How to make money - and help good causes

THERE might still be a stigma attached to buying tattered second-hand items at flea markets, but it’s poorly misguided. There are a wealth of great finds for sale, guaranteed to suit everyone’s taste and budget.

Eclectic clothes and shoes, rare DVDs and books, electronics, retro gaming consoles, quirky furniture, one-off pieces of art and even original collector’s comic books are often for sale amid the packed racks and stalls at Dubai Flea Market.

If you’re really lucky, like regular Sajid Ismail, you just might find yourself the proud owner of two working Polaroid cameras and a jukebox for a fraction of the value.

cashy headed down to the market to see what it’s all about...

Boost your bank balance

It’s easy to give into impulsive buys. Flea markets can prove the answer for hoarders and compulsive shoppers who often suffer from buyer’s remorse. You can de-clutter your living space while making a few dirhams on the side.

Lucy Bell, 13, recently organised a stall with her mother, selling clothes for babies and teenagers, electronics and furniture that they no longer wanted.

“We make on average AED 2,000 ($544) to AED 3,000 ($816) each month,” she says. “We have no use for a lot of stuff around the house so we’re selling it.”

The market is packed with people looking to find great deals every month, but some savvy timing could see you boost your bank balance further. With many people on holiday during the summer months, you’re less likely to find as many buyers.

Elaine Decela, who sells clothes she finds on her travels, says that she makes half as much during the summertime.

Boost your feel-good bank

There are various charities that sell items and raise money for a good causes at the market. Flea 4 Charity, which has been a regular at the flea market since March, supports different worthwhile causes each month.

Organised through its Facebook and Twitter pages, the charity collects donations of clothes, books, accessories and furniture from all over the UAE to sell and raise funds to help the less fortunate.

Luz Villamil, co-founder of the charity, says: “I'd participated at the flea market selling my own personal items and was able to make quite a bit of profit.

“Once the situation in Libya worsened, Jihad [her co-founder] and I felt the need to do a fundraiser in order to help the Tawasil foundation with their efforts aiding refugees on the borders.

“The success of the event took us by surprise and it was then that we decided to continue to do it as a monthly event.”

Since the charity’s inception, it has managed to raise more than AED 42,000 ($11,430) for refugees in Libya and food for labourers, as well as AED 18,000 ($4,900) to help famine-stricken Somalia.

Flea 4 Charity isn’t the only aid organisation that can be found at Dubai Flea Market. Iman Fouad, a shop owner in Dubai, sells clothes, shoes and accessories to help provide for the children and orphans in Afghanistan: “I try to go at least once every month and use the money I make here to help the children who can’t afford food or shelter.”

Have you bought or sold before at a flea market? Tell cashy...