Ho Chi Minh City's "Flea Market"

Over at the First World Mall of Wonders, otherwise known as Crescent Mall in District 7, there is a pop-up flea market that happens every Sunday.

Before Kasia left Saigon to travel around SE Asia (lucky, lucky woman!), we visited this little shindig looking for a couple specific things. It was relaxed and generally very nice, if a bit generic at times. It was very crafty. I did pick up a few really great things though, including some fun presents to send home for my (very late) Christmas box.

Click through for pics from a (surprisingly, for this time of year!) rainy morning at the flea market!

It's located on a plaza at Crescent Mall (but not in the actual mall, along the concourse):

Welcome... to Uglyville!

I was hoping for an ACTUAL flea market, with old, interesting things for sale, but it was more like a crafting convention. I wanted cheap, used furniture or decorative pieces for our house, but what I got was definitely more suited to fancy Christmas shopping. Oh well, I guess I needed that, too!

Kasia was looking for a particular bag that she'd seen months earlier here... needless to say she was unsuccessful. A shame. I, however, found two bags.

Tis the season! Antlers on all the things!

Even a christmas tree candle! These all smelled really good.

You wouldn't know it from a Western craft bazaar. Prices were a bit expensive, but not as expensive as Western equivalents. Quite affordable on the whole. I bought a watch for 100k (~$4.75 USD) and it sadly, if predictably, broke two days later. Dammit.

Clothes... everywhere. I haven't bought many clothes here in Vietnam yet, even though Vietnam does have a massive textile market that makes things very cheaply, a large portion of which is sold domestically.

And also apparently hair cuts. Which is a thing at flea markets? Yes? Now it is?

Half of the market is on the second level of Boomerang, an Australian bistro on the Crescent Mall boardwalk. They were serving alcoholic beverages and juice, as well as cooking up small asian treats like fresh tofu or fries with chili sauce. Hair cuts with a cocktail? Ok, NOW we're talking!

It was packed. The market is half inside and half outside on a plaza - this was inside Boomerang. I mostly included it because I'm kind of in love with the ceiling treatment.

If you're here for an extended stay, I recommend coming and poking about. Even if you don't buy anything, it's a nice drive to a very different part of HCMC, and the products are well-crafted, on the whole. It happens every Sunday until early afternoon. Check it out if you like. If not, well, I'm not your mom, but if I were I'd say you should come down here and buy something for your lovely mom and ship it home.