Old-fashioned flea market gets new lease on life in Cape Breton

What's old is new again at the Cape Breton County Recreation Centre in Coxheath, N.S.

"It's nostalgia. It's come back to life," said Christopher Lee, organizer of the Bargain Hunters Flea Market, which takes place at the arena every Sunday in the summer from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The market was a mainstay in the community for more than 40 years, before it died off. The COVID-19 pandemic might have been the final nail in the coffin, but in 2023 it was brought back to life.

Now, the old-fashioned, in-person flea market is growing in an age of online buy-and-sells.

“190 tables, comparable to 150 last year,” Lee said. “We now have a bigger arcade room, more families, more food trucks are here now."

Arcade machines, with games like Ninja Turtles, Pac Man and Mortal Kombat take the middle-aged back to their childhood. Collections of Pokémon cards are reminiscent of the '90s. Other timeless classics at Bargain Hunters Flea Market include comic books and hockey cards, along with trinkets and old clothing from vendors’ homes.

Organizers say that 700 to 800 people have been coming through the doors each Sunday.

"It's nice to see the crowds back. They're out shopping and they're nice, it's good,” said vendor Marilyn Singer.

Others come for a cheap day out.

"It's a thing to do on a Sunday,” Lee said. “It's the cheapest entertainment and social event you'll find on Cape Breton Island."

Lee said he expects this year’s flea market will run until the first week of October, when the ice goes back in at the arena.

Click here for a photo gallery of the flea market.

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