I am testing the water on selling at a Junk Market/Flea Market...you know - the one/two market event where you load & go.
I am wondering what tips you all might share? Like, how do you plan your booth set up? How do you pack for the event? Do you request any thing special in a booth (e.g. access to loading, electricity, bathroom...)? You get the picture --- please, please, please share your thoughts.
Kari
We have done the flea market in What Cheer, Iowa which is usually a 3 day event. They open the gates for vendors as early as Thursday night, early birds can shop on Friday then Saturday and Sunday are their big days. We try to get there Thursday nite if we don't reserve a spot then we can get the pick of the field, and have things ready to go when the early birds come.
We stay with our stuff and camp there, some places allow you to do that, there is a hotel not too far away, but it's part of the adventure when you camp it out.
Most times they give you measurements for your booth, I've been there enough I know how to lay my booth out. I like to make people "walk through" my booth by creating a path, that way they hav better opportunity to see everything. Make sure it's decorated 'cute' 'nice' whatever you want to say- make people want to shop your booth.
We pack for camping, and for selling. One year we even brought an air conditioner that we rigged in the topper of our truck because it was so hot! Totally hillbillied that one... but we had a good time.
If this is your first one, you can request to be put near electricity, or you may have to wing it and find out where the good booths are next year. We have it down to a science, but it took about 3 flea markets to figure it out.
Tarps and big clamps are a must! Between the weather and if it's a two day event... you'll want to be able to duck and cover quickly.
Setting up by a food stand or bathrooms is great too, everyone wants to eat or needs to go to the bathroom at some given time during the day so they will have to walk past your booth.
Well- I should stop rambling... those are a few pointers... I'm sure more people on here have some great ideas too!
Oh "the hillbillies" --- thanks for your generous ideas -- I really appreciate this feedback from a pro.
Has anyone sold at an indoor market that could provide tips?
Kari
Doesn't anyone have any suggestions for Kari? I am interested in this topic, too. If you have some ideas, please share!
well- I've done a couple indoor ones as well... they usually supply you with at least one table. In that case, I always made sure I still had enough furniture to utilize as much space as I could. Old boxes are ideal since you can stack them and display with them... and sell them. I always made sure anything I used to set up with was for sale. Why pack something you just plan on bringing back home? Packing in what you sell is ideal, and so is a cart. Appliance cart, anything with wheels that you can transport your items from the car to your booth. Also, if they supply you with a table, bring some kind of table covering if you don't plan on packing in items you sell. You can always slide rubbermaid containers under the table to store items you don't have room yet to sell and that way you don't have to cart the rubbermaid containers back to the car.
When I do any kind of flea market, I don't use a money box, I use a carpenters pouch that I wear around my waist, it saves you table space and you have your money on you at all times.
When I think of more ideas, I'll let you know.
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