Cath Kidston, designer and owner of a chain of vintage shops (England)
Shopping at the marketPhoto: Shutterstock1.Think outside the box. Things you see on the shelves can be used for more than just their intended purpose. Exercise your imagination by trying to come up with new uses for them. For example, a colorful skirt from the fifties can be turned into! 2. Take plenty of small notes and even coins with you. For example, if an item costs eight pounds and you have seven one-pound coins, the antique dealer will most likely sell you the item for that amount. 3. Take a pen and a notebook with you. Write down the numbers of the stalls you like or sketch out a map of the market and mark their locations on it. This is especially important if you have purchased a large item and want to leave it with the seller for the rest of the day. I once bought as many as twenty wooden ironing boards, but then got lost and had to leave without them! 4. Carefully inspect the item for defects before buying. If there is a stain on the fabric, don't expect to get it out. Do you think the seller hasn't tried to do it before? 5. Don't rush to part with your money. Before you start buying everything you see, walk around the entire market, soak up the atmosphere, and get an idea of the prices. At first glance, it may seem that £20 for a glass cake stand is very cheap. But perhaps you can buy the same one in the next row for six. Everything is known in comparison.
