The Brighton Flea Market is, without a doubt, high up on the list of reasons of ‘why I miss living in Kemptown’. Let’s start with the exterior of the building it’s bright pink! You can’t miss it. The window displays are always really unique and beautifully displayed and around Pride, they’re one of Kemptown’s finest. I think one year they had the window dedicated to a character who lived in Kemptown many years ago, which was such a lovely tribute. As for what they sellthere’s certainly an interesting mix! I always find the downstairs area is worth a quick browse, and the posters at the back are always a lot of fun to look through(if slightly pricey). I also love all the vintage books that are on display on the left hand side. But the real reason Brighton Flea Market’s such a gem? The furniture! I’ve spent so long wandering around upstairs looking at all their stock. It’s often really unique, period stock and much, much better made than anything you’d find in modern stores. In 2008, I found a beautiful desk with a wrought iron sewing machine base and a marble top for about £30 buried in the back of the shop. It’s been with me ever since and is probably, much to the chagrin of housemates and removal men, the only item I’ll insist goes with me whenever I move house. :D My friend has never fallen out of love with the red velvet floor length curtains she got there for £10, and I happily go back any time I need anything house-wise replacing. The stock changes pretty regularly, unlike some markets definitely a good sign! The two gentlemen who run the place are lovely too, very helpful with delivery etc. If you’re ever in the Kemptown area, a visit here is pretty much mandatory just make sure you have space in your house first!
Rhall2
Place rating: 3 Brighton, United Kingdom
Always worth a wander round. Yes there is some cheap tut in the place as the stands are individually run but you can also find a great bargain.
I-mada
Place rating: 5 Brighton, United Kingdom
I haven’t been in the BFM for ages. The only reason being that each time I get completely carried away and forget about everything else I have planned for that day! :)
Felix T.
Place rating: 1 Brighton, United Kingdom
I really shouldn’t get started on this flea ‘market’, and I use market extremely loosely. I had an international group of students from rural France, all asking to see what cool markets Brighton had. I had heard good things about the flea market, so devoid of choices one day, I took us all here. Needless to say, ten minutes later, we had more than seen everything that was here. Generally in the less than sunny weeks(9⁄10), there are a few tables on show, all with bric a brac and tat like old cups, VHS films and a few pieces of clothes. What an utter disappointment.
James Y.
Place rating: 4 Brighton, United Kingdom
I’m a bit of a flea market voyeur. I like wandering around them but can never actually be bothered to buy anything. This one though, I did take the plunge and purchased a very nice 50s table and chairs for my livingroom. I managed to barter the owner down quite a bit and saved around £50 which was rather exciting. They are really friendly and helpful in here in respects to getting your purchase back home. If they have someone available to deliver they will or if you have a car, they will help you cart the stuff into the vehicle. Much better and much cheaper than snoopers paradise!
Alice_
Place rating: 5 Brighton, United Kingdom
This place makes me feel so unbelievably excited. It’s like being in a museum, only you can BUY everything(and for pretty damn good prices at that). They’ve got the most eclectic mix of old and new I’ve ever seen — from the Victorian era to the 90s with prices that range from £3 to £300. I find it entirely impossible to walk past here without popping in for a sneaky peek around. Which inevitably turns into a rather long peek around. There are so many packed out shelves and glass cabinets that to look at every single item would take you hours. I love places like this for the jewellery more than anything really unusual looking pieces that have a real feel of history about them. The furniture is also brilliant lots of solid, good quality wardrobes and chests of drawers for far cheaper than brand new equivalents would be. The only down side is that I feel rather disheartened when I see a piece of furniture I want, only to discover there’s a big white ‘sold’ sticker slapped on it somewhere. This place is so popular though that the stock varies quite a bit from week to week so unlike most places, you don’t have to wait for the next season’s collection to find something new! And whatever your budget, whether you love antiques or retro bits ‘n’ bobs, I’m prepared to bet you’ll find something that takes your fancy.
