The Finnish flea market shelf: 191 adverts

A flea market, not a shop

Seekuro holds 191 live adverts in Finland's other category. It is the flea market shelf, and the prices say so: from 4 euros to 140, with the middle at 15. This is where a household clears out, not where a dealer lists stock.

The current adverts show the range. Children's things: a battery operated pony plush in good condition, an Ergobaby Omni carrier with a blue floral pattern. Books and paper: a 1981 paperback of Finnish jokes, a large Christmas ideas book from 2005, a red vintage ring binder printed with a robot and a formula. Club and local memorabilia: a set of four Lions Club table pennants from different places. Media collections, such as a Simpsons set. And then the occasional serious collectible that has wandered in, like a Hot Toys Anakin Skywalker DX34AE Artisan Edition figure.

Everything comes from tori.fi, the Finnish classifieds site.

What the prices mean

A middle of 15 euros tells you most of what you need. These are low value items sold to clear space, and both sides should treat them that way.

Under 10 euros are books, single pennants, ordinary plush toys and used paper goods. Around 15 euros is the ordinary transaction in this category. Towards 140 euros you reach the things that are actually worth something: a good condition baby carrier, a complete set rather than a single piece, and the collectible figures that do not belong on this shelf at all but end up here because the seller did not know where else to put them.

That last point is the practical opportunity in this category. A Hot Toys Artisan Edition figure listed among plush toys is being sold by somebody clearing a cupboard, not by a collector who knows the market.

Postage is the whole negotiation

On a 15 euro item, the postage decides whether the deal happens.

Settle it before you agree anything else. Ask the weight and the packed dimensions, because Finnish parcel pricing steps up at thresholds and a loosely packed box can cost twice a tightly packed one for the same contents.

For books and flat paper goods, a padded envelope is usually enough and is the cheapest option available. For plush toys, compress them in a vacuum bag and the parcel drops a size. For anything in a box, pack the box tightly rather than putting a small item in a large carton.

Collection in person is very common in this category and is often the sensible answer within the same town. If you do that, agree a public place and a time in daylight.

For a 15 euro item, do not pay for tracking you do not need. For anything above about 50 euros, do.

What to ask before you buy

For children's equipment, especially carriers and anything a child is strapped into, ask for the model, the year and whether all the buckles and straps are original and undamaged. Ask whether it has been washed and whether the manual is included. Ask directly whether the item has ever been recalled or repaired, and look up the model yourself.

For soft toys, ask whether they have been washed, whether they are from a smoking or pet household, and for battery operated ones, whether the battery compartment is clean and free of corrosion. A leaked battery ruins a toy.

For books, ask about the spine, water damage and any writing or stamps inside. For an old paperback, ask whether the pages have browned and whether the binding is still tight.

For boxed collectibles, ask whether the box is included and what condition it is in, because for a figure like an Artisan Edition the box is a large part of the value. Ask for photographs of the box corners and of any seal.

Writing the advert

Even for a 15 euro item, a precise title sells it faster. Put the maker and the model where there is one. "Ergobaby Omni carrier blue floral" is searched for by name; "baby carrier" competes with everything.

Give the dimensions and the weight. On low value items the buyer is calculating whether the postage makes sense, and an advert that answers that question gets the message.

Photograph in daylight, show wear honestly and photograph any label or model number. For clothing and carriers, photograph the care label.

Say whether you will post or whether it is collection only, in the advert, not in the first reply.

Because Seekuro publishes the advert in six languages, a Finnish household item becomes visible across the other five markets. For most of this category the postage will decide, but for the collectibles that wander in here it genuinely widens the market.