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This is a market where jilted lovers sell memorabilia from failed relationships

Organisers say the market is therapeutic for many of the sellers, helping them to let go and move on from a painful part of their lives.

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A young entrepreneur, Dinh Thang from Hanoi Vietnam has founded a market where you can just pack all the memorabilia to, sell them off and move on in life for good.

Named as Old Flames, the market founded in February 2017 is being so inundated by jilted partners that Dinh Thang is having hard time accommodating more people in the market.

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Dinh Thang told Vietnam News that “This fair is only one of those many cool ideas my friends and I came up with after a chit chat about ex-girlfriends, boyfriends, and things.”

One may be wondering why sell objects from a past relationship? The young man said “After the break-ups, we found there were many objects left in our homes by old lovers, and we do not want to see them again since they remind us of unhappy memories. However, these things were still in good shape. It would harm the environment if we tossed them away. Then, we thought we should make an exchange with other people, so the objects would find new owners. They can buy new, good objects and we protect the environment. It’s a win-win.”

When the Old Flames market was organised for the first time, only 10 people attended with objects from their failed relationships to sell. But after some months, reports say more people are now expressing interest than the market can accommodate.

According to odditycentral.com, admission is free for buyers and sellers alike, but if a seller brings new goods to sell, they pay 30 percent of their profits to the organizers.

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To sell at the Old Flames market, one must first join the Old Flames Facebook page where they share the story behind their objects, and then the market organizers choose those allowed to sell at the next market.

Is Old Flames market really helping people to leave the bad moments behind and move on as the initial intention of the organisers was?  One of the sellers said “I come here mostly for fun, and to share my love memories, not for profit. I want to contribute something for the true spirit of this fair.”

Another seller also said “I think it should be the sole purpose of this fair. I find this idea inspiring. Since they are old stuff, and we don’t need them, we sell for a better goal, for people who truly need them, and we even give things away for free.”

However, some people are opposed to the idea. One person interviewed by Vietnam News said “I see some sell their books, scarves, and even diaries and love letters. I think these are so sacred and are something between two lovers, so they should not be sold. It’s like they sell their private lives for a bit of money.”

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Meanwhile, Thang maintains that the market is therapeutic for many of the sellers, helping them to let go and move on from a painful part of their lives.

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