Sometimes a flea market that looks like a total flop hides one little jackpot. A toy hunter traveled all the way from Berlin to Cologne for a Barbie doll show, found a nearly empty flea market the morning before, and then spotted the tattoo choker magazines she remembered from her childhood.
The seller wanted around €150 each, according to Lau, the toy hunter behind Lau Skypainter. Then came an offer of €15, and the seller took it for the whole stack.
A Solo Trip To Cologne After A Friend Cancelled
Lau had planned to go with a friend to a small Barbie and doll show in Cologne, far from Berlin. When the friend had to cancel, Lau had a choice: skip it or go alone. Lau went alone.
The hotel was deliberately close to the main station and right in front of the big Cologne cathedral, and Lau had never been to the city before. The next day came a Barbie show about an hour away, so there was a plan to fit in a flea market along the river promenade first.
A Toy Store So Pricey, A Care Bear Cost Double What Lau Would Pay
Before the flea market, Lau browsed a collectible toy store in the city center, one that was said to be overpriced. The rent on that main shopping street must be sky high, Lau figures, so the prices follow.
The store had cabinets of action figures, Ghostbusters and wrestling sets, Polly Pockets, Pokemon and a whole explosion of color in the Care Bears section. But a posable Care Bear was about 40, double the price Lau wants to pay, since 20 is the limit. Care Bear cousins were even 50.
“You pay up for the experience for sure,” Lau says. So the toy store was a place to look, not to buy.
An Empty Flea Market Almost Sent Lau Back To The Hotel
The next morning, the flea market was a letdown. It had been advertised online as having hundreds of sellers between two bridges, but it was barely half set up. Because it was October and probably the last market of the season, Lau guesses, many tables stayed bare.
“For every three tables, there’s always two empty ones and then just one with something,” Lau says. With a Barbie show waiting at 11, time was short, and Lau nearly headed back to the hotel.
Digging Through The Wendy Magazines Turns Up A Surprise
Then Lau began rummaging through a pile of Wendy magazines, the German horse magazines full of comics that Lau read growing up. Several issues dated from 1997 to 1999, exactly when Lau was reading them.
Many still held their extras. One had a sticker book with every sticker in place, “so cool, nobody ripped it out.” There was writing paper, a poster, puzzle postcards, and a horse ring that Lau had missed at first. “Oh my god, there’s the ring,” Lau says.
Tucked in between were Barbie magazines too, which seemed to be the real prize.
“This Was My Tattoo Choker As A Child”
In a 1999 issue, Lau found the thing that took it all the way back. The magazine came with a tattoo choker, a trend that was just becoming popular. “This was my tattoo choker as a child,” Lau says. “I was like 11 years old.” Lau remembers it being brown.
The tattoo set in the issue also included a bracelet and a ring. All of these little extras, Lau notes, are what made the magazines so much fun.
Then there is the Barbie side of the haul. One is a Barbie journal from 1993, an advertising booklet typical for Germany and Europe, with the newest dolls, fashions and playsets from that year. It was handed out free in toy stores. Another is a German Barbie magazine that cost 3.90 deutsche marks, probably from 1995 or 1996. A third is an Italian activity book from 1997, with drawings Lau says look like the 1980s, including one that resembles Skipper.
€150 Each Became €15 For The Whole Stack
When it came time to pay, Lau says the seller wanted like €150 per magazine, and more for the Barbie ones. Lau offered €15 for everything, which came to eight Wendy magazines and a handful of Barbie items, and the seller took it.
“At least I found something at this flea market,” Lau says. “It wasn’t completely for nothing.”
How To Find Gold At A Flea Market That Looks Empty
There is a lesson in that dull morning. When a market is thin, slow down and dig. The best finds are often under the pile, tucked between items that look ordinary, like those Barbie booklets between the Wendy issues.
It also pays to know your own memories. Lau recognized the tattoo choker immediately because it was a childhood favorite, and that kind of knowledge beats any price guide.
Finally, never be afraid to make an offer. A seller who starts high may say yes to a clean, round number, and a stack of paper treasures can end up costing very little.
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