flea market booth tips please

[jerseyben]

My case is roughly 3' wide, 6' tall, & 12" deep with 6 shelves. It runs $55/month with no commission on sales. Mall policy is that customers can get a 10% discount on anything priced over $25 IF they ask. You can avoid that by marking FIRM on the price tag. The mall also takes 4% if the customer pays by credit card. As long as you know the rules up front you can price your stuff accordingly.

In my area gold jewelry is a tough sell. I do better selling it for scrap. I'm able to price common sterling jewelry 1.5-2 times spot. Junk silver US coins easily sell for more than spot & most numismatic items sell for ebay prices or better. Coins & jewelry make up about 70-80% of my sales. The other 20-30% is a mix of items ranging from pocket knives to art pottery. Volume wise these items take up more space & sell slower but my profit margin is a good bit higher.

The mall is a 5 minute drive from my house. I go by on Mondays to see if other vendors have put out anything I can make a dollar on & to check my booth. Fridays I take items up to restock for the weekend, to swap out enough items to keep the display fresh, & to see what other vendors have put out. Around 30% of what I make in a year comes from buying underpriced items from other vendors for resale so I'm at the mall twice a week anyway.

You bring up an interesting point here. Do you feel "funny" about buying something that is underpriced from another booth and then putting it in your own booth at a higher price?

 

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[creeper71]

My case is roughly 3' wide, 6' tall, & 12" deep with 6 shelves. It runs $55/month with no commission on sales. Mall policy is that customers can get a 10% discount on anything priced over $25 IF they ask. You can avoid that by marking FIRM on the price tag. The mall also takes 4% if the customer pays by credit card. As long as you know the rules up front you can price your stuff accordingly.

In my area gold jewelry is a tough sell. I do better selling it for scrap. I'm able to price common sterling jewelry 1.5-2 times spot. Junk silver US coins easily sell for more than spot & most numismatic items sell for ebay prices or better. Coins & jewelry make up about 70-80% of my sales. The other 20-30% is a mix of items ranging from pocket knives to art pottery. Volume wise these items take up more space & sell slower but my profit margin is a good bit higher.

The mall is a 5 minute drive from my house. I go by on Mondays to see if other vendors have put out anything I can make a dollar on & to check my booth. Fridays I take items up to restock for the weekend, to swap out enough items to keep the display fresh, & to see what other vendors have put out. Around 30% of what I make in a year comes from buying underpriced items from other vendors for resale so I'm at the mall twice a week anyway.

You bring up an interesting point here. Do you feel "funny" about buying something that is underpriced from another booth and then putting it in your own booth at a higher price?

I personally think they should research if they don't know a price an there loss would be my gain...

 

[diggummup]

You bring up an interesting point here. Do you feel "funny" about buying something that is underpriced from another booth and then putting it in your own booth at a higher price?

If you've ever set up/sold at the flea market or an antiques/collectibles show, you would know that there is a lot of selling between buyers before the "doors" open for public business. It is not unusual for sellers to buy from other sellers for resale, happens all the time.

 

[trdhrdr007]

There's an old saying that goes something like this....if it wasn't for other dealers I wouldn't have any customers. Almost everything I buy from other dealers I have a market they either don't know about(my refiner or online contacts) or are unwilling to deal with(ebay).

 

[clovis97]

You bring up an interesting point here. Do you feel "funny" about buying something that is underpriced from another booth and then putting it in your own booth at a higher price?

I have made pretty decent money doing this...should I feel funny? Some of my best picks are from other booths.

Last summer, I bought an '80s era Lionel train set from another booth for $22.50. I took it outside, split it up, priced each item individually, and put it in my booth.

One buyer came in and bought the entire lot the next day for over $80.

That very day, my wife found some nice A&F and Hollister tees for $3 each, and we sold them in our booth for $8 each. We cleared about $30 on the deal.

Of course, I know Lionel trains well. I've been collecting for almost 30 years...so YMMV.

 

[Keppy]

You bring up an interesting point here. Do you feel "funny" about buying something that is underpriced from another booth and then putting it in your own booth at a higher price?

If you've ever set up/sold at the flea market or an antiques/collectibles show, you would know that there is a lot of selling between buyers before the "doors" open for public business. It is not unusual for sellers to buy from other sellers for resale, happens all the time.

Yes i have done that many of times..... Before the flea mkt. opens there are times you can get some good deals....... Then put them on your table for sale at a nice profit...........

 

[creeper71]

If you've ever set up/sold at the flea market or an antiques/collectibles show, you would know that there is a lot of selling between buyers before the "doors" open for public business. It is not unusual for sellers to buy from other sellers for resale, happens all the time.

Yes i have done that many of times..... Before the flea mkt. opens there are times you can get some good deals....... Then put them on your table for sale at a nice profit...........

This is the very reason I am at the outdoor flea markets way before "opening" time..as a customer not a dealer.... No dealer is going to beat me to a bargian if I can help it...

 

[Keppy]

If you've ever set up/sold at the flea market or an antiques/collectibles show, you would know that there is a lot of selling between buyers before the "doors" open for public business. It is not unusual for sellers to buy from other sellers for resale, happens all the time.

Yes i have done that many of times..... Before the flea mkt. opens there are times you can get some good deals....... Then put them on your table for sale at a nice profit...........

This is the very reason I am at the outdoor flea markets way before "opening" time..as a customer not a dealer.... No dealer is going to beat me to a bargian if I can help it...

But all the dealers do it............They see some one new "BAM" They are all over them like flies on honey........

 

[creeper71]

If you've ever set up/sold at the flea market or an antiques/collectibles show, you would know that there is a lot of selling between buyers before the "doors" open for public business. It is not unusual for sellers to buy from other sellers for resale, happens all the time.

Yes i have done that many of times..... Before the flea mkt. opens there are times you can get some good deals....... Then put them on your table for sale at a nice profit...........

This is the very reason I am at the outdoor flea markets way before "opening" time..as a customer not a dealer.... No dealer is going to beat me to a bargian if I can help it...

But all the dealers do it............They see some one new "BAM" They are all over them like flies on honey........

Your missing my point I AM NOT a DEALER. I go walking thru when the dealers are setting up.

 

[cdltpx]

Get a booth as near to the beer sales booth or bathroom either way you will be passed more than most and the extra foot traffic will increase your odds of getting spotted more since the second people arrive anywhere the very first place they go is to pee keep in mind what way the wind will be blowing that day if you want to be methane free . If they are drinking they have disposable income and are intoxicated you just might get a sale from a drunk just because he was getting a beer.

 

[Keppy]

But all the dealers do it............They see some one new "BAM" They are all over them like flies on honey........

Your missing my point I AM NOT a DEALER. I go walking thru when the dealers are setting up.
[/quote]I under stood you are not a dealer...... And that is a good thing if you get a chance to walk through before they open..................... But most flea mkt's i sell at open at 7 0r 8 or 9 AM And the dealers are set up and checking every ones stuff before they let the people in the gate or door...........

 

[creeper71]

But all the dealers do it............They see some one new "BAM" They are all over them like flies on honey........

Your missing my point I AM NOT a DEALER. I go walking thru when the dealers are setting up.

I under stood you are not a dealer...... And that is a good thing if you get a chance to walk through before they open..................... But most flea mkt's i sell at open at 7 0r 8 or 9 AM And the dealers are set up and checking every ones stuff before they let the people in the gate or door...........


[/quote] I never had a problem at any flea market I went too.. in pa or NJ ..I am there scouting at 6-7 am out of there by 10am