Vintage Rescue Squad

Closing Time: Quitting Your Antique Mall Booth

(Behold a guest post from my sister, Michelle. Enjoy!)

 

Ah we're drinking and we're dancing
and the band is really happening
and the Johnny Walker wisdom running high

In honor of the publication of I’m Your Man, the new biography about Leonard Cohen, hubby and I have decided to close our booth downstairs at the antique mall where we’ve been for the last three years. OK, that’s not the real reason, although it was an abrupt decision, in fact, a reversal. Just two months ago we were poised to overtake Snissy’s larger space upstairs, in anticipation of her move to a venue closer to home. When that fizzled we retrenched, but not without running the numbers.

After using the booth as a tax write-off for the first couple of years, this year it was time to treat it as a hobby in the eyes of the IRS. An honest look at net “profit” after rent, COGS [cost of goods sold], and buying trip expenses—coupled with a new car payment when my beloved MINI Cooper died—made the decision all too obvious: the booth was a losing proposition. Time to cut bait.

When people ask me what I sell, I jokingly respond, “Oddities that nobody wants to buy.” It’s a huge rush when I encounter a customer who “gets” me—like the retired CIA gentleman who bought a Space Cadet ring on Sunday when I was marking everything down. He divulged that Frankie Thomas, the actor who played “Tom Corbett—Space Cadet” in the 1950’s TV series, was buried, per request, in his Space Cadet uniform when he died at age 85. I will miss these encounters.

 

Although I will sorely miss the shop, booth closure doesn’t even register on the Holmes and Rahe stress scale of life events. And while I did just buy a killer vintage mechanic’s roller creeper that will be difficult to sell online, for months now I’ve been buying mostly found objects and twee smalls that can be repurposed into jewelry or altered art. Like creepy baby dolls. These may not sell any better than the jai alai xistera or disintegrating racehorse blinkers gathering dust at the shop, but I’m gravitating more toward artistic satisfaction these days. And we’re doing pretty well on etsy, where listing costs are a pittance and well worth the tedium. Plus, we’ll continue to do 2-3 local vintage fairs next year, and I’m already on the lookout for a cheaper booth space.

Yes, this may just be Johnny Walker wisdom. Like Snissy, I have a big grrrl job that pays the bills, and junking is my bliss. Selling is a license to buy more than a sane person should. But right now that outlay needs to be checked. After many lifetimes as a poet, a Jew, a singer/songwriter, a Zen Buddhist monk and a return-to-touring artist, at 78 Leonard Cohen is still reinventing himself. This adjustment seems wildly modest in comparison.

Add Personality to Your Booth (for the love of god)

Janet's booth at Marburger, Spring 2011

Just like all of us that are constantly on the hunt (and even THAT isn't frequently enough), when I see a fun booth at an antique mall, I squeal. We've all seen so many boring serious brown booths filled with traditional wares. I can't tell whether I'm in Boston or Biloxi, and 1971 or 2011.

 

Gina's booth at Clover Market, Spring 2011

Similarly, we've all seen waaayyy too many shabby chic booths with a helluva lot of Live/Laugh/Love/Grow/Believe/Gag Me signs. This, I just don't get. Why will people buy these when they can get them at Marshall's for $7.99? Am I in 1998 or 2008? Fine, revoke my girly booth card....

 

My sister's take at the Lucketts spring market 2011

I'm all for everyone having their own kind of booth, but if you want your booth to stand out, it needs to have personality. You do want your booth to be one that customers return to time after time, right? And you want it to be memorable, no? Well, the easiest way to do that is to be slightly weird or playful.

 

My sister's critter trap with vintage Dawn dolls trapped inside.

It might be a showcase piece (that might be priced super-high in order to anchor your booth), or a unique way of styling. I can't claim that I always have the most creative booth, but I know what booths I look forward to visiting frequently. I've had shoppers tell me that they love stopping by my booth to see what I've added lately. Making your booth a "destination" stop is important—especially if you're in a maze of other booths. More so if all of them are similar.

