Well, I have a list of Western PA flea markets on my blog site. I'll put the link below.

I used to however live in Jersey myself, and used to go to the Lambertville and Lahaska flea markets in Eastern PA, along the Delaware River all the time. I don't know how trash-to-treasure they are anymore, but it was always good fun.

--Jenn

Here is a link that might be useful: Western PA Flea Markets

lambertville is pricey now...mostly antiques not alot of treasures lol...nice place though if your looking for antiques...

Hey mojo - I live about a mile from the Perkiomenville auction and have gone several times (including yesterday). I have only ever walked around and bought from the dealers though - the whole auction thing always looked like too much of a mob scene and there's no one there to explain it to you. Can you tell me how it works (or wait, maybe I don't want to know or I'll be coming home with more stuff than I know what to do with!)? And hey, next time you're planning to come, send me an email - maybe we can meet up!

Mojo-
Shame about Lambertville, but good to know. It's been so many years since I went there... LOVED it growing up, though.

I'm an old hat at auctions. Been going to them and buying from them for years. It's easy and a great way to pick thing up for cheap! Let me know what you want to know and I'll fill you in!

hey ik, that was my first trip but i did watch the auctions...what i can see is there are 3 to 4 different auctions going on at the same time....they allow you to look through the boxes...and i guess you decide which auction you want to be at....you stand next to auctineer and bid i saw some say things and some just raised there finger...I will def send ya an email next time i go up...it wont be until kids get out of school..

goldilocs - I've been to auctions before but this one is different. There's just piles and piles of junk lying around - and I mean really JUNK - broken machines, old brooms, just stuff you'd think the goodwill would reject. (In other words, the stuff we forumites love!) There seem to be a bunch of auctioneers standing around at the various piles auctioning stuff off. No one has a bidder number. I think people just hand the auctioneer cash for each box as they go, then carry it off. There's always so many people standing around the piles I can't see what is being auctioned. They seem to auction off a lot of little stuff - like a regular household broom would be its own lot and might sell for 50 cents. Stuff that doesn't sell just stays piled on the tables or they'll just keep adding stuff to the lots until somebody finally buys it. They generally then just take what they wanted and leave the stuff they don't want behind - I guess that's what mojo meant by being able to pick through the free stuff after the table is done being auctioned. Anyway, it's awfully weird. Maybe when I have some time, I'll follow one of the auctioneers around a while and really try to figure it out. Usually, I've got my toddler with me and he's got no patience for standing around in crowds, LOL!

I love auctions and am now able to go to them (do to age haha) I've never been to the auction at perkiomenville sale and I've lived within 10 miles of it most of my life. Looking forward to checking it out. This post is several years old so I'm wondering if it's still affordable. I love digging through piles of junk and finding treasures. Does anyone know of any other good auctions in Montgomery, Bucks, Berks or Lehigh counties?

The Perkiomenville Auction is still going -- every Monday year round. There are still dealers and the auction part. There are far fewer dealers than there used to be -- I would recommend if you are going to have a far drive to go on a holiday weekend like memorial day or labor day as that is the only time the auction is really hopping anymore. (Though the first few nice Mondays of spring are also bound to be crowded.) The deaers also don't seem to start as early as they used to -- used to be most dealers were there and set up by dawn. Now if I get there at 7 or 8 it is still empty -- people are rolling in to set up when I am leaving at 9. Again, though, the holiday weekends are an exception -- best to be early those days.

I did figure out the auction tables thing - yes, you can pick through things left behind. Technically, though, I think you are supposed to offer money to the woman collecting money for the auctioneer for what you take -- I have seen her yell at people. But there are always a ton of people taking stuff and not being very subtle about it (they bring boxes and tote bags and load up) and no one seems to pay. I'm pretty sure that what gets left behind gets tossed unless the consignor comes back to get it (and most of it is like mildewy clothes and moldy books, etc. that you know no one is coming back for) so I guess it is better that people take it than it goes in a landfill somewhere.

I have also bid on things at the auction - it is exactly like I described above - a crowd of people standing around an unorganized pile of stuff, while the auctioneer holds something up. Bidding usually starts at a dollar. The winning bidder hands over cash and puts his new item in a pile -- by the end of the auction, there are piles of people's wins all over the place. I have seen some really nice furniture go for very cheap (most of the other bidders are dealers looking to buy low for a profit, so it is not hard to outbid them if it is something you want for yourself.) But I have also seen them auction TOTAL junk -- furniture that is moldy or falling apart, broken glass patio tables, etc. In fact one day they auctioned a plastic covered cat litterbox that still had litter and cat poop in it. No, I am not kidding and no it did not sell LOL! I think they literally load the truck up at a house cleanout and bring it directly to the auction as is -- thus the litterbox full of poop etc. At one point, I was waiting around to bid on one oak schoolhouse chair that matched my kitchen chairs. The lot before it was 4 kind of ugly folding chairs from the 40s. When those didn't get bids, the auctioneer added my oak chair to the lot. I was the only bidder and got all 5 chairs for a dollar. I had no use for the 4 folding chairs and when a guy next to me saw that I was planning to leave them behind, he asked if he could have them and I gave them to him. I ended up with another chair for my kitchen table for the sum total of $1 and he ended up with 4 free folding chairs.

So anyhow, that might be more than you wanted to know but there you go.

Oh, forgot to add that there is also Jake's Flea Market --- I think that is every Saturday and maybe Sunday in Barto. Zern's in Boyertown (Friday nights and Saturdays). The Q-Mart (Quakertown Farmer's Market - open Fri, Sat and Sun, I think) in Quakertown. Zerns and the Q-mart have indoor stands that sell things like deli meat and t-shirts and such but they also have a bunch of people that set up outdoor tables on the weekends and sell their junk. Jake's is pretty much just people carting their junk to sell out of a little spot. Zern's also seems to have a few buildings in the back where people rent a permanent spot to sell piles of junk piled on junk that never seems to change. There are your basic flea-market type sellers (the guy who sells socks, one that sells tie-dye t-shirts, etc.) but you also get people bringing antiques, estate stuff, etc. Basically you never know what you are going to find so any of those 3 spots would be good places to dig through piles to find treasure! Happy hunting!

I have been going to Perkiomenville auction for about 10 years and there are a lot of pickers who would rather steal or pick the tables for free instead of paying a dollar for all that they take, I buy whole table lots for a dollar and the pickers try to jump on the table before I even get to look thru the items. The regulars hate these people give , they wont spend a dime but will load there car for free by stealing from the buyers. There have been fights and major confrontations due to these LOSERS!!!!!!!!!!!! We are there to buy and sell our items not give them away for free or have losers steal from us . If you are not there to buy STAY THE HELL AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Is the stuff marked Free?

I came for a little info on auctions..I've never been to one but am wondering if linens are very often found at auctions? Bed, kitchen, and table linens?

No it is not marked free,And yes most auctions have linen's