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Also, with Labor Day weekend just a few days away, I'd stock the booth as best I can for all of the people who will be walking the FM and AM's.
Sales are generally very brisk over the LD weekend, at least for us. |
Definitely considering slashing prices Clovis! Thanks.
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Clovis, what are some good go to resources for info?
I am researching several very different types of collectibles for the family's estate sale and man some are easy to locate (David Winters cottages i found a few decent places) and some (lanes End Tea for One bone china sets) are supposedly offered but you go to the link and can't find any. There there are the Indian pottery pieces... and hummels and Waterford and Heisey and goodness knows what else i have not been shown yet. I used to have books on this stuff but got rid of them when I gave up my booth. |
eBay is far and away the best tool for researching, IMO. We use the completed sales lists.
The printed collectors guides can be invaluable, but I only use those guides that are considered the authority in their respective fields. There are numerous toy train books on the market, but Greenberg's is considered the authority, and is the only one I use. Other than that, I can't offer much help. Truthfully, we don't run into much that we can't find somewhere. It isn't that I am arrogant and know a lot, (in fact I am a neophyte with most everything), we just keep dealing in repeat stuff, and also, in things that we happen to find easily. I have some art (oil on canvas) pieces that are quite good, but I can't find the artist anywhere. And just this week, I sold some 6 inch army men that I couldn't identify, but I listed them anyway. Thankfully, a collector emailed me with the maker, and I was able to revise my description. I also frequent: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/garage-sale-finds/ It is a smaller group of posters, but some of them are VERY good, and know their stuff. Maybe this forum can help. |
Thanks Clovis.
I am hoping I can get to the house and get some good pictures this weekend to send to online collectors for some items. The sooner we close this estate the happier i will be! No one is fighting over hwo gets what it is just hard going to dad's house every few weeks and not seeing any real progress. I want to get together with family just because not to deal with family business. |
Don't forget your local library for collector guides. Our library has a pretty good selection.
Also, the good thing about ebay is that for most items, someone out there eventually will list one identical to yours. |
Wow...just wow!
As I said earlier in this thread, August is typically our hardest month of the year, mostly because it is back to school month. I am almost shocked...but giddy too. This August has been one of the best months we've ever had in all the years we've been selling. eBay has been strong. One of the antique malls that we sell at...Wowza!!! Best month ever at this location!!! Flea market has had super strong sales. I feel blessed!!! At the same time, another location we have at another antique mall is still slow. I'm making rent, but not a whole lot more. I still don't know what I'm doing wrong at this place. I'm thinking about switching it to more low dollar, flea market stuff to see what happens. I don't know if it my product selection or if it is the foot traffic. We routinely had stellar months at this mall when we started there. Again, I am thankful and feel very blessed. It feels great to have such a good August!! |
Thank you for all the 'Likes'!!!!!
We worked today, stocking the booths. The FM was busy today with shoppers, and as usual, sales were brisk. I love Labor Day weekend because sales are generally very strong. As usual, I greeted every shopper I could, and interacted as much as possible. I know many wouldn't believe this, but I sold almost $75 today, just by being friendly and sharing conversation with the customers. This $75 is in addition to whatever was sold while we weren't in the booths. Last week, I sold an additional $40 to a guy shopping for tools. This guy had walked into our full booth, but never saw some of the tools that I had, and I started a conversation with him because he was carrying some mill files from another booth. He wanted to see some similar tools that I had, after I mentioned them. We walked back to my other booth with me, and we struck a deal on a pile of stuff I had. This leads me to another topic: Bundling. Bundling is often used by buyers as an effective tool to bargain for better prices. Maybe you've seen it on American Pickers. But honestly, bundling is an effective sales tool too. This is especially true when buyers are hesitant to pay the asking prices, and or can't decide which of the tools they should buy. I went back through the pile, and picked out all the tools he was hesitant about, and bundled them up at a good price, and he agreed. Both parties were happy. He got the items he wanted, and I turned a pile of rusty wrenches into $40. |
A bit of good news over the weekend. One of the stools I posted a picture of way back in the thread sold. I had it priced at $45, someone offered $40. SURE! So now my booth partner and I are rethinking vacating the booth, at least for a few more months. Partner still hasn't put anything in the booth but is sharing rent with me. If we stay, I'd hope she would add some inventory. I've neglected the booth the last couple of weeks because I thought we were going to leave it. Have out of town plans for the next week or so, but when I get back I will my renew flea market fever, hopefully.
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After tallying rent and commission, I MADE MONEY in August! YAY. Sold several of my husband's spy novels, the stool, and an antiquey casserole. I'm thrilled. Will load up the booth this weekend with more stuff. And Clovis-type notes will be attached!
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I tell ya, figuring out how to price stuff is absolutely the hardest thing we do.
