Stanstead flea market filling with specialty shops

Stanstead’s new indoor flea market could be full in a few weeks. Vendors hope the new opportunities will keep shoppers in Stanstead, and attract those from out of town.

Gabriel Safdi owns the building that formerly housed the granite museum and the miniature train display. When they left, Safdi asked Stanstead resident and businessman Nelly Goodsell to see what he could do. He said he knew of an indoor flea market in Windsor Mills, so he went to visit to get some ideas.

They remodeled the open space and sectioned it off to make several rooms that vendors rent for their wares.

Those who are already there say business is slow, but there has been little publicity. When word gets out, they say, they expect it to pick up.

Linda Miltimore of Coaticook was a merchant at the Windsor Mills market. Goodsell convinced her to bring her shop, Creation Linda, to Stanstead. She was the first to move in.

Much of what Miltimore offers are her own creations, like wreathes for doors, and flowers for cemeteries. She has been selling for about 15 years.

When she first moved into the Stanstead space, she said, there was no one there, but a tourist bus from Toronto stopped outside, so she went out and convinced the passengers to go in and browse. From then on, the flea market was a regular stop for the leaf peepers. But the leaves are all gone.

Miltimore sells merchandise for the other vendors for a commission if they’re not there.

Laura Lapierre had just begun moving into her small space Thursday, but she said she hopes to be all set up by Sunday. La Petite Brocante will offer antiques and French-inspired art like decoupage. She said she specializes in French antique books. The old books from France, she said, are “absolute artwork.”

“This is nice,” she said, “it’s close to the border.” She previously had a little shop in Newport, Vermont, but she said business was slow. Lapierre also sells on the website Etsy. She has been selling items for 22 years.

Annie Roberge, who owns the Familiprix pharmacy in Rock Island, has rented a large area of the building. She bought merchandise in a liquidation sale from a warehouse in Montreal. She and her partner, Merritt Walker, are still learning what they have. They are still unpacking and setting up.

“Every time we open a box, it’s a surprise,” Roberge said.

Walker said business has been slow, but it’s likely because people are not aware.

Roberge publicizes her shop on Facebook, which she says helps a bit. She recently rented retail space for a short time beside the Caisse Populaire in Stanstead.

One section of the shop is an area for more permanent products and the other half is for seasonal stock. They just took down the Halloween goods, and are currently setting up the Christmas display. Roberge said people went to buy affordable Halloween costumes and decorations, and they said they would be back for the Christmas season.

They offer everything from tires to knick-knacks to clothing to kitchen wares.

“We have something for every budget,” Walker said. They try to beat the prices from stores in Magog and Sherbrooke.

“The idea is having the best variety for Stanstead,” Roberge said, “to keep people in town and to bring others in.”

Roberge said she is spending more time in her shop setting up now than at the pharmacy.

“Eventually it will have to be half and half,” she said.

Other vendors who are ready to move in or already have are Arlie Givlioni, Brigitte Dubois, and Lyle Ebner.

“It will be full here in a few weeks,” Goodsell said.

The current hours of operation are Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.