Spring flea market in Schwelm on May 6th.

It´s that time of year again! On Sunday, the 6th, the biggest flea market event in the Ennepe-Ruhr-Region will take place, with roundabout 1000 m of booths and up to 70.000 visitors, even from Belgium, France, the UK an dthe Netherlands. There is no junk permitted, no new goods, so no unused electronics and beeping and hooting electric toys, no feeble and toxic garments. To illustrate what I got on this market on the last occasions, here they come:

There certainly is an abundance of bushcraft-related tools in a very high quality for very reasonable prices. There even are army surplus booths, but the charme of the market certainly lies in the friendly and even party atmosphere amongst the traders and the slightly "burning man" feeling it implies.

If you want to participate, contact my empoyer, the GSWS Schwelm (Society of City marketing and Business Promotion Schwelm (GmbH & CO. KG), by whom this post was powered also. But since I visited the market even before I worked here, I am convinced it´s not just sponsor talk at all*ggg*.

Flea market in Schwelm-from dawn ´til dusk :-)

 On Sunday it was some good hard work again, this time for my employer on the famed flea fair:-) in Schwelm. Got a flea market? THAT´s a flea market*ggg*! Some 1000 m of booths, up to 80000 visitors, and the small town bursting with people. Shops open,  there´s an artist´s mile, and no new goods whatsoever. No beeping electric toys, no flying merchants praising their special refuse clothing, and a kick up the butt if you try to sell them.

 Those are our thugs kicking butts:-). I worked with them, and I am just kidding, of course. They are a very friendly crowd, and certainly know how to be polite. In fact, there´s a good-natured atmosphere on the market, people having fun, music and sharing food and drink. Some black sheep, of course, but those are few. Even if it became slightly difficult, it was a pleasure to work with those gals and guys!

 Enzo having "Bratwürst"*ggg* and obviously liking it:-). Thanks to Tschierse Catering which offered us delicious food at bargain prices!

 The squad ready for battle:-).

 This is one of the many reasons I like this market. Quality antiquities, and many tales to tell. Glassware, porslain, clothing, tableware and cutlery, I can tell you, I could hardly keep my countenance:-).

 This city is crammed full.

 ...

 ...

 Khalil was there again, and we had a nice, good-natured chat.

...und Katha kriegt was Schönes, lalalala.*gggg* nur was?*g*

 ...

 We sold those wildflower seeds like hotcakes. This was great, for we sold seeds for roundabout 2500 square metres, resulting in a huge increase in bio-diversity and loads of food for bees and insects, plus beautiful colours everywhere next year.

 We sold this hiking guide that the AGU wrote about the Schwelm region. It has many great pics and offers hiking trails to natural monuments in the region.

 There were many traders, and they were all kind of nervous, for the weather forecast spelled catastrophe. A very close friend:-), erm, a part of my soul*ggg* made some hard work pushing the clouds aside, though, and so it started to rain when all was said and done. Thanks for those kind thoughts, and thanks for everything, and all*ggg*.

This is Axel, my colleague, with whom I patrolled the booths to weed out those infidels who had not paid:-). Axel is a great man to work with, always with a good-natured joke, and a friendly and laidback guy to boot. ´twas a joy! This is a trader he was acquainted to since his childhood.

Checking the bill...

Oi, Axel, keep those hands ter yerself*ggg*!!!

 Many visitors in spite of the weather...

 ... and good business for the traders, too. Most were quite content and will return next year, to the 72nd fair, which will take place on May, 6th.

 Axel was pleased.... has  a  cool moustache...*ggg*

Of course, I had to work until late in the evening, resulting in some 18 hours of work and riding to work and back home. But it did not bother me any, for it was a great event. I was bonking hard when I came home, but I had a day off on Monday and relished in the luxury of sleeping late:-).

71. Flea market in Schwelm on 09th of October

 On 9th of October it will be mayhem over Schwelm again:-). Roundabout up to 70 000 visitors will stroll the aisles. I will work there for my employer, but if I´ll find a bit of time, chance is, there will be some feature on this blog about all the goodies I got there myself. Look forward to Khalil´s booth again, for he always has some great, slightly rotten stuff I covet. Old files and chisels galore, antler material falsely referred to as trophies:-), antiquities, and a load of good food to relish in. And if the sun´s out, the bazaar atmosphere will be even better. Now, you see, I MUST write this (got my meagre salary:-) or was that celary?*ggg by doing so), but it´s a great market I also visited before I worked here.

Many of my flea market finds I featured in my blog I found here. There are people from the Netherlands, Belgium, France and even the neighbouring towns*ggg* attending and visiting the fair, which will take place in the entire city. There will be an art expo in the periphery of the market, shops will be open on Sunday, and, here comes the real clincher, I will be there, too, wearing a funny jacket and being yelled at for my incompetence*ggg*.


More (in German)

Applying for a booth

70.Schwelmer Trödelmarkt - BIG flea market event I helped to organize

 I´d thought I´d share some pics of the Schwelmer Trödelmarkt, the biggest and most atmospheric flea market in the region, which took place on May, 15th. I work for the corporation that organizes the event, amongst many, many other projects of city development and management, of business consulting and political networking. The flea market takes place in the entire city of Schwelm, two times a year, and attracts up to 80 000 visitors per time. New goods are strictly forbidden, and we actually control it many times a day. It´s always some kind of burning man atmosphere, for we try to keep the necessary rules and resulting fees to a minimum. The market lives on the party atmosphere of traders and visitors alike. 

Many of them camp there in the city for two days, and there is bartering around the clock.

 The weather was not so fine, but there were all kinds of people, and all in all they all were relaxed and friendly. We just had one asshole molesting children in a very disturbing way, so we got there with police enforcement and took care of him. I would have liked to take care of that old conker in another way, but they would not let me;-) and I had other tasks to do!

 On one particularily interesting booth I saw this fine ancient navigation kit, compass, magnifying glass and telescope!

 That booth resplendent with buddhistic symbols and ethnic art all over the place, of ancient artifacts, old handforged nails and fittings and a load of old rusty files. have enough steel lying around, so I kept clear this time;-).

 Another booth with fine art and artifacts and tools!

This is the booth of Khalil, a Syrian Curd selling ancient coins and artifacts. We always talk a bit when we meet on the market or other markets. He is aware of his culture and loves it, and he respects my culture. I , in turn, am interested in his;-). So we respect each other. I learned from him, and he learned from me. Obviously, he wants to betray me;-) but that´s simply part of that game, and I will not be betrayed. We always barter and in the process start yelling at each other and then get a fit of laughter and have a coffee.

Lesson-to-be-learned-alert!lesson-to-be-learned-alert!;-)

I got myself-oh, what will it be... an artifact to be announced;-), from Khalil, and we both were very happy with the trade;-).

It was a long day of working, but an even longer one for my coworker. It was the tenth flea market event in Schwelm for her in a five year´s row, and she always works at least 24 h non-stop in the process. I want to express my respect for that. We might not be agreed all of the time, and often times she could kill me ( and me her;-)). But we work together nonetheless. I worked for 13 h non -stop, and then rode home some 20 km. I was all finished, but I now have a day off. My coworkerhas not. Hats off for her!