I picked up about 300 vintage beer cans today out of an estate, for free. All these cans date to the mid to late 70's. I don't think there is anything of real value; the owner kept all of the early cone tops. A quick check on ebay also tells me that I don't have big dollar items. There is part of me that wants to mark each can at $1 each, and hope that they fly out the door. Another part of me wants to mark them $2 each, and trash what doesn't sell in a few months. Not knowing what or how to price them is absolutely driving me bonkers. 300 cans x $1 = $300 300 cans x $1.25 = $375 300 cans x $1.50 = $450 300 cans x $2.00 = $600 Who wouldn't want an extra $300 in their pocket? At the same time, I am not a museum, and want the cans to sell... It is driving me crazy... |
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10 or more $2ea 100 or more $1.50ea 300, $1 ea |
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I wish I could work it this way, but the malls and indoor flea market require us to set a firm price on each item. They won't allow us to offer progressive pricing based on quantity. One place that we sell at is 96,000 square feet, and generally speaking, they are far too busy to tromp off to confirm "the sign said if I buy 10 or more...". If I were manning the booth every day, this pricing game wouldn't even be an issue. I am in a booth about twice a week, at best. Our tags have to be made, with firm pricing...no discount deals, no percentage off sales, no bundling deals...just a firm price on each tag. |
Clovis, then I would go $3.00 each for a couple weeks, maybe a month then go down from there.
anything you get is a bonus, since they were free to you. Though I realize free stuff that doesn't sell i8s not fun! |
Well, for better or worse, we priced the cans at $2 each.
They aren't eating up too much real estate in the booth, so we might give them some time. I was probably being too ambitious asking $2 a can, especially the plain ones without color. Who knows... One thing that I've learned is that you can never second guess your customer...not in a million years. Stuff that I think will sell quickly will sit for 6 months, and stuff I don't think will ever sell will find a buyer the minute I set it out. |
Keep us updated on how the cans sell. I think you did the right thing starting out at $2 each. You can always reduce the price in a few weeks if they don't move. I agree, figuring out how to price things is soooo hard.
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Took a load of Halloween and fall items to the booth today. Owner told me that the upcoming fall fair in our town is like their "super bowl". They expect 60,000 people downtown. And will staff the store with 5 people rather than 1. You can bet I'm going to scurry home and find some more to fill the booth.
I have a question for the experienced booth holders (Clovis?): I began keeping an inventory of every little thing I put into the booth, but realized that chore alone was keeping me from taking things in. Do you keep an inventory of everything you take in and sell? I'm energized! |
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Here is what I've found about out-of-towners and travelers: They are typically very good about buying items when they see them. If I had a dime for every time I heard "Well, I'll think about it. Might come back next week. I jus' live across town", I'd be rich. The travelers see something, and know they won't be back for a good while. Nothing is 'old hat' to travelers. Everything they look at is new to them. And of course, if they are traveling, that probably means that they have a budget that allows them to do so...and that often equates to a bigger wallet to buy stuff. I know that all of the above is true for me. I'm more likely to spend money on something if I am out of town, or if it is a one day event, like a festival or train show. I'm telling you, if the festival traffic makes it way through the door where you are located, most often, the sales will be terrific. Therefore, if I have interesting, unusual or more high end items, I get those out and displayed before the travelers come. I am more likely to sell $40 and up items than I am a $3 hammer. As for keeping records, it really would be impossible for me. I'd have to hire four full time accountants to keep up with the inventory. I bought 5 large boxes of nails and screws (for $1 each) last week, and have sold about $40 worth at $1.00 to $1.25 per package this week. That is an inventory nightmare. Simply stated, the volume we handle is far too large, and overall, I feel that keeping inventory is impossible. I'd probably do it if we handled $500 vases and $300 antique guns, but for the junk/treasures we sell, it is too much work and a full time job within itself. |
Hooray, good news, Clovis. Thanks for your insight. I may even break out my Jewel Tea dishes and try to sell them. :p
The building is very sloooowwwwllly getting its window glass back in that was broken during the next door fire. Owner swears it will be finished by the time of the festival. I certainly hope so. And I'm relieved to drop the inventory book! Whew. |
Ugh! Im sloooooowly stacking inventory...
My biggest problem is I want to keep everything for myself! :D I picked up a Vintage Milton Bradley "Dandy" guillotine paper cutter for $2.59 at the thrift store the other day. People are selling them from $20-$80 on the internet.. and mine is in better condition than most. Its actually funny. I had been thinking about the one we use to use in art class in elementary school and how I would like to have one.. walk into the thrift store a couple weeks later and there it sits. You dont really see these often - and they arent cheap |
Lucky find Sarah! WOW! Yes, I would love to have one of those paper cutters. Now to decide whether to keep it or sell it..... what a nice profit you COULD make!
