The flea market business has been an integral part of the American economy since its founding.

Many early settlers bought and sold products at open air markets, which were the predecessors of today's flea market business. To have an idea of how large the flea market business is, think of how many flea markets exist in your immediate area.

Now multiply the number of those flea markets by the number of cities in the United States.

There are so many flea markets because the flea market business is a substantial and viable business which enables hundreds of thousands of individuals to earn a secondary and primary source of income.

If you would like to join these people by starting your own flea market business, I would recommend the following.

1. Treat your flea market business like a real business. Set regular hours and have a weekly schedule.

2. Expand beyond the local flea markets. To really make money in the flea market business you need to travel to other flea markets, especially if they are larger than your local flea markets.

3. Always have a large assortment of merchandise. Flea market customers can only buy what you sell, so always make sure to be fully stocked with inventory.

4. Stay competitive. Make sure your prices are under local retailers, including Wal Mart. If you buy right, you can keep your prices low.

5. Use the Internet to build your flea market business. Find flea market wholesale suppliers by using wholesale search engines such as www.wholesalecentral.com and www.wholesalequest.com