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Sunday, February 26, 2012

China Square Central Flea Market on Sunday - Toys, Antiques, Notes & Coins, Clothes, Stamps etc etc etc

If not for the need to escape from the blazing hot sun, i bet i would never step into China Square Central. But thanks to this chance occurrence, i have been back to this complex multiple times for their weekend flea market.

Let me clarify - a flea market stationed in a sheltered, air-conditioned area! And if you are tired of walking, you can choose from a number of restaurants and cafes (either within or nearby) to rest your feet.

China Square Central is home to a number of toy and curio stores and it's therefore quite common to see most of them renting the booths on weekend to expand their operations.

Novelty toy collectors would absolutely love this place! Thankfully i am more interested in iPhone games and food nowadays. Buying collectible toys can be such an expensive hobby!

Of course, not everything is costly. You can find good deals like S$8 for a pack of figurines or even common plushies that would not cost you an arm and a leg.

Could not find that limited edition to complete your comic set? Apology for the blur photograph; some of the booth owners can be SOOOOO sensitive whenever they see cameras.

Some wrestlers' figurines. For those who remember the televised WWF (World Wrestling Federation), there was a booth selling related stuff, including the championship belts!

A few toys brought back good memories from my childhood like those Macdonalds collectibles and smurfs. I was almost tempted to buy a few back home just to recollect the good old times!

Another category in huge abundance in this flea market is antiques, also known as old products!

Most of them should fall under 'decorative items' instead since they are not really THAT old. For example, i have seen clocks like this when i was living in the kampong.

Only things that i have never seen before can be classified as antiques (denial or not, i don't care)! For one, i have never seen this certificate of identity before.

Our generation generally love simplicity and avoid things that have the potential to clutter our home and collect dust. My parent's generation is the direct opposite!

It can be a journey back in time when you step into any of the two bigger antique stores located within China Square Central.

Items found include cassette tapes, posters from the 80s and before, paper bags that were commonly used before plastic bags, gramophone records, vintage cameras and many many more.

Booth owners would likely make full use of their limited space to display as many items as possible and it is acceptable to see new and old things being placed side by side.

Please remember that the flea market is spread over two floors with more finds on the second floor!

Surprisingly, my dad knew the existence of this flea market well before me! The main draw for him is old notes although i would advise you to be cautious in your purchase. According to Alex, some of the vendors bleached the notes and termed them as "untouched" in order to sell them at a higher price.

Peranakan wares on sale!

Books for the bookworms! For visitors keen on books, i would strongly recommend Bras Basah complex for their second hand books! Novels can go for as low as S$5 for three books.

Airplane models for the aviation buff! If you look closer in the picture, you should be able to spot angry birds airplanes (i didn't even notice them when i took the picture).

Stamps and first day cover collectors might also be able to find some treasures in this flea market. Again, philatelism is not my cup of tea.

I am more into contemporary products like the above! Sold by a company by the name of Magpie.sg, i am actually very interested in the pixel clock for my bedroom.

One more thing that caught my attention is old prints for the focus wall in my room; was trying to find one or two prints of scenes in Singapore that i have truly seen twenty years ago.

Maybe i would have better luck on Google images.

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Location of Flea Market
18, Cross Street
China Square Central
(Marsh and McLennan Centre)

Operation Hours
9am - 6pm
(Only on Sundays)

Additional Information
Interested to rent a booth?
Click the above!

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