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How is everyone's sales?
We had an exceptional August, and a very, very good September. October, so far, has been strong, but our sales are beginning to suffer significantly. I think the drop in gas prices helped us more than anything. I think that the federal shutdown is beginning to crush our sales. We don't have paid TV, but I can only imagine what the "right" news channel is saying 24/7 about how the sky is going to fall. This is exactly what happened back in December, 2012, when one of the channels talked non-stop about the fiscal cliff, Obama, and how he was going to quit paying the troops, who would then lay down their arms, and desert in droves. Of course, they didn't say it themselves, but interviewed commentators who did, and they replayed it again, and again, and again. I can only imagine what they are saying now, not to mention the other stations. What kind of trash talk are they spewing? In the mean time, people get scared, and quit spending money, and that crushes little people like us. I don't enjoy being the brunt of someone's attempt at 'swaying the public' with their political trash. In short, those people have a mission to get us to hate the other party, but I am paying the price for it. FWIW, we don't have but a handful of Federal jobs in the area, so it's not like the economy is impacted that much, not like D.C. Okay, it is time to step off my soapbox. |
My sales in September weren't great, but I neglected the booth for a variety of reasons. My own fault.
I find it interesting how the second hand market seems to be thriving, at least in this area. Goodwill and Salvation Army are always busy stores as are the flea markets. And people still have yard/rummage/garage sales most weekends. Whether people are actually spending money, I don't know, but it looks that way to me. Your booths will be a better barometer of the situation, I think, Clovis. Keep us posted! |
Today was the day that vendor paychecks came in, so lots of vendors were in today.
Business seemed brisk, judging from all the empty spots in our booths. We are already trying to stock for the upcoming fall/winter/Christmas season. Around here, the fall and winter months, generally speaking, are our best months. Thank you for the reference about "being a barometer" for sales, which I wish were the case...but it isn't. The used/junk/antique markets are just too sporadic and too far apart to be a barometer for anything. I could be busting at the seams with business, but just 50 miles away could be dead as a door nail. I'm still hoping and praying that our business keeps up, and that the yahoos in DC get their act together and quit playing games and treating us like pawns. |
Hoping too for a good fall/winter, market-wise. Here, I think the people who frequent the yard sales during warmer weather probably cruise flea markets during the winter as an alternative.
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I sell Barbies and other small dolls on eBay but I'm seriously thinking of opening a booth filled just with vintage dolls and for items that I don't, for one reason or another, want to sell online. (Usually I don't want to sell something online because it has a flaw and eBay buyers are notorious for not reading descriptions and then getting upset even though a problem was clearly disclosed.)
I know those creepy modern porcelain dolls don't sell. But how do genuinely vintage dolls do? i.e. ponytail Barbies, vintage Ginnys, Mego action figures/dolls, Dawn & Rockflowers, Tammy and family, etc? I don't do baby dolls or anything breakable. I am aware that stuff could be damaged or lost by accident by buyers. I figure I would attach each doll to a stand with a zip tie, attach a baggy of accessories like shoes and other small bits to the zip tie, and sell the doll, accessories, and the stand together. This makes it harder to undress the dolls or lose shoes. (I'd probably also put a sticker with a printed photograph of the doll on the bottom of each stand, along with the price. Solves the problem of price tag swapping.) Every antique mall in the area has a waiting list, so I won't be selling anything soon, but I do intend to ask to be put on their lists. I can sell other things besides dolls -- I like vintage toys too. Anyway, what do you guys think? :-) |
Cygnet, i wish folks out here would carry the really vintage stuff.
Instead the carry the newer stuff (80, 90 and so on) at vintage prices. I LOVE Dawn and the Rock Flowers but no one around here ever has any. I collect those kinds of dolls along with Raggedy dolls. |
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Toy horses I see selling well, cows, pigs, and roosters as well. If dolls were my specialty I would probably get a smaller booth and advertise my eBay / website big in there. I don't know much about doll collectors, but from what I see on fb from a couple people they are always searching for a specific doll. I don't think they really buy on a whim, but who knows.. Maybe have a beautiful clean cut display wall of some dolls / advertisement and fill the rest of your booth with the toys Sent from my SPH-L710 using Homesteading Today mobile app |
I wish that I knew how to advise you on the dolls.
