Anyone have a booth at an Antique Mall?

Good to know! Thank you I'll start keeping my eye out for those then!

The best place to find auctions in your area is:

http://www.auctionzip.com

It is also a great place to find auctions if you are willing to travel out of town. I use the "auctions within 50 miles" filter to show even more auctions than I normally would attend.

Make sure you use the "view photos" button while looking at a sale.

I live close to a large city, and every once and a while, there will be multiple auctions going on at the same time. The trick is that multiple auctions will split the typical auction going crowd into as many auctions as there are.

For instance, one time there were 19 auctions scheduled in our area on one single day. I picked my favorite auctioneer, who happens to be the nicest of the bunch, but doesn't have the following that other auction companies do. I drove to the north side of the city, which is a good distance from me, to attend that auction. I showed up...and there was almost no one there. I didn't buy too much that day, but what I bought, I got for almost nothing.

I remember at that sale, I bought all of the commercial floor mats in the entire building for $5. I think I bought 21 or 22 of them, and they sold crazy fast at $15 each.

Here is my Tuesday Tip:

I believe that it is important to make good, descriptive price tags for your items, especially if you have open stock that is not locked in a case. IMO, this is one of the mistakes that newcomers to the business make; quite often, their tags are too simple, or even non-existent!

I believe that the better that an item is labeled, the better chance that it has to sell.

For instance, price tags should read:

Green Coleman Gas Lantern/Dated 1968

Silver Craftsman tool box/NO TOOLS/EMPTY

Fat Quarter/Blue Red Green Fabric

Tyco Box Car/Blue Pennsylvania W/Box

Indy 500 Champions/Book

Beatles LP Abbey Road

Beach Boys Endless Summer-2 records LP Classic Album!

62 Pontiac Model kit/started/looks complete!

Of course, if you are trying to highlight your antiques, etc, your tags will have more descriptive titles:

1940's era Waterfall Four Drawer Dresser~Beautiful Condition~Fresh Estate Find~Super Clean!

1950's Mid Century Starburst Clock~Sears~Solid Wood Fantastic~Works!~Keeps Time!

The big thing to remember is that you want to have descriptive titles to:

1. Help the sales staff understand what is being sold.
2. Help the sales staff protect your items
3. Drastically reduce the probability of someone switching tags on your products.

You might be surprised how many thieves there are out in the world, who will actively seek out tags in a mall so they can switch the tags. It will get you arrested...even attempting to switch tags in our state will get you a pair of silver bracelets to wear for a while...but tag switching does occur.

When you take the time to write good tags, it drastically reduces the probability of someone switching tags. A thief is less likely to take your $45 red Coleman lantern and switch it with a tag from another lantern, owned by another vendor, who just wrote "old lantern" on the tag.

Many years ago, when we really stepped up our descriptions on our tags, the mis-rings and tag switching fell sharply. There is something about writing "red Coleman lantern" on the tag that will dissuade someone from using your tag and your item too.

We keep rolls of tape with us too, and on many items, we will wrap Scotch or packing tape around the paper tag, just to help avoid tampering with the tag.

Also, if you have groups of items, mark them individually. Please don't sell "Old tool box full of tools." That is an open invitation to every thief in the world to walk around the FM or mall, tear off tags of other vendor's tools, and throw them into the box.

Taking the time to write out good, descriptive tags will benefit you immensely, boosting sales, while helping to keep the few bad apples from stealing stuff at the mall.

I'll post a tip about tags/labels.

I had a tea kettle and a tea pot, both cobalt blue, but not useable for their original purpose. I posted with my price tags, photos of what I considered their good use to be --- planters. On pinterest I found photos of like items that had been filled with plants, and added small copies of those to my price tags. Helps to suggest to the buyer what they could do with the item if they bought it.

Thanks all for the welcome back. The hip surgery I had (anterior, going in the front) was supposed to have a very quick recovery with it, two weeks and back to work. LOL. Didn't happen. I did go back to work at 4 1/2 weeks, but only half days. This is my second week of full days. Finally have my energy back. Still working on getting fully mobile. I'm eager for a new normal to kick in!

__________________
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring - Carl Sagan

We use auctionzip.com to find auctions!

Awesome tips you two about tags! Good information to know!

Yes, thank you for the auctionzip and tag tips! I am gonna have to check out auctionzip, and am learning to write tags with good descriptions. I am used to slapping a price sticker on everything, but with collectibles, you do need to say what year it's from and exactly what it is. I've been watching the people who go to the hair salon next to the store, and it seems to be a lot of older women, so I think the tags will help them in gift shopping.

One other thing that we do when writing our tags for anything that is a type of container is to write the word EMPTY! on the tag itself.

You might be surprised how many people will try to buy an empty, antique wood crate, and try to put a few items inside of it, and then play dumb at the cash register. Maybe they are that dumb, but most likely, IMO, it is trying to get something for free, and use the dumb act when paying.

When you use the word "EMPTY!", it also reminds the cashier to check the item as they ring it up. On any item that is large, like dressers or tool chests, I often write "NO TOOLS INCLUDED~CASHIER-PLEASE CHECK DRAWERS."

I really hate having to do this, but it keeps everyone honest, and the cashier is prompted to remember that they do need to check. A dishonest person could easily fill a few drawers with expensive blacksmithing tools, at the tune of $20 each, and walk out of the store with $200 in free product after paying $100 for a tool chest.

The antique malls seem better about checking drawers and stuff, but sometimes, the cashiers at the FM can be rushed, and have literally 25 people waiting in line at one time.

