexes, but a couple of things I spotted that would appeal to male friends – a stall selling quirky colourful print ties and bow-ties, some jewelry stalls selling cuff-links and unisex jewellery, bags, artwork and prints (some made from recycled records)… and guys like live bands, don’t they?

DarkCloud Silver display at Finders Keepers market

Tips to get the most out of this market:

• Before you head out, check out the websites of those that are holding a stall & know which stalls you can have a play at
• Get some cash out of ATMs as there are none on site, and most stalls won’t have eftpos machines
• If you have one, go with a friend so that you have someone to enjoy the live music with
• Catch public transport/walk/run/cycle there as parking is either hard to find or expensive
• Don’t forget to ask for a business card of a stall you like – chances are you’ll like other products they sell either online or at a store somewhere in the country
• Get the red velvet cupcake from Mister Nice Guy, towards the end of the building. They’re pretty amazing!

And as always, I would love to hear what you thought of the market.