Samant
Place rating: 5 Brighton, United Kingdom
Its a great place for gifts as it a lot of cheaper little bitsys as well as the furniture and v. old stuff. They have a selection of amazing jewelry including cameos and necklaces. They also have lots of original artwork as well kitch posters and decorations. If you’re looking to revamp its great for feature pieces as well as little accessories, there was a particularly eye catching coffee table covered in 70s glamour girls last time I was there. It has something for collectors, bargain hunters and kitch lovers so deffo worth a trip out to Kemptown for everyone.
Sam R.
Place rating: 4 Brighton, United Kingdom
I got an amazing wardrobe here, lovely solid thing for 80 quid. They will help you deliver, they are open to bargaining and occassionally they have something really great. I am personally over Ikea these days, there is only so many coffee tables you can throw in the skip or drawers that fall apart before you can go ‘perhaps I need something a bit more solid, I feel dirty’. They have a lot of nic nacs, so if you need something odd in the corner for people to come round and go ‘that’s a bit odd’, then you’ll find something incomprehensible here. They have a lot of mirrors, old records, and downstairs big solid country house heavyweight pantry-esque cupboards etc. Upstairs is some retro-ey furnishings which are always fun and cool. You have to be discerning in a flea market, some things are definitely workable, some stuff is never going to do anything for anyone and could do with burning. I can’t imagine a place like this full of Ikea furniture in 30 years.
Ron A.
Place rating: 4 Vancouver, Canada
In my search to fill in the empty spaces of my flat, I visited the flea market to find things that would… fill in the empty spaces of my flat. I thought that I would find those things at the Brighton Flea Market, but, unfortunately, I went away empty handed. It wasn’t because of the selection, however. There are gifts, trinkets, antiques and other bibs and bobs, but I just couldn’t find anything that was to my liking. After spending roughly a half hour in the store struggling to find something to buy, I walked away with a few old records. But as the selection is wide and varied, this is a good place to go to if you’re looking for collectibles or gifts.
Tessla
Place rating: 4 Brighton, United Kingdom
Kemp Town’s flea market is a haven for all things kitsch and antique, with an array of loud 60’s lampshades, funky chairs and stools, jewellery, furniture, old photographs and photo frames, ornaments and cute knick-knacks hidden in corners, guitars, books, old mirrors, and pretty much everything you’d expect to find in a flea market. Spread over two floors, you’ll lose hours rifling through the lot. As well as dusty antiques and treasures from forgotten eras they have bucket-loads of records, prints, posters, and photographs of Brighton. Some of the stuff is a little expensive, but on the whole it’s one big bargain bucket and definitely worth a rummage if you’ve got the time.
Adam s.
Place rating: 5 Brighton, United Kingdom
There’s nothing quite as good as a flea market, with its hoards of endless possible discovered treasures. If you’re greeted upon entry by a drained and discoloured Ronald McDonald, there’s not much more of a better yardstick for the quality niche that’s waiting inside. His paling face leans in smirking at you, no surprise he’s already been sold. There is so much that catches your eye and seeing as items like this disappear so easily, it’s a shame I you don’t have the funds to take them home with you then and there. Medieval weaponry, giant air fix planes, art deco furniture or foreign antiques, they’re all here! The best thing I saw recently was a vintage NHS mannequin dressed as a 70’s nurse who spoke about the dangers of smoking. The mannequin is smoking itself and you can re-route her speakers to have your music playing out of her. How good is that?
Sophie W.