 

Cubbies at Renninger's Mt. Dora 2011

Another time-honored way is the element of surprise—hide things in cubbies, pair things in an interesting way, or label things with flash cards as Janet did in the first photo.

 

My sister's fun use of flash cards at Lucketts

Even when you're exhibiting at a pop-up market or outdoor show, these tricks are crucial. Dedicated shoppers may not be swayed by these tactics, but the casual shopper will.

 

Gina at Clover Market, Spring 2011

Or you could add candy to lure them in!!!

Do you have other examples of innovative and playful displays? I'd love to showcase them in an upcoming post....

The Manageable Booth

One of the hardest aspects of having a booth (or two) in an antique mall (or two) is keeping it in the proper perspective. It's easy, once you've got the hang of it, to want to expand. Or switch up the focus. Basically, to overcommit. It's not the first time I had two booths.

 

CUE CHEESY FLASHBACK MUSIC: Two years ago, VRS al Fresco was my ill-fated attempt at a garden-only vintage booth. Unfortunately, I totally picked the wrongest time of the year to do it, and it never really took off. Fortunately, I was able to absorb many of the items back into the main booth.

 

This past July, the manager of my shop offered me a second booth on the main level (woo hoo) at a very reasonable rate (double woo hoo). As things were going well, I decided to focus on mantiques for that booth—especially since those items were selling better than the shabby chic white/girly items. Unfortunately, I couldn't maintain the cost of two booths in this economy.

 

Accordingly, today I jammed the contents of both booths (minus a few large pieces) back into the original (largest) booth. It went more smoothly than I anticipated—I strictly refrained from adding a single new-old item to the mix. So, all I had to do was cram, jam, and glam.

 

Most of the smaller mantiques went into this corner closet, and I have to admit, I'm digging it! In fact, I've been neglecting the booths of late, and they'd been looking pretty sparse.

 

Now, I'm really enjoying the abundant look, and am excited to potentially realize more profit as my overall rent is considerably lower.

Knowing when to pare down, or when to close a booth, or give it up entirely is one of the topics Inis and I will address in our sequel to our ebook/pdf Selling in an Antique Mall.* It's definitely a topic I wish someone had told me about, and that I've had to learn the hard way. I waited too long to leave my first mall. I made plenty o' mistakes in my second mall, and have now had to close two booths. I don't view any of these hiccups as failures, just growing pains. In a down economy, sometimes we have to make hard decisions.

 

I even did something I swore I'd never do: I had an across-the-board 20%-off-everything month-long sale for the month of August. And believe you me: I'll be mighty glad come September 1st, as it's breaking my heart to let some pieces go at those prices! 

 

Take the time to routinely evaluate how your booth is doing, particularly in an uncertain economy. Evaluate what is the business model that works for you. Is it a side-business that you enjoy no matter whether you make or lose money? Are you intentionally endeavoring to lose money for a tax write-off (believe it or not, many people do so)? Or is it a hobby, and you don't care how well it does? Or does this endeavor honestly need to not only be profitable, but enhance your lifestyle? Or are you doing it to advance your business profile? Honestly assess what your goal is, and that will determine what your model must be.

For me, yeah, August is always a slooooow month—I didn't make this decision based on that, but on the past few months' data, and the upcoming fall schedule I have at work. I'm caught between all the scenarios I mentioned in the previous paragraph (well, except actively losing money).

I would maintain that it's always important to keep your booth manageable—whether it's in terms of size, volume, or time. One friend of mine had to close her extremely successful booth because it was too much to handle with a full-time job. I don't want to go all Kenny Rogers on you, but you gotta know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em.

Y'all have any other advice about managing a booth in a down economy you want to add? Or questions?

 

*Selling in an Antique Mall is an 86-page book detailing the nitty-gritties you may need to launch a successful booth. The authors have more than 8 years' experience in the field. It's available in both PDF form from eJunkie or my etsy shop (or on CD), and as an ebook from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Only $9.95 (and you can write off the expense).

