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!
Can you get the book now??
Posted by: Beth | 26 November 2010 at 07:01 PM
Got the book on my Kindle, read it, loved it! Now I'm seriously thinking about getting a booth. Seriously. Thinking. Thank you for writing the book and for all the great information!
Posted by: Randi | 27 November 2010 at 03:28 PM
Love the religious display. I'd be all over that in a heartbeat.
Posted by: Eddie M | 27 November 2010 at 08:08 PM