If you drove by the Electric Factory around 12 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, there’s a good chance you saw a line full of all sorts of people stretched down to Callowhill Street. A concert wasn’t taking place that afternoon, but the venue opened its doors to give the semi-annual Punk Rock Flea Market a new home.

First started in 2000 as a much smaller version than the ones organized today, the Punk Rock Flea Market serves as a basis for local booking company, R5 Productions, to raise money in order to keep its shows alive at the First Unitarian Church.

“The whole flea market was started to cover the cost of our insurance premium,” R5 Productions’ founder Sean Agnew said. “Back then it was like, ‘How are we gonna do this?’ and from that came the idea to have a flea market and raise money.”

R5 Productions, whose name comes from the regional rail line, was born in 1995 while Agnew attended Drexel University. After meeting a few people who were setting up shows for their friends, Agnew got involved and soon after started hosting his own shows.

“It basically just started as a hobby,” Agnew said. “I think the first year we did like 6 shows and then the next year it was 14 shows, then 30, then 60, and then in ’98 and ‘99 it started to get more serious. In 2000 it pretty much became my main thing.”

Aside from covering the cost of R5’s insurance premium, the semi-annual event has grown so much over the years that Agnew now earns more than enough to pay off R5’s bills. “Whatever money we have leftover goes to buying new sound equipment,” Agnew said.

With as much success as the Flea Market has had, it would never be possible or successful without the numerous amounts of vendors that buy a table to sell their one-of-a-kind items.

“It’s $3 to get into this flea market and it’s the most packed flea market that I’ve ever been to in my life and that says something,” Amanda Benson who has been vending at the Market for 5 years said. “There’s quality stuff here from used goods to quality art. Everyone can find something and all of it is affordable. Stuff here isn’t expensive and I think that’s why people come here, because you can come in with $100 bucks and leave with like 30 items.”

Other vendors also found the Punk Rock Flea Market to be a great way to sell their items and to meet some great new people. “Why not vend here if I can make some money and meet some really cool people?” first-time vendor, Heather Lindaman said.

With the variety of people that crowded the floor and balcony of the Electric Factory, Lindaman’s statement could easily be understood. From girls and boys with obnoxiously spiked hair to mothers with a toddler on their hip, anyone and everyone was shopping at the Flea Market.

Tables were set up in every possible space that the Electric Factory could spare which made looking at the items, let alone walking around, quite a difficult task. I found my mosh pit-etiquette kicking in just to meander my way from table to table.

Although the event was ridiculously crowded and the sea of people would come to a complete halt from time to time, if you had the opportunity to actually approach a table, everyone could be delighted by something. Whether you’re a fan of homemade jewelry, gently used clothing or vintage concert posters, the Punk Rock Flea Market presented a vast selection of items for purchase (cheap, too!) that you probably wouldn’t find anywhere else.

With as large as this year’s first edition of the Flea Market turned out, Agnew only hopes the event will continue to grow and possibly move to a different location. “It’s obviously way too crazy, so if anyone has any space that holds this many people and is bigger than the Electric Factory, we could use it!” If you missed Sunday’s postponed holiday edition of the Punk Rock Flea Market, never fear! The event is held semi-annually and another will be making its appearance come spring.