Melville Markets in Perth has become a pre-dawn fixture for bargain hunters, with shoppers arriving hours before its official 6am opening and some sellers reserving their car bays the night before.
Held every Sunday at the Melville Plaza Shopping Centre car park, the second-hand market has operated at the site since 1984. It is run by the Melville Rotary Club and raises about $4,500 in a typical morning for local charities.
For Valerie and Stephen Brennan, preparing their stall is a 12-hour operation. They arrive at 6pm on Saturday to leave one car and witches’ hats in six bays, then return at 1.30am to wait and set up.
“We usually get here at 6pm, put one car and some witches hats out and go home and sleep. Then we leave home at 1.30am and come back,” Valerie said.
“We will sit in the car for about an hour, and then we set up.”
The couple pays $120 for the six spaces and sells second-hand clothes, shoes and accessories. On a good day, they can take more than $1,000.
Stephen said other traders also slept in their cars to secure a place, as stalls are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
“They’ve always known that Melville is the place to get a good bargain,” he said.
The market’s early start means some shoppers are browsing in near-darkness, using head torches to inspect clothes, books, tools, bicycles, plants, artwork and other goods.
Friends Anna Ott and Lucia Zanini arrived at 4.30am with bags of possessions to sell. They said people were already examining their items by torchlight.
“We come here just to declutter a little bit and instead of giving it all to the op shop, maybe we can make a little bit of money,” Ott said.
“I think most of these items have a second life.”
Zanini said the Sunday market also offered an accessible way to spend time with friends.
“I think it’s a good idea as well to share it with a friend, it’s kind of a fun thing to do, and something that is really easy to access for people to do,” she said.
Melville Markets offer bargains for buyers and a social meeting place
Prices generally range from $2 to $30, although more unusual items can command more. Paula Garcia said that made the event particularly attractive to shoppers, but less so for sellers hoping to make a substantial profit.
“If you are the buyer, it’s amazing. But if you want to sell these things to make a lot of money, it’s harder,” she said.
Garcia uses the market to clear out her wardrobe and sell pottery she has made as a hobby. The proceeds help her buy more clay.
“So at least selling at the markets, I can make a little bit of money to just buy more clay and make more pieces,” she said.
Dani Hansen has bought and sold goods at Melville for about 15 years. She now attends mainly to browse, sometimes bringing her children, Isabella and Jarvis.
“Sometimes you just get absolute gems. I think now as women, we consume so much, and we don’t know where else to sell stuff as well,” she said.
Market manager Kareena Ballard said traders were restricted to second-hand goods and plants so they did not compete with businesses at the shopping centre, which allows the market to use its grounds until 10am.
“It’s a great meeting place for people who once a week get together. It’s a bit of a lonely hearts club,” Ballard said.
The market operates from 6am to 10am every Sunday, apart from Christmas and New Year’s Day. Winter brings slightly fewer traders, while summer is particularly busy.
“For sellers, some of them have sold everything by 6am because people come down here, especially in the summer, with torches on their heads ready to buy,” Ballard said.
The Brennans move to an undercover market in Karrinyup when it rains, but Valerie said Melville produced better sales when conditions were favourable.