Place rating: 3 Brighton, United Kingdom
Flea markets are pretty much my favourite kind of shopping experience… I like the digging, the hunting, and the unmatchable rush of satisfaction when I find something wonderful. So it is always with excited anticipation that I visit the indoor flea market in Kemp town. It’s a great sprawling space with high ceilings and a lots of room for all sorts of secondhand treasures. The only problem is I just never find anything here! I don’t know why. At first glance the place looks great, each room packed with vintage furniture and random home furnishings, clothes and records. But for some reason, whereas at Snoopers I would be picking up tea cups and mirrors and rifling through boxes of vintage photographs, at Brighton Flea Market I just sort of wander around. I search feverishly with my eyes, but to no avail. I almost feel as if I’m in a museum– I think it’s because they’re really pushing the retro vibe, I begin to feel as if I’m at an exhibition of 60s and 70s home ware, rather than in a junk shop! The sentiment is there, but this place just lacks something. Unluckily for them, Snooper’s Paradise is a tough competitor…
Tasha S.
Place rating: 5 Brighton, United Kingdom
I really like this place, and it offers an alternative to the Brighton favourite Snooper’s Paradise which has some great buys and is fun for a browse, but is all too crammed with overpriced tack in my opinion(and once I saw a modern edition of a penguin Wuthering Heights going for £3 — that’s £1.01 more than you can buy it for new!). At this St James Street branch of the Brighton Flea Market(there’s a bigger one in Lewes) you’ll find a great selection including old videos and records, jewellery, antique furniture and modern furniture by local designers, mirrors, bric a brac, glassware, collectables, retro prints, and a couple of stalls of that ‘faux retro’ stuff — think American diner signs and ‘funny’ slogans about housekeeping. This place is quieter than more central Brighton hotspots and well worth a visit when Christmas shopping this year.
Sarah-Jane B.
Place rating: 2 Brighton, United Kingdom
I used to quite like Brighton Flea Market. Housed in a colourful building in Kemp Town, I was drawn in by the flamboyent paint, the eye-catching window displays and the treasure chest of antique furniture and bric a brac. The last few times I’ve visited however, I’ve left empty handed and disappointed. A lot of the stock that was there a few years back is still there and you can pick up similar glassware, silverware and mirrors for cheaper prices elsewhere. If you’re looking for a retro oil painting or 1950s to 1990s paraphanelia, it’s probably worth popping in. My personal love affair with the place however, has probably ended.
Samantha C.
Place rating: 4 Brighton, United Kingdom
This amazing flea market sells everything from jewelery to chez longs. A fantastic stop of for gifts, as there’s really cheap artwork as well vintage furniture, vinyls and everything in between. This would suit most shoppers as it has proper antiques for collectors along side kitch items to Brighton-up your living space. Situated on Upper St James Street the market is less than a minutes walk to the seafront, Kemptown village and the hubbub of St James Street. It often has interesting window displays, for example a homage to a legendary Brighton drag queen featuring one of her dresses. Coming up to its 20th anniversary the Brighton Flea Market is a must see for any bargain hunters and Brighton bohos.
Catkin
Place rating: 5 Chelmsford, United Kingdom
If you like boot fairs and flea markets you will love this place. It is spread over two floors and is absolutely jam packed with just about everything you can think of and more! It would take hours to look round this place properly. They often have some nice pieces of furniture if you like old style(usually better made than some of today’s pieces). I have seen some gorgeous clothes but although I am not that big I think women in the past must have been very tiny — the old shoes look small enough to fit a child. It’s a good place to look for an unusual present or just a treat for yourself
Jessbe
Place rating: 5 London, United Kingdom
lots of interesting things and much cheaper than most other second hand places in brighton
Darafi
Place rating: 4 Brighton, United Kingdom
Excellent place to find antiques and collectibles, a hidden treasure of Brighton. I have bought many gifts for friends here and just enjoyed wandering around it.
Austej
Place rating: 5 Brighton, United Kingdom
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful place to find some of the best gems in town! The flea market, located in Kemptown has a range of everything one might look for. The store is spread throughout two floors. The first floor is stuffed with vintage accessories, records, postcards, prints, tableware. You might even find a couple genuine Louis Vuitton bags that I saw sitting there a month ago! The second floor is filled with sofas, tables and chairs. Some of them date back to God-knows-when! Prices are really good and the owner is great. There are always a couple of pieces put outside that are the best day deals! Dont miss out!