We mostly deal in tools and household. I used to be able to sell new-to-made-to-look-old dolls as fast as I could buy them, but even those have seemed to slow. You might be surprised though. You might do very, very well. I have found that toys from the 70's and 80's sell pretty well. Maybe you try a mix of all types, based on what your knowledge and area??? I say that it is worth a try, and encourage you to do so if you feel like it is right to you. Go get 'em!!! |
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FWIW, there is value in Barbies as vintage collectibles up until about 1985. Some of the Superstar era dolls made from 76 through about 1982 are worth hundreds of dollars in mint condition. After that, most of the value is either as toys or for artists who want a specific face mold. (Excepting the limited edition collectibles, though those seem to be the most valuable in the days immediately after Mattel's website sells out and the eBay sellers start listing them.) Dawn is one of my favorite vintage dolls, and one of the most frustrating. Finding them in pristine condition is quite difficult. ETA: One real easy way to tell an older Barbie from a newer one is to look at the back of the head. If there's NO date, then the doll is at least mid 1980's or older. They started dating the heads on the back somewhere around 1985. Ignore the actual date -- it's just the date a design was patented, and Mattel uses the same molds over and over. If the doll costs less than a couple of bucks and looks to be mid 80's or earlier, it's often worth picking up even if you don't know which Barbie it is. You can ID them later by looking at the eyeballs (every Barbie made from the 60's on has unique eyes) and the value once ID'd, for a good condition older doll, can run from around $5 to thousands. |
I know! I once scored a black Francie for $5 and had to sell her to repair our car. She sold for around $300 back in 1992.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Homesteading Today mobile app |
Do yall think taking something like an antique kidney desk and restoring it to a non-traditional color would devalue it?
For example, would taking away the mahogany stain you traditionally see them in and paint it black. |
Sarah, again it depends on your buyer. So many flea market furniture buyers these days are gravitating to painted furniture. They don't see the piece as an antique, just a funky item for their home. But an antique buyer will see that differently and not like the paint. Me, I'd probably not paint it.
Also depends on the condition it is in. If it's not in excellent "antique" condition, painting may be the only way to get any kind of return on your investment. Hope this helps. This is a hard question to answer. Hopefully others will have some advice. |
Here are some pictures I took of my booth after I loaded it up on Saturday. Sorry for the quality of the pics --- my cell phone camera is not great.
https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/...48719180_n.jpg https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/...28487237_n.jpg |
It looks a lot more fun and inviting!
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Thanks Sarah! Hope the stuff sells and I don't have to haul it home! HA!
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I walked around about 3 malls this weekend in search for items for my home. We are about to start a few projects (remodel bathroom, new carpets, etc) and I am going to be refinishing furniture (Just a few end tables, but I want to do them so they match)
A few of the things I found I REALLY loved were all a flat(ish) black. I am REALLY in love with this, what Im guessing is a buffet. They want $500. I couldnt find a makers mark with the quick look over I gave it.. There are a few dents/dings/scratches in the paint... but I LOVE it. Still ... I dont want to pay $500. Can anyone help me date the piece or give me an idea on who made it and what kind of offer I can get away with? http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...psbf5f4ec1.jpg This next piece is a desk that has been in the shop for I know over a month or 2, probably longer. They are asking $200 for it. Its obviously not the original color and it wobbles a bit. Would asking $140 be a slap in the face? http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...psc5304129.jpg http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps622cf8c6.jpg This next piece is obviously not an antique, but I need a bench desperately. They are asking $135 and everything in the booth is 30%.. so It comes out less than $100.. Which is a pretty awesome price because benches around here are HIGH http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps7e5834a5.jpg My only problem is... Im shopping on a beer budget right now. :D Ill have to slowly acquire the pieces.. Im just not sure which one I should start with Im thinking the bench, since there is such a great price on it, but then again, its in a darker "corner" of the mall. The buffet piece is at the start of one of the first couple isles, but higher priced furniture seems to sit longer, but then again it is a unique piece. The desk, I love.. I havent seen another like it around here.. Yeah, there are the fold out desks, but I really like the black. Sure, I could paint one myself, but after all the work of searching, stripping, painting, etc etc :catfight: |
Here are a few other items I am interested in and what they are going for in my area
If yall could help me date the pieces I would appreciate it.. I couldnt find any makers marks with a quick look over and Im not very good at dating yet Desks This one was about $140 http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...psfc337ffd.jpg $160 http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps6c4e8191.jpg $200 http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...psc3b0c16b.jpg This is one I was considering redoing. Its scratched pretty bad on top. They were asking I think $140.. and I was considering offering them $80? http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps5efcce86.jpg This one had no price at all while everything else had prices.. Its scratched terrible. I know its been in the booth for months and months Any suggestions on what I should offer? http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...pscb180280.jpg Sideboards/Buffets These are all running about $400-$500 1940s? http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps9d7fc80c.jpg This one may have been over $500 It screams 1920s, to me, but again, Im not sure http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps9fca437c.jpg 1940s? http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...psa33fc9dd.jpg This is a sofa table. i think $200 or $300 was the asking price http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...psd9f87890.jpg |
Vanities
They were running about $250-$350 http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...psd77ea44e.jpg http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps1f19eada.jpg http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps7f62d9e9.jpg |
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