Antique Mall Don't #3: Shopper's Edition

Roving packs of professional drawer inspectors have struck again! I know it's not fair to complain about my booth pet peeves, but it's my blog and I want to. I know no shopper intentionally thinks: "I'm going to mess with every drawer in this whole mall. I want to make sure they can open and STAY open." Maybe these are the kind of people who never close their drawers at home? (Wait, it can't be that, because I'm guilty as charged on that.)

 

And what compelled someone to UNWIND a lot of strong on this Victorian string holder? Weren't sure it was real string? Thought old string is somehow different than new string?

I think why it bugs me so much is that since my booth is an hour away, I can only go once a week. A lot can happen in a week, especially if you can't go in more frequently to re-foof. In fact, the main reason I don't sell linens (besides the whole ironing allergy) is that I would have a meltdown if I came in and they weren't folded.

I've learned to accept that miscellaneous items from other booths may migrate into my booth—I just put them back in their rightful place. I come to expect that people will leave their Starbucks cups and all sorts of garbage tucked into any cubby available.

This one wasn't just a don't, it was a PLEASE DON'T: a camo giveaway cap from the local hardware store. Now I ask you: what are your pet peeves? Or what have you unexpectedly found in your space? Or do you magically have any tips on not letting it bother me so much? I used to be able to calm myself by the knowledge that customers ARE indeed looking at my wares if things are disturbed....

Booth Tips & Advice 6: Make it Work

It pains me to show you these photos—in fact, only 1 will have to suffice. My booth is currently embarrassingly sparse, which is a good thing (3 big pieces sold in the last 2 weeks), but simultaneously a bad thing (nothing ready on deck). I was woefully unprepared for big sales this time of year. BAD DEALER.

I had Wednesday off, miraculously, so intended to do a foofissimo (Grasshopper's term), but nothing was ready yet. Instead, I did a massive re-arrange, spotlighting all my religious items as a holiday display. It's not as POW! as I'd hoped, but is certainly eye-catching. If you can't always bring in new junk, sometimes simply rearranging is enough to make it all seem new. I also intend to mark all religious items 20% off for the holiday season, which could potentially exacerbate the problem. But selling a lot is NEVER a problem, right?

Two of the large pieces sold to other dealers, which too often is something newer dealers don't consider—we all want our dreamy prices, right? Inis writes about it in our new book*, Selling in an Antique Mall: A Beginner's Guide, and I couldn't agree more. As a dealer, I frequently buy from other dealers in outlying exurbs and out of state. It's tempting to always hold out for your desired price, but more tempting to gain a reputation as a reliably reasonable seller.

Another tip: a few weeks ago, when the DC Big Flea held its final sale of the year, I knew a lot of dealers were swarming. Accordingly, I lowered prices on a few of the big-ticket items, hoping they'd sell (especially the harder-to-sell unusual pieces). Sure enough, one sold. I buy in PA, and a NY dealer buys from me in VA. We all make money, and are all doing the happy dance.

In this economy, it's not enough to just put your faboo wares in the booth and wait. You need to have a plan, and you need to improvise! But I'm still doing another foofissimo Sunday....

*For only $9.95, you can purchase the downloadable PDF version, or purchase an ebook on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Next week, we'll be announcing a super-special giveaway for interested readers, so stay tuned! 

Getting Creative in the Antique Mall!

No, I haven't been ambushed by an episode of Hoarders. I've been putting the for-real finishing touches on Selling in an Antique Mall: A Beginner's Guide. Y'all, it's goooood. Inis did 99% of the writing, and I did the editing and design. We're aiming to release around Thanksgiving, just in time for the holidays and all your New Year's resolutions to finally start selling! Priced at a mere $9.95 for either an ebook or a downloadable PDF, it's totally worth it (and tax-deductible if you've already set up your business)! Chock-full of nitty gritties, it clocks in at nearly 100 pages!

