Flea market フリーマーケット

The other day I finally did something I've been planning to do for years: I took a pile of stuff we don't use any more down to a local monthly flea market and set up shop. My friend T and I have been planning to do this for a month, but as is my wont these days, Saturday night came, and my plans to stay in and organise my wares for the next morning were obliterated by the offer of a trip to a local festival and an Italian dinner. So, it was with 3 boxes full of jumble , unlabeled and unorganised, that I left home for Ujina Fleamarket in the surprising 8 degree cold at 6:30 on Sunday morning. Yes! You hear correctly: 6:30am! I got up even earlier than I usually get up to get M to school on a weekday! All because we had heard stories of not "getting a good spot" unless you got there early.
Arriving at 7 for an 8 o'clock start, there was of course no sensible person apart from the organisers there yet. But the goal of a good spot was duly attained, so all's well......It was interesting to see what people there were buying. I sold almost everything I didn't think I would sell, and most of what was left was stuff I'd thought people would have jumped at! Glad I didn't go for a marketing carreer!


High points of the day:

• Making a profit of 16,650 yen!!! My Scottish self was sick of course, imagining what I could have made if I'd actually sold all the stuff I have given away due to not being able to be bothered to do the flea markets before. I can see what my new hobby will be!
• Having a chance to be outside all day and do something eco-friendly at the same time.
• Meeting people from all different cross sections of Hiroshima society. There are some interesting folks out there!
• Passing on some of my perfectly good stuff to people who can use it instead of throwing it in the bin.
• Having a moment to reflect on how lucky me and my family are. Some people there were buying my cast offs because of eco-minded recycling principles, but some were obviously buying their winter wardrobes there because that was all they could afford.
• Looking at some of the stuff people thought it was acceptable to sell and at what prices!!
• Having tea and scones as a birthday treat for my friend on our profits!
  

Low Points

• Getting up at 5am.
• Mistaking the morning cold for an all day thing, and ending up with the worst sunburn I've had in years on every exposed surface! Ouch! Will use my profits towards my skin cancer treatment.....
• Being heckled and called "kechi"(tight) by a woman of unknown Asian origin, for daring to try to sell her a brand new, unworn designer sweater, with the original price tag of 6000 yen still on it (too small for M before I found it in the drawer), for 200 yen!
  
• Not being able to con anyone into buying the beer making kit I bought for Yasu's birthday in 1994, which has been in various cupboards in various houses ever since!