Fauna Y Flora En El Jardín De Las Gangas

There are as many types of marketers as there are people on Earth and we were able to see them all at the Bargain Market at Flea Market Barcelona

Text by Ane Guerra
Photos by Naomi Schembri

Human beings are study animals, just as much as big cats, rodents or blatodean insects; There is nothing better than sitting and observing, in silence, the passage of people in a place where you do not pay much attention to see where each person’s mannerisms go, the interactions between individuals and how they walk (and interact) with the environment. It’s like looking at the night sky, a mountain landscape or the sea: everything seems the same until you notice that everything changes. This was my anthropological experience in the flea market Bargain Garden, held on November 30, 2025 in Barcelona, ​​a very special event due to its historic and cobblestone location, on the medieval wall of the Barcelona Maritime Museum.

Novice Paradiso, I got up very early that Sunday to grab a very heavy suitcase full of clothes and drag it throughout the city’s subway network, which on holidays is usually under eternal repair, and I ended up with a nice contracture in my right shoulder due to the lack of escalators. Minor evils in what was destined to be a day dedicated to the vindication of second-hand as an affordable option, because we had to sell everything for less than €10 and, above all, sustainable; on a planet where there is already clothing to clothe the next 6 generations, not consume or fast neither slow fashion It is no longer so much an option, but a necessity.

salsa marketers

So, with my stall set up in a narrow corner full of tree roots poking out, with my friend Toni as my faithful squire for this day (don’t go without a friend who has a sense of humor to a date like that, for God’s sake), with Valeria and Blanca, our stall neighbors, and with the brand new, pink and deadly chemical cop in front of us, the Bargain Garden opened its doors at 11 in the morning. We decided that having the only bathroom at the event right in front was something in our favor, since it ensured the passage of everyone who had a coffee or a drink past our table; Life is a matter of perspective. In this way, the movement of attendees began in front of our little piece of the store. This was our collective dissertation after the 7 hours of observation and some sales that the matter lasted.

• EARLY BIRDS: This type of marketers was, as its name indicates, the first to enter and the one that behaved like a trained eagle to hunt the juiciest bargains as if they were voles. Determined to keep the best pieces, they walked quickly and decisively, fixing their bird-of-prey gaze on colors and materials that they had already signed up for, even before seeing them. 
• WALKERS: There were many people enjoying a Sunday walk and with no intention of shopping. Zero expense, just vibes. They walked slowly, without really thinking about where the next step would go, smiling at each paradista as if to say “how cute that you are here” and touching the clothes with disinterested affection, quickly, but affectionately. 
• WALKERS (of clothing): There are people who go to a second-hand market and think they are in a Zara; He grabs a piece of clothing, walks it around the room and then leaves it in a mess on the table, as if someone (an entity, an elf) was coming to fold it and place it later. Not even in a store this behavior is very acceptable, let alone in a place like the Flea Market Barcelona. A question of elegance and, above all, the lack of it.
• PROs: The pure-bred marketers, the professionals, the real ones from the Bargain Garden, the DNA of the Flea Market Barcelona. This group took things slowly, tried on the clothes, knew what would look good on them and what wouldn’t, understood the value of the pieces, came already dressed second-hand because surely everyone studied fashion, and had impeccable and unique styling. My ten to these people.
• DUTCH: German people also come in here; It is more of a population group than a nationality. This type of marketer is one who has learned the concept of the flea market and second-hand since childhood, so he feels at home, buys with pleasure and is friendly. A clue to identify them is that they always carry a backpack.
• NIGHT BIRDS: November is a month in which it gets dark early, so at 4:30 p.m. we started to lose power in the market. However, that was not a detriment to this type of Bargain Garden attendees, who, willing to find hidden treasures a la Indiana Jones, made their way among the donkeys with cell phone flashlight hangers in hand.

In total, we sold in such a way that it was worth spending the day, dealing with the suitcase that no airline would accept and the consequent drag, but what was a complete surprise was the good time we managed to spend watching people do things, as Rajoy said. A Sunday well spent, without a doubt.

About Flea Market Barcelona

Since 2007, our maxims are creativity, sustainability and community. We firmly believe that there is no expiration date for art and fashion; Any object can have a second life, even a third and a fourth. In the hands of a new person, every treasure shines again.

With this philosophy, we reduce waste and excessive consumption and promote the circular economy.

You can discover other markets here.