 

One of the subjects we tackle is picking an antique mall (or boutique) and finding the right space for YOU and your treasures. While trolling my favorite blogs, I was astounded by Amy's creative use of a "teeny tiny space." In reality it was a display case (narrow shelving), and she took the shelves out. It's ADORABLE, no? Love sticking a chair in it, LOVE the open vintage suitcase, LOVE everything!

 

It's all the more amazing in contrast to the surrounding spaces. I would sooo instantly be drawn to this space, not only because it contains the vintiques I love, but because it's so astoundingly different from anything else. Have you EVER seen anything like this in an antique mall? Especially sandwiched between glassware and what Amy describes as "things made out of scrabble tiles"? I salute her brilliance in making the most of a smaller space, and give her 100 bonus points for her ability to stand out among the other dealers. KUDOS!

Stay tuned for our launch and enticing giveaway!

Selling in an Antique Mall: The Reveal!

For the last 6 weeks or so, I've felt like a contestant on I've Got a Secret. Yes, uncharacteristically, I've kept a secret, but I can finally blab away to someone other than Cody!

I'm sooooo excited to tell you that Inis and I are putting the finishing touches on our ebook Selling in an Antique Mall: A Beginner's Guide. Inis did all the writing (and all the technical aspects of delivering an ebook), and I've tackled editing and design.

We both agree that we made a lot of mistakes as a newbie. Why did I overpay for that rickety dresser? What led me to believe that armoires were a good investment? Why didn't I investigate the best antique mall for me? yadda yadda. Consider us your fairy junkmothers! In editing the book, I learned SO MUCH—even as a veteran—namely that I'm massively disorganized in my storage, prep, and management of all my treasures. 

Target release date is Thanksgiving. In the meantime, if you've been thinking about jumping into the professional world of junking, feel free to email me any questions you may have. We intend this to be an ongoing venture, and are here to help. Woo hoo! 

Markdowns on Aisle 4!

It's a sad reality for booth owners: markdowns. Sometimes it's an easy decision—the dollar signs in your eyes were blinding you to reality. Other times, the item is a dud (no matter how much you lurve it). Regretfully, maybe you've had it too long. Markdown time!

My question to you is twofold: how will you handle markdowns on your beloved treasures, and when do you decide to do them?

 

The obvious approach. Many dealers, including Grasshopper (aka my sister) are proponents of the fat red pen. Oh, how I love Snissy's "better" (meaning antique) mousetrap! She finds the most unusual and amazing things. Anyway, her approach is to make the markdowns stand out by calling attention to the ubiquitous RED, which is the universal code for SALE. Although I can't dispute the logic behind it, to me it screams desperation. And, obviously, as a buyer, my eyes are decidedly attuned to the red slash (aren't they all???). It's a tried and true method, and will generate sales.

 

The more subtle approach. Other dealers (viz. moi), want a more nuanced signal that something is on sale. I created these contrasting tags (with my logo and the word "SALE" really big) to draw customer's eyes to my egregious duds beauteous treasures. I'll readily admit it doesn't work as well as I'd hoped, but I prefer it. Don't get me wrong, I do the red-pen thing as well on the lower-ticket items as well, saving this tag approach for the higher-priced items.

The blanket approach. Sorry, no photo, but I know you've all seen it. Dealers put a big phat sign in the booth stating "everything 15% off" or "all items under $25 now 20% off". Don't do it! You're pissing off your customers/cashiers/mall owners by making them do MATH. And for Pete's sake, don't do the color-coded Payless shoe store thang. No one can figure that out. I'm serious: just make it easier. State a price and stick to it.

But how do you decide WHEN to mark things down??? Many new dealers, in my opinion, mark things down too quickly—the thrill of seeing items fly out of the shop, or the thrill of making ANY profit supercedes business acumen. For me, I take my cues from (1) what's moving and what's not, (2) how long I've had it, (3) how badly I need that additional space, (4) whether it's an "evergreen" item, and finally (5) did I make a flat-out mistake in purchase or price.

