Flea market vendors are gearing up for their big selling season and looking for fun, functional and first-rate merchandise that will entice shoppers to buy. Topping the list of surefire summer sellers are sunglasses, summer hats, sporting goods, barbecue equipment and toys.
Sunglasses are cool fashion accessories, and the latest styles incorporate a bit of bling, bright hues and funky patterns. Retro styles including wayfarers, a look revived by today’s celebrities, and metal military and aviator shapes are among the trending shades. Designs include distinctive patterns, like polka dots, and leopard and tiger prints, as well as add-ons such as bows. CTS Wholesale Sunglasses offers a complete line of sunglasses, including wayfarers and specialty sunglasses.
CTS Wholesale
Toll Free: 800-796-3486
Website: www.ctswholesalesunglasses.com
Sunny Trading sells casual, designer inspired and sports style sunglasses, many with polarized lenses, as well as safety and reading glasses. The company has more than 30 years of experience and a 50,000 square foot warehouse, enabling Sunny Trading to provide a selection of more than 700 of the hottest sunglasses under the sun.
Sunny Trading
Toll Free: 800-327-0032
Website: sunico.com/stbeta
Along with sunglasses, hats tend to be big sellers at flea markets, fairs and rodeos. People who work or play outdoors wear hats year round, and when the weather gets warm in seasonal climates, almost everyone wears headgear. Consumers are looking to see what celebrities are wearing, and the palm hat, for example, is catching on thanks to country singer Jason Aldeen. Summit Hats offers the latest in palm hats, as well as in fashion western style hats.
Summit Hats
Tel.: 888-741-5987
Website: www.summithats.com
Licensed caps continue to be popular purchases, and Z.S. Accessories offers a variety of this type of merchandise. The company’s licensed Disney products for summer include baseball caps with Toy Story, Cars, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Tinker Bell and other well known characters.
Z.S. Accessories
Tel.: 888-528-9088
Website: www.wholesalecentral.com/zsaccessories
Sporting goods are another perennial flea market favorite, and fishing combos, which are complete rod and reel sets, are terrific sellers that offer good margins. Shooting sports are hot year round, and vendors should stock up on popular items such as safety glasses. Maurice Sporting Goods, celebrating 90 years in business, offers a huge assortment of regional and seasonal sports and fitness equipment.
Maurice Sporting Goods
Toll Free: 800-477-3474
Website: www.maurice.net
In addition, shoppers are always looking for unique novelty items. Barbecuing is a common summer pastime, and Sportula Products has designed a line of stainless steel grilling accessories. The Sportula is a spatula that is laser-cut with a sports team logo or other image. It has long maple handles with a bottle opener at the end. Another laser-cut product, Grill-A-Tongs, includes a bottle opener and can flip, turn, rotate and scoop all sizes of meats.
Sportula Products
Tel.: 888-713-5343
Website: www.sportula.com
Tenna Tops, from Funco Tops, is another fun novelty item. These foam ornaments fit snugly over any car antenna or pencil, or can be hung from a rear view mirror. More than 50 designs are available, and include pink flip-flops, a bald eagle head, daisies, a smiling sun, a monkey, a flying pig, a frog prince and a sea turtle, any of which make an eye-catching display.
Funco Tops
Tel.: 314-541-9066
Website: www.tennatops.com
Finally, summer wouldn’t be summer without water toys. The patented Water Wiz pump action squirt gun, from Nostalgic Images, is popular with adults and children alike. The product attaches to a pop bottle or can be used in a pool without a bottle. One pump up, and it picks up the water, and one pump down, and it shoots it 30 feet.
Nostalgic Images
Tel.: 419-784-1728
Website: www.nostalgicimages.com
Flea market shoppers are looking for merchandise that is trendy, high quality, fun and affordable. By carrying a selection of sunglasses, summer hats, toys and novelties, vendors are assured successful summer sales.