Flea market vendors experience an entire business cycle -- from full-blown holiday rush to last chance desperation closeout --- in a single weekend session, so savvy hagglers can clean up by simply keeping one eye on the ever-ticking clock.

In Canton, for example, Friday tends to be the most relaxed trading day, since the marketplace clogs up with day-trippers on Saturday and Sunday. Serious traders hit the fairgrounds early on Friday, when haggling tends to be a bit tighter, but the bargaining opportunities increase as the weekend progresses. By Sunday noon, the hawkers are more likely to entertain aggressive haggles, since every missed sale means more inventory to schlep home.

The down side for Sunday shoppers is that inventory dwindles with every passing hour, and some booths tend to be picked clean of the prime stuff early on. A shrewd preacher from Weatherford shopping on a Saturday may have already copped the Estes Keifauver commemorative fish fork that you've been saving up for. But as the philosopher once said, you roll the dice and take your chances.

TIPS:
Don't bite too quick.If you're in the market for relatively common items (used kitchen gadgets, hand tools, or vintage Happy Meal prizes), it pays to look at a few tables before starting a haggle. Duplication gives you a little leverage in the bargaining process. ("One of a kind? Tell it to the guy over there. He's got five just like it.")

Return for Round Two. Sometimes even a failed haggle can lead to victory, if you time it right. If the object of your affection hasn't sold late in the session, there's a perfect chance for you -- former adversary and worthy competitor -- to reopen negotiations with a friendly 'Hey! Remember me?' Last visit, it was a haggle to the death, but now you just want to do the seller (your old friend) a favor by taking this particular fireproof filing cabinet off his/her hands. When it gets down to it, the choice is simple: would they rather carry the cabinet or a handful of small bills to the U-Haul?