 

Recently, realizing that I passed my 3-year blogiversary, I revisited my own early posts (shudder). In doing so, I realized that I'd had this dresser for nearly 3 years, carting it around to 3 different booth locations. I KNEW it was a good piece; I knew it would eventually sell; and I knew I'd make a profit on it. It took 3 years, but I did. I treated it like a fixture, knowing that a highboy dresser would find a new home.

I also had a cool lakeside print for 4 years that I just priced and forgot about. Yep, hung it on the wall, and I ignored it for 4 years (though I moved it around). I made $100 on it. Lesson learned: a good piece can withstand a recession, a move from space to space, and the test of time. BUT, if you'd made a flat-out bum decision, or overestimated a selling price, mark that sucker down! I really want to know: what's your opinion on markdowns? 

Working Through Booth Apathy

I'm not proud; I'll tell it like it is (right now). I've been so busy at work that I've been neglecting my booth, going only every other weekend. I'm feeling a bit of booth burnout, and need to work through it. Psst: I didn't go this past weekend, due to another Vegas-qualifier pool tournament (we didn't make it).

 

(a vendor at Scott's Atlanta)

One of the things I'm struggling with is booth apathy. I always counsel others that you don't need to re-vamp as frequently as you think you do (unless you're selling like MAD); it might look like same-old same-old to you, but you need to remember that your clients aren't coming in every week. Or are they?

 

(Theresa of Garden Antqs)

But what I've realized is that I don't treat my booth like AN EVENT. When I think back (or look through my inspirational photo stash) to the booths that inspire me, I realize that nearly all of them are either occasional sales or full-on retail shops. WHOA.

 

(Flea Market Chicks at Chartreuse)

This weekend I went out to the ever-fabulous Chartreuse for its monthly sale. That's when it all became crystal clear: because they are only open one weekend a month, these vendors really make it COUNT.

 

(another Chartreuse vendor)

The staging is amazing, whether it makes you want to dig, or makes you realize buy-it-now-because-it-won't-be-here-long. Shoppers at antique malls that are open daily know they can go home and ruminate on a piece they like, or visit it, hoping that it'll get marked down. My new task is to make my displays more of an event, more exciting, and positively drool-worthy.

 

(booth at Renninger's Kutztown)

In full disclosure, however, I'll admit that one thing holding me back is the fact that I stage my booth and then am not there for a week (or two). Some of the best displays I've ever seen would not work in an unsupervised booth where shoplifting is a real concern.

 

(same vendor as above, at Renninger's)

But I do realize that I've got to devote more effort. My booth doesn't have to look like Anthropologie, but it can't look like a thrift store.

 

UPDATE: After reading Mindy's comment (she of the AMAZING displays in Warrenton), I should clarify that sales are not down (in fact, I had a surprisingly great September). I hope it doesn't LOOK like I've neglected it, but it sure FEELS like I have, which I guess is what I'm struggling with. Fortunately, the big grrrl job will be less demanding from now until January, so I'm confident I can power through this. 

Booth Tips & Advice 5: Reality Check

We've all plundered a $10 box, $5 box, and even a FREE box while shopping yard sales. But what seller has the cojones to do this: 

 

REALLY?!? Not flat-out $50? And what the hell worth $55 merits being thrown into a cardboard box willy-nilly? Anything I have priced at $55 is worth a spotlight, pedestal, and quite possibly free delivery and some Twizzlers with cash or check. 

While shopping at Renninger's Mt. Dora last month, I was gobsmacked to see this. Pardon the bad-quality photo, but I was obviously barely functional. Not to mention the fact that the seller was pissy. But you could've surmised that, right? 

As I prepare to branch out, I'm acutely attentive to booth "viability" and awareness. I'm not the most over-the-top booth-foofer, but at least I'm not this person: 

 

WTF? Did you load up a back hoe and just push "unload"? Inis did an awesome post about crowded, jumbled booths, but this, to me, takes the cake. An upended chair? Frames dumped on chairs? My only clue that this is not a storage unit is the hung-up photos. No matter how rushed you may be, back away from your booth for 30 seconds and consider whether someone is willing to step over your cr@p to get to that overpriced late-80s green butterfly chair.