Built in the 1900s to accommodate the hawkers of the Broadway area in Madras, the Moore Market soon became popular for antiques, art, books and even pets. Over time, it became the go-to place where one could buy rare and second-hand items for a good bargain. But in 1985, it was destroyed in a mysterious fire.
So obviously when the name showed up in a Google search for selling off antiques, Ananthamurthy was intrigued. The seller discovered to his delight that the ancient flea market had returned in a new avatar as a Facebook group.
Nearly two years old now, the online version became an instant hit with the Chennai populace for whom Moore Market had occupied a special place. And the group’s founder IITian Santhosh Kumar Subramanian, 32, has more smart surprises up his sleeve. He plans to go ‘live’ by organising a free flea market where one can give away items one has no use for, free.
It was the same logic that propelled Subramanian in 2012 to start the online version. He wanted to sell off some of his old items which were still in good condition. Today, the Facebook group’s membership has hit the 25,000-mark and is steadily rising. They accept a minimum of 50 new members every day.
“Initially, it was an open group, but as the page became popular, we started seeing a lot of spam and commercial advertising. So to ensure only genuine requests go up on the wall, we made it a closed group with the membership requiring the moderator’s approval,” says Subramanian. He is also the director of Bambaram Toy Library, an online toy lending library. The page also has six moderators.
While mobile phones and gadgets are the items most bought or sold, there have been some unusual requests as well such as putting up one’s pet for sale, which has now been discontinued. In case a member wants to put up a pet for adoption, there are Blue Cross members in the group who help them out.
On the anvil are plans to make the group more mainstream in the form of a web application allowing even non-Facebook users to benefit from it. Subramanian says, “This application would be a part of the page, but one is given a username and password. Problems such as not being able to find your post quickly will be dealt with along with alerts that may interest the user. In addition, changes in the page such as categorising the posts are also being made so that navigation becomes simpler.”
They have gone one step further to make the page more interactive with regular contests. And these are not without sumptuous rewards of free pizzas and mobile recharges. To help users enjoy the art and cultural events in the city, a new “events” category will soon be added to the group. Regular updates on events such as plays, concerts to workshops will be provided.
Philanthropy and environmental sustainability, too, are served through the page. With many representatives from NGOs registered as individuals on the page, patrons who wish to give away clothes, books and anything else that may be of use can do so. The other item on the agenda is to involve the actual Moore Market allowing many small tradesmen to showcase their wares.
This page not only brings back vivid memories of the legendary Moore Market, it serves as its modern equivalent, especially for busy, young professionals who are always short of time.
A market in the history
● It was originally built to house the hawkers in the Broadway area of Madras.
● The market got its name from Sir George Moore, president of the Madras Corporation in 1898, who laid its foundation stone.
● Construction was completed in 1900, and had sections for meat, flowers and food items.
● It was especially popular for curios including antiques, art, books and pets, but gradually took the status of a flea market.
● In May 1985, the market building was destroyed in fire.
● The structure was later razed to make way for the new Chennai Suburban Railway terminus and reservation centre.