IJ-Hallen & Vintage Markets

My roommate has a rule about the IJ-Hallen: she arrives at opening time, she brings exactly 50 euros in cash, and she gives herself three hours. She has broken this rule every single time. Last month she came home with a vintage leather jacket, a set of mid-century glasses, and a lamp that she swears is "designer" and that I am fairly certain is from the 1970s. Total damage: 38 euros. She was thrilled.

The IJ-Hallen is Europe's largest flea market, and it happens once a month at the NDSM-werf in Amsterdam Noord. We are talking two massive industrial halls filled with hundreds of stalls selling everything: vintage clothing, furniture, vinyl records, books, art, kitchenware, old cameras, jewelry, and things that defy categorization. My roommate found a taxidermied owl once. She did not buy it (I talked her out of it) but she still mentions it.

The scale is what makes the IJ-Hallen special. It is not a cute little market with twenty stalls. It is enormous. You need hours to see everything, and even then you will probably miss entire sections. The stalls range from professional vintage dealers with carefully curated racks to people selling random stuff from their attic. That range is what makes it fun — you never know what you will find next.

Practical stuff: the IJ-Hallen happens once a month, usually on a weekend. Check their website for exact dates because they vary. Entry is around 5-6 euros. It opens at 9 AM and the serious treasure hunters are there at 9 sharp. My roommate says the best stuff goes in the first hour, especially vintage clothing. If you are looking for specific things (mid-century furniture, vintage Levis, vinyl), get there early.

Bring cash. Many sellers do not take cards, especially the individual sellers as opposed to the dealers. There are ATMs at the venue but the lines can be brutal. My friend brought only her debit card and spent 20 minutes in an ATM queue while my roommate was happily shopping.

Getting there: take the free NDSM ferry from behind Centraal Station. The market is a 5-minute walk from the ferry landing. The ferry ride itself is pleasant and free.

Beyond the IJ-Hallen, Amsterdam has great vintage shopping year-round. The Waterlooplein flea market operates daily and has been around for over a century. It is smaller and more tourist-oriented, but you can find good deals, especially on weekday mornings. The Noordermarkt on Saturday mornings in the Jordaan is more of an organic food and antique market — smaller, curated, and very Amsterdam.

For vintage clothing specifically, the Nine Streets area in the Jordaan is packed with vintage shops. Episode and Marbles Vintage are two favorites. My roommate spends more time (and money) in these shops than she would like to admit. The selection is edited and the prices are higher than the flea markets, but you are paying for someone else doing the digging.

One thing I have learned from my roommate: haggling at the IJ-Hallen is expected and encouraged, but be reasonable about it. Asking for 10-20 percent off is normal. Offering half the asking price is insulting. My roommate has a technique where she holds the item, makes a slightly disappointed face, and says "would you do [lower price]?" It works about 70 percent of the time. She is annoyingly good at this.

The IJ-Hallen is the kind of experience that feels uniquely Amsterdam. Industrial setting, creative people, amazing finds, and the whole thing is accessible by free ferry. My roommate has been going for two years and shows no signs of stopping. Her apartment looks amazing. The lamp is honestly growing on me.