The Fetish Fair Fleamarket(tm) Statement of Purpose:
The FFF is a community-based event designed to strengthen the leather/BDSM/fetish communities (including local businesses, organizations, clubs, and individuals) by sharing common space to address our common goals and common needs (including access to materials, information, products, education, and fundraising).

Frequently Asked Questions About The Fetish Fair Fleamarket (and their answers)

What is the Fetish Fair Fleamarket?
The Fetish Fair Fleamarket(TM) is a vending event that combines shopping for hard-to-find items like fetish fashion clothing and dungeon equipment with demos, safety demonstrations, educational seminars, and socializing. Some FFFs are a one-day affair, others are a weekend-long conference, but all center around bringing together top-notch crafters and retailers serving leather/SM/fetish folk with those folk.

Who goes to the FFF?
Just about everyone. The crowd varies from people who are seriously into the “leather lifestyle” to those who are just curious about what’s on sale. It doesn’t matter if you are straight or gay, male or female, single or married, dominant or submissive, young or old (as long as you are an adult) — no matter who you are you still need to shop. And you can’t buy this stuff at Wal-Mart.

What will be on sale?
Exactly who vends at each show varies, but a typical FFF will have people selling handmade corsets, boots and shoes, floggers and whips, restraints and collars, latex dresses, leather jackets, books, jewelry, wooden paddles, dungeon furniture, safe sex supplies, and assorted other things from original art to clever T-shirts.

Is there a dress code? What should I wear?
No nudity is allowed at the FFF, but there is no specific dress code during daytime hours. You will see people in cardigan sweaters and others in head-to-toe spiked latex. You choose your comfort level, but for shopping and classes put on a pair of jeans and a black turtleneck/T-shirt and you will fit right in. (Sometimes the night time parties such as masquerade balls may require a costume, fetish wear, or formal wear.)

How much money should I bring?
Many vendors will accept credit cards while others will only be able to take cash. Having some cash on hand will make your day, and theirs, easier. As for how much? Items range from bargains under $10 to custom-fitted pieces topping $800. It really depends what you are in the market for. Some incredible bargains can always be had, but sometimes you really want the top of the line hand-crafted item…

Can you help me meet a dominatrix or play partner?
The fleamarket is a great place to meet people, but we are not specifically a dating or a singles event. Sometimes, as a part of our events, we invite companies like the erotic personal ads of the Boston Phoenix, to run a speed-dating or matching event along with the fleamarket. But attending the FFF itself is a great way to meet people in a low-pressure non-play situation. One of the best ways to meet people is to volunteer to help out!

What are the rules? Anything I should or should not do?
The rules are pretty simple:
No nudity.
No unauthorized cameras/photography.
No cell phone camera use.
No smoking and no open flames.
No live animals or non-human pets.
No food/drink in the vending area.
You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
No children, not even infants.
No sex in event areas. (Get a room!)
Remember you are in a public building, and respect the privacy of others.

I’ve seen other leather conventions and they charge like $200 per person. Why is the FFF so cheap?
We’d rather have a thousand people at ten bucks each than two hundred at fifty bucks each. The whole goal of this event is to bring the community together and make it easy for people to come out and find out what it is all about. At our events in New England, which draw up to 3500 at a time, as many as 50% of attendees say they have never been to any kind of SM/leather/fetish event before. But the other 50% are repeat customers!

How long have you folks been doing this?
The first FFF took place in the summer of 1992. We’ve been doing two a year in New England ever since then, and now are expanding to other cities, as well. The total number of attendees who have been to our events is now over 35,000 people!

I just saw my boss/neighbor/co-worker at the FFF and I’m freaking out! What do I do?
Stay calm. Remember that if they are there, their reasons for being there are probably similar to yours. There’s nothing wrong with having some curiosity about alternative sexuality. Whether you choose to mention it to them is up to you. If you do mention it to them, though, do it in private — they might have been as freaked out as you were, at first!

How can I find out about the next FFF?
Announcements about the New England events are made on the email list “NELA-news,” which you can subscribe to on the web at The NELA-news subscription page. In other parts of the country, keep checking our main page at FetishFairFleamarket.com for announcements and new email lists.
Each FFF has its own Livejournal Community, as well, so be sure to friend the following if you want to hear all the latest news or participate in discussions, carpools, roommate searches, et cetera:
FFFs in New England: nela_fff_news.livejournal.com
FFF Atlanta: atlanta_fff.livejournal.com
FFF Carolinas: fff_carolinas.livejournal.com