by Woodbutcher » Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:47 pm
I have been an antique Flea Market dealer in the Chicago area for over 20 years. There are 3 kinds of shoppers. The kind that will try to chew your arm off. Those that will ask if "Thats your best price" and then there are those that just hand you the money. I agree with the, try to double your money comment. It helps that you have been to the market you want to sell at in advance. You can get an idea of what people sell and the prices they ask. As for pricing. Mark your items close to the price you want to get. Twelve dollars is ten. Twenty dollars is 17-18 dollars. If you have an item you don't know what to price guess high. After a while the if people look at it and after getting the price they put it down quickly like it was on fire you know you are asking to much. You don't say what you sell so some of this may not help.
We always start with about 200 dollars in the till. Have plenty of small money for change. The first of the month shows ,we always get people paying with bigger money, meaning you will need more change. We take almost all cash. It is sort of implied at most markets that cash is why we are there. I do take checks. It may not be politicly correct but I profile people. You will learn quickly what to look for. When people ask if I take checks, I always say Yea is it good? It starts a conversation and we usually say we need to see their drivers license so we can see how old they are and how much they weigh. Get a phone number preferably a cell. If they give you any resistance to any info you ask for decline the check. They are asking you to trust them, so any info you want is fair. With that said, I have never lost on a bad check. Knock on wood.
Bring your own food and drinks. For one thing it costs $$$$ to buy from venders and it's hard to leave the booth if you work alone. A shelter is another good idea. Bring tarps and clamps to cover your tables over night or in the event it rains and you are an outside dealer. If the market has you wait in a prking lot before allowing the dealers in to sell, talk to the dealers around you and ask questions about where the better areas in the show are. Make friends, you may need them inside. Flea marketers are very much like campers. Very friendly and helpful. The last 2 shows I was at there were first timers that asked for help. Very valuable info comes from the regulars. They will give you ideas, help you with prices and watch your booth while you go to the rest room. Also they are a great resource for other markets they sell at. Which ones are good and which ones to stay away from.
Good luck and have fun. If you are good at it there is a lot of money to be made this way.
Steve
