Making the most of flea markets

If you’re serious about collecting, consider a pilgrimage to Indiana, where 1,300 dealers line interlocking highways along Richmond’s Antique Alley.

Otherwise, there are more than 2,500 flea markets in the U.S., with an average of about 200 vendors per market.

The beauty in flea-market finds is that they don’t have to be put to their original use. A lidless teapot can become a flowerpot, an old window a mirror frame. A picnic basket can be used for storage.

Some tips that may make flea-market shopping easier:

* Start with a plan, which will help guide your search. But be ready to scrap it based on what you find.

* Before you go, familiarize yourself with market values for the items you’re after. Guides by Ralph and Terry Kovel have been around for ages and can be found online at www.kovels .com, and their new book, “Kovels’ American Antiques, 1750 to 1900,” is reviewed on Page F6.

* Bring a list of items you want, with specific sizes and room measurements. Also bring paint samples, fabric swatches, photos of rooms you’re decorating, a tape measure, a notebook, tote bags and cash.

* Be prepared to haggle, politely of course. Most sellers admit that a 20% price cut is not unusual.

* The best selection is early in the day, the best bargains late.

* If you love it, buy it before it’s gone. But remember: Most purchases are final.

-- Robyn Griggs Lawrence

From “The Wabi-Sabi House: The Japanese Art of Imperfect Beauty” (Clarkson Potter, November 2004).