Remember to mark the word "Empty" on:

Jars, canisters, Tupperware, purses, wood crates, tool boxes, chests, etc.

Hope this helps!

I've wondered how to give people a vision of what it could be used for! What a great idea!!

Thanks for the auctionzip.com advice! I've been wanting to know how to get in on some auctions!! Newbie auction question... What does it mean when it says 10% buyer premium? Or something similar

A buyer's premium means that the auctioneer will add 10% to the price of whatever you bought. It is a commission that they charge to the buyer.

So, you see a cool steamer trunk at an estate auction. You win the bid for $35. When you go to pay, your bill will be $38.50.

Unfortunately, a BP is now the norm around here. Be careful if you go to some auctions, especially industrial auctions. They are charging up to 12%, and if they add sales tax, that puts another 7%, plus 3% if you use plastic to pay. That will add 21% to your bill, so read the fine print. Not all auctions charge sales tax...I don't know why some do, and some don't.

You are going to have to condition yourself to stop bidding when you need to, in account for the BP. You can still make great money buying at auctions, so don't be scared of the BP; just remember it has to be paid.

I know lots of resellers that absolutely refuse to go to any auction with a BP, which is 99.999% of the auctions in our area. I hate a BP as much as anyone, but cutting yourself out of massive opportunities is just plain dumb, if you ask me. There are bargains galore at almost every auction, so if you have to pay $5 on a $50 item, so you can flip it for $200, what is the big deal????

The name of this game is to buy something cheap, and get it sold for a profit. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Thank you Clovis! I assumed it was something like that but wanted to make sure!! From every auction listing I saw a buyers premium was the norm. The livestock auctions had a 20% + crazy!

Going to try and convince DH for us to go to one Sunday afternoon :-)

How did everyone's weekends go!? Ours went pretty well! Better sales than any weekend this month so I will take it! Our AM has a Facebook page, they featured our booth this morning and several items sold because of it! I will head in tomorrow to take an inventory and rearrange :-)... Piling up the projects to keep the booth super full in preparation of next weekend.

For all of you out there with more experience, let's talk holidays! Does holiday specific decor sell and boost sales? I don't want to go all out and then be stuck with holiday decor until next year, but I don't want to under do it either.

We had a decent weekend. Not a blockbuster weekend, but I am happy enough.

Glad that you did well, earthy!!!!! Go get 'em!!!!

I have found that both Halloween and Christmas decorations sell well all year long. I have no problem putting Christmas stuff out in May, June....or any month, for that matter. It will sell, if attractive and priced right. FWIW, we sold a vintage angel about a week ago. Of course, decorations can fly off the shelf in October and December.

Wow, is it Tuesday again, already?

My Tuesday Tip:

Since we are all often buying distressed, damaged and altered items, it is important to have a good tool box handy.

I have already shared that fine 0000 steel wool and mechanic's hand cleaner without pumice will work wonders in cleaning up years of grease, smoke and dirt on wood furniture. This stuff works wonders in cleaning up rusty steel too. If you happen to buy a greasy oily item out of a barn, and want to know how to clean it, hand cleaner is your best friend.

Another item that I couldn't live without in this business is Zippo lighter fluid. The stuff is amazing for removing stickers, adhesives, and goo from items. Just put a little lighter fluid on a rag, and gently work the area. There is stuff like Goo-Gone, but I prefer Zippo fluid any day of the week.

If you have to remove tape or labels from a box, book or paper item, you might try using a hair dryer to loosen the adhesive. Just warm the area, and gently pull the tape or label.

Of course, I am in love with Old English for fairly quick clean up jobs on wood furniture.

I also have a love affair with Dawn dish detergent. I'm sure I have used a truck load of that stuff in my life, cleaning up whatever barn find that I've drug home. Dawn and warm water will clean up stuff and make it look new.

We also try to keep some basic tools with us, like a screwdriver, hammer, adjustable wrench, a pair of Klein side cuts, and a knife, especially when we are out buying. You never know when you will find and buy the coolest wire crates at an auction, but they are still bolted to the wall in the barn or garage!

Please share your Tuesday Tips with us, whether it be a product that you are selling, a way of doing something...or just anything that might be common knowledge to you, but would be of some benefit to the rest of us.

I agree Clovis, the weeks are flying by!

My Tuesday Tip:

Thrift stores! I love love love them! I go through our local ones at least once a week and find smalls or decor, but sometimes you can find some amazing pieces! I have gotten a ton of milk glass, oil lamps, and corningware for $2 and under allll the time! Just this past week I was able to get a 1940s Samson card table for $5!

My other tip in the home decor lane is find random uses for things, this week I turned an old window frame into an entry way coat rack, and a drawer from a useless side table into a cute shelf :-)

Thanks for the tips, earthy!!!

Are glass items, specifically milk glass, selling for you? I have sold milk glass in the past, but haven't touched it in years, mostly because I have found it so hard to sell, even at dirt cheap prices.

My milk glass hasnt sold as quickly as I anticipated but it does move ok. I bought quite a bit when I first got my booth and I don't have any left lol

Earthy,

Today, I mailed off a subscription order for two types of magazines, Country Home Living and some other magazine. Both magazines seem to be based on the cottage decor that you mentioned.

I had found some recent issues of these magazines recently at a thrift shop, and my DW and I really enjoyed them.

Hopefully, I can get a better feel for this type of decor. I would like to get a few more magazines, maybe some featuring Mid-Century or Industrial.

If it helps me find and sell even a few more items in the next year, the $15 cost for the subscriptions will pay for itself quickly.

Ideas on other magazines???