Saturday, October 9, 2010

Petofi Csarnok Flea Market

 Don't waste your time at the Ecseri Flea market.  It's outside town, takes time to get out to it, and it's hard to find anything that isn't far over priced.  Many of the vendors are professional vendors.

The entrance of the Petofi Csarnok Flea Market. 
Instead, try the Saturday and Sunday flea market at the Petofi Csarnok behind Heroes' Square.  There's a small entrance fee (150 forint/75 cents) and it operates from 8am-2pm.  Weather influences the number of vendors and the length they stay set up. 


It's the people's flea market.  And it's worth going just to enjoy the culture and see the type of things the average Hungarian person is interested in buying used.  There are also some food and drink booths if you find out you need more time and have to shop through lunch.


It has some professional vendors, but it also has many Hungarians selling things from the attic, and the shoppers are mostly Hungarian as well.  Feel free to bargain when buying used items.  In fact, foreign-speakers should expect to be overcharged on the first offer.

You'll find junk, clothes (used and new), shoes, electronics, food, art work, Communist memorabilia, old coins, dishware and porcelain, jewelry, used and antique books, antique odds and ends, and everything else except the kitchen sink....wait a minute...maybe I saw a kitchen sink too!! One man was selling new wooden whistles, toys, spoons and bowls for 200-800 forint--a great deal.  I found a porcelain figurine for 2000 forint that I'd seen overpriced in a Vaci street antique store for 16,000 forint.  The old coffee grinders were tempting, but I decided I didn't have enough room in my suitcase this trip, but I couldn't pass up an old Hungarian hymnal for 1000 forint.

Update 2011: I wrote this article last year, but my visit this year (2011) proved that nothing much has changed. It's still the best place to find "treasures." This year we bought an East German camera in leather case for my nephew who collects retro cameras. It was about $20.

Find out more about this flea market in English by clicking on this link: Bolhapiac.

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