Binghamton University students and community members attended the Student Flea Market this past Thursday.

The Student Flea Market, hosted by the Student Association Programming Board (SAPB), invited student business owners and local vendors to sell their products on campus. Around 10 vendors and 20 student business leaders showcased their products, which included sweaters and vintage tees, jewelry, polymer clay earrings, stickers, neon closets and artificial nails. The majority of products were handmade or picked by aspiring student business leaders.

The flea market lasted from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and was located in the University Union where students were able to stop and shop.

Jocelyn Phipps, vice president of programming and a senior double-majoring in political science and sociology, explained how the idea of the Student Flea came about, crediting the success of past SA events.

“We were so excited to showcase some of [BU]’s student businesses,” Phipps wrote in an email. “We decided to host the Student Flea after having a number of student businesses sell their products at Fall Fest. One E-Board member floated the idea of a flea market-type event that would be more regular than the festivals, and the rest of our team really loved the idea!”

Ari Gurvitch, a sophomore majoring in cinema and one of the student business owners at the market, shared how his business began.

“It all started in high school,” Gurvitch said. “One summer, my friend and I started with an idea, and we have been selling ever since. My brand is called Smily Streetwear, and it is just cool, colorful clothing and different takes of stuff made with classic images. We also have our own logos on it.”

Another vendor, Anna Liu, a freshman majoring in business administration, was selling artificial nails she made by hand. Liu said she was inspired to start her business after noticing how few artificial nail brands there are locally.

“Knowing the culture of [BU] students, and how girls like to put on makeup and dress well,” Liu said. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce my own designed ‘personails,’ customized to sell to students here.”

Student vendors found the flea market to be an opportunity to introduce and publicize their business to the campus community.

“I feel like it means more exposure to the community as more people can recognize your brand,” Liu said. “It brings the community together and provides me more opportunity to sell my nails.”

Gurvitch said he finds it hard to have brand awareness on campus, but found the flea market helpful.

“It is an opportunity to get my products out on the college campus, as it is tough to do it myself,” Gurvitch said. “Here, with the flea market and the Student Association, it helped me out.”

Gurvitch shared the difficulty of balancing schoolwork and business.

“It is really about focusing on being a student first, and I have the business on the side,” Gurvitch said. “Because I have been able to focus on that much, it has been a great opportunity to get it out here. The flea market has been a great initiative for many student business leaders.”

For student business leaders and Binghamton community members who may be interested in more products, SAPB will be hosting another flea market in March and during the Spring Fling in April.

Editor’s note: Jocelyn Phipps is a contributing photographer for Pipe Dream. Phipps was not involved in the writing of this article.