Everything but dusty

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Robin Harteveld (42) started his first flea market when he was 15: “I sold toys and books there”. Today it organizes two flea markets in Freiburg. On one side is the traditional one in the old town on Klein-Sankt-Johann Platz, which has been there for 40 years. “He’s very familiar, most of them from the neighborhood and coming with their kids.”

Little quarter flea season begins in early March and takes place on the first Saturday of every month. There are about 15 to 30 booths depending on the weather, but this is largely weather dependent. “It was raining in April, I was there by myself,” Harteveld says and laughs. For five years, he has also run the Freiburg flea market on Place Python on the last Saturday of every month. There are more booths and professional traders here: «But there is also enough room for newcomers. We have suppliers and visitors from Bern and even Valais.”

Flea country Switzerland

Harteveld is no longer alone. Flea season really kicks off in the spring – and interest in vintage and used things has really exploded in recent years. From Aarberg BE to Geneva as early as May, there are more than 50 flea markets, including major Saturday markets such as Petersplatz in Basel or Bürkliplatz in Zurich. Others, such as the flea market in Zug’s old town, are only set up once or twice a season.

In addition to the traditional ones, new markets are emerging, many diversifying, on the one hand, design and antiques, but above all clothes. On average, 118 pieces of clothing hang in the closet in Switzerland, with 60 new items added each year. According to the Swiss Fashion Revolution, 40 percent of clothes are never worn or are only worn 2 to 4 times. Every year, 6.3 kg of old clothes are given per person. Depending on the source, the fashion industry produces between 1.2 and 1.7 billion tons of carbon emissions; this is more than aviation and maritime combined.

Flohmi instead of fast fashion

Anyone who buys second-hand for budgetary reasons and perhaps a bit of timidity is cool now. Used is driving a sustainable and circular economy. Instead of the fast fashion 90’s look, you can find Flohmi an original from that period. Sandra Perriard, Harteveld’s partner, held a booth at a secondhand fashion market in Bulle last week: “It’s probably the biggest in Switzerland with 250 booths and there were definitely 600 girls and women selling their clothes.”

Monika Luck (72) is pleased with the existence of such markets, Flohmi Chair at Bürkliplatz, Zurich. “We are overflowing with clothes in the nurseries. But we also want to offer antiques, jewellery, porcelain, all kinds of treasures.” The Bürkli flea market is one of the oldest and most traditional in German-speaking Switzerland and should stay that way. “We’ve been recycling for over 50 years, now it’s just become modern,” says Luck.

For the operators of the central market in Bern’s Dampfzentrale, too much clothing is also not important. “We have a quota, fashion cannot make up more than a third of every booth,” says Fabio Minerva, 39. The IT specialist took over Flohmi with his family two years ago. “We want a potpourri of selected everyday and rare things,” says Minerva.

Central Market has room for everything and everyone, from kitsch to valuables, high school students to retailers. Minerva soon begins to feel the explosion. Last year she still offered 50 to 60 stalls, now it’s already around 90. It is possible.”

Source : Blick