I have been taking photos for The Markets @ Perth Cultural Centre for a few months now as a volunteer photographer. It’s been a wonderful experience as I have met many people from all walks of life at The Markets, from the regular stallholders to market goers. I became involved after discovering that The Markets was to being life and vibrancy into an otherwise dead area of the CBD.

I’m a frequent market goer for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s to grab a bite to eat. Often there’s a food stall offering an authentic dish from faraway lands that one would find hard pressed to find elsewhere. Other times it’s to find something unique that stores don’t stock on their shelves.

I am not one to balk at spending $70-$80 on one item at a market. I’ll let the shockwaves settle on that one. No really, I’m not. And no, I’m not getting ripped off either, nor am I woeful at haggling. It is because going to the markets doesn’t mean that you’re going to a flea market. Going to the markets is very much like shopping. I have bought a $70 bracelet from Glass Candy. The beads are made right here in Perth and the design is an original and I’m more than happy to say, a one off. There is a high level of skill and workmanship involved in my piece and a credit to the beadmaker, Rebecca Bigg.

There does need to be a shift in mindset for some market goers. I’ve have heard the comment, “It’s a market. How can they charge so much?” Sure, the overheads for a market stall are generally lower than that of renting out a store in a large shopping centre, however there does need to be a recognition of the time and energy expended by a stallholder to create and source their goods.

I like shopping at a market, any market. Flea markets included. Often I am able to strike up a conversation with the stallholder and find out more about an item that I’m looking at. It’s much like going to an art gallery where one is given a detailed background on a piece. The only difference here is that the piece at the market is much more affordable.