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	Looking for something to do on the weekend in the general Poughkeepsie area? Got ten bucks and a car (or a friend with a car?) You might want to consider taking a trip up Route 9 to the Fishkill Flea Market. Now, I know what you're saying. You're saying "But isn't most stuff at flea markets stolen, fake, broken and/or outlawed in 30 of 50 states?" The key word here is *most*. About 80 percent of what you'll find here is total, complete and utter crap. It is a physical version of eBay, where everything is cheap and comes from a mysterious background. But it's better than eBay because you actually get to see the person selling you the crap. I don't want to throw around the term "white trash" too much, but most of the vendors are wearing trucker hats and nascar shirts with grey sweatpants. I probably don't need to go into much more detail there. So what can you find at the flea market? Short answer: everything. On our last trip, we even found a kitchen sink. Here's a short sampling of the items we've managed to find at the Fishkill Flea Market: Various Knives - ranging from a tiny pocket knife to a giant "I'm-gonna-f*ck-you-up knife" with spikes around the handle price:($5-$75) Records - Slayer, Tom Jones, Winger, Poison, Show Tunes... you name it) price:($2.50-$10.00) Belt Buckles - Of every shape, size, and military division. Makes a perfect addition to any truck-driver hat. price:$5.00 and up All Things Pokemon - Every vendor sells pokemon. Of course, being that most things here are fake, you might want to inspect the labels price:($2.00-$20.00) Toys - Remember how when you were little and your mom said that if you didn't clean up your toys, she was gonna sell them? price:($0.25-$5.00) Electonics - Mostly Sears-brand stereos and VCRs with no fast forward button, but we managed to find a 25 inch console television that works for eight dollars price:($5.00 and up) Paintings - Why spend ten bucks on a poster from the hippies outside of Champagnat when you can buy your own framed artwork for about the same price? Granted, they're mostly boring landscapes or obscure celebrities, but five dollars will but you a conversation piece price:($4.00 - $20.00) Books - Books that nobody likes that just float from garage sale to flea market to yard sale price:less than $0.50 each Porn - No flea market would be complete without a sleazy looking guy in the corner with several boxes of "adult material". Keep in mind that these are probably "used" pornography. The less said about that, the better price:if you have to ask... What a selection. Basically, the rule here is that if you can throw it out, it can be sold at the flea market. Everything here is dirt cheap, but the important thing to remember is that prices are like speed limits; they're only there as a suggestion. Example: if you see a lamp that looks nice and has a price tag of $7.00 on it, chances are, you can walk out of the store paying only $4.00 for it. The key here is to act totally indifferent about the item in question. Start out by looking at the item and finding out everything wrong with it. Then, go over to the vendor and say "The lamp right there... it's seven dollars, right?" Then put on your best "thinking real hard" look, and proceed to notice everything wrong with it. "Oh look... the knob is all worn down" or "I guess I'd have to bend the plug to get it to fit into a socket" will work. Tell the vendor that "I could see myself paying three, maybe four dollars for it... but I dunno with that plug and all" For a four dollar sale, most vendors won't put up a fuss, but if they won't budge, it's time to play the "poor college student" game. It's a good idea to hide your large bills before you walk in. This is for security and other reasons. Other reasons being that if a vendor sees four dollars in front of them, it doesn't matter what has happened before... that's money, and it could be theirs. If they see that you have a twenty in your wallet, your "this is all I have" argument won't go very far. Also, before leaving the house, be sure to crumple up your bills so it doesn't look like you came straight from the bank. Ever watch Antiques Road Show? The flea market is kinda like that, only with crap. Copied CDs, counterfit jeans, underwear stolen from the laundromat, illegal firearms, fake jewelry... this is where it all comes from. We suggest bringing a minivan or station wagon to the flea market, as it took us about a half hour to squeeze the television into my shitty mid-sized sedan. Is most of the stuff at the flea market crap? Yes. Do some of the items smell like urine and/or mothballs? Probably. But will this get you off campus for a few hours, and let you decorate your dorm room for less than the cost of a trip to Fun Central? Hells yeah. The Fishkill Flea Market - directions - Head south on Route 9 for about fifteen minutes. (past the malls and everything) Right after the exits for 84, you will see a giant parking lot with a building that has a yellow "Flea Market" banner hanging from it. That's it. The flea market is open on weekends from 9-4. Come early for the "good" stuff.