How To Draw Younger Customers To Flea Markets

A flea market — too sometimes called a swap meet — is like the shopping mall of garage sales. The organizers prepare booth spaces.

People rent those spaces and sell stuff. As a client at a flea market, yous get the do good of beingness able to browse through several "stores" at one time.

And typically, the items sell at deeply discounted prices. Some of the more than mutual items sold at flea markets include:

Used items
Inexpensive new items
Antiques
Collectibles
Handmade crafts or furniture

You might find vintage clothing or furniture in that location. Some flea markets might let fresh produce or baked goods for auction. The betoken is that there is a wide diversity of goods that people tin purchase at a flea market.

In This Article

How to Brand the About Money at a Flea Market
- one. Choose What Flea Market place to Sell At
- two. Find a Skilful Location
- three. Sell the Correct Stuff at Your Berth
- four. Shop the Right Places for Items You Sell
- 5. Price Your Items Wisely
- 6. Organize Your Booth for Easy Shopping
- 7. Know How to Negotiate
- 8. Follow Tried and True Tips
Summary

How to Make the Nigh Money at a Flea Market

This means that there are generally a lot of customers at a flea market — if the organizers marketed correctly. And that means more potential income for yous. Here are some tips for making money at a flea market.

one. Choose What Flea Market to Sell At

Organizers run flea markets differently. Some flea markets are long-term markets. They run on a regular basis kind of similar stores. Some are indoors, some are outdoors.

The long-term or permanent flea market owners will charge you a per-calendar month fee to have a booth. In improver, long-term flea markets sometimes accept employees.

This means you could decide whether or not you'd stay at your own booth. You could set upward a booth, just have customers take their purchases to the market's cashier to pay for them.

Vendors rent and man their own booths at these types of flea markets, and they pay a flat fee to take booths. This is prissy because yous as a vendor will know right away what you demand to make to break even.

Other flea markets are short-term or traveling markets. They become from identify to identify for short periods of time — usually on weekends. Or, they simply open in an surface area for a few days.

Some short-term flea markets may not fifty-fifty charge a fee for a berth. They'll merely spread the discussion and allow vendors — and customers — come.

This is the blazon of flea market business my dad occasionally worked when I was younger. He'd hear about a venue normally somewhere within an hour'south drive of home.

He'd gather up the items he wanted to sell and spend a twenty-four hours or weekend at his berth. And he'd come home with greenbacks. Sometimes information technology was a little, sometimes it was a lot.

It was one of the ways he chose to brand multiple streams of income.

You have to decide which blazon of market is best for y'all. Do y'all retrieve you desire to do the short-term flea markets and travel a bit? Or but do the markets that are close to your dwelling? Or would you rather accept a long-term or year-round flea market business concern?

2. Find a Expert Location

booths at a flea market with people shopping

Whether permanent or temporary, y'all'll want your flea market to be housed at a good location.

A good location gets lots of traffic. It's near main roads and/or highways. Or, it's almost other shopping venues.

Some people come to a flea marketplace on purpose. They seek them out and go with the intention of shopping and getting a great deal.

Others, however, are surprise shoppers. Perchance they didn't know that a brusk-term flea market was existence held that day, only they can't pass up the hazard to discover a great purchase.

Other flea markets run in the same location, same weekend, every year. If information technology's a proficient market, people will know about information technology and wait for it.

Search out markets that are either well-known or in highly populated areas where lots of people will bulldoze by.

3. Sell the Correct Stuff at Your Booth

It'southward of import to know that some flea markets have guidelines and rules most what you can sell. Others do not. Be sure to inquire up front what you tin sell at a particular flea market before yous rent a berth.

You might be wondering what yous should sell at your flea market booth. We talked nearly this a little bit above, but I'll expand on it now. Yous accept a vague idea of what people sell at flea markets.

Here are some ideas for what you can sell at your flea market berth. Over time, you'll get to know what sells for you and your particular location, and what doesn't.

Vintage Toys and Games

People love buying toys and games that remind them of their youth. When I was a kid, one of my favorite games was Uncle Wiggily.

My uncle had given it to me as a gift, and my brothers and I played it all the time. Being an animal lover, I loved the different colored rabbit characters they had as role player tokens.

They have new versions of the game at stores, merely if I could notice a vintage version I'd buy information technology in a heartbeat. This reminder of days gone by is what helps vintage toys and games sell at flea markets.

Know that if you're going to sell vintage toys and games, they accept to exist in decent shape. No missing pieces on games or cleaved parts on toys. Some wear is okay every bit long as the item is usable.

Vintage or Disbelieve Clothing

Vintage or highly discounted clothing can sell well at flea markets, too. Again, people dear existence reminded of their youth. Plus, wearable styles cycle around. Those 80s leg warmers will be dorsum in style soon if they aren't already.

Look for vintage items that aren't too gaudy in color, merely can exist paired with basic traditional wear. As for up-to-date wearable, people just desire a great deal.

Jewelry and Accessories

Jewelry and accessory items such every bit scarves tend to go over well at flea markets. Over again, pricing is key. The primary thing flea market shoppers desire is a great bargain.

The jewelry and accessories you lot sell tin can exist current style or vintage. And don't be agape to put chunky or wildly-colored pieces out there. If nothing else, they can help draw attention to the other items you lot're selling.

Abode Decor Items and Tools

My dad ever had lots of luck selling these items at flea markets. Once again, pricing is fundamental. If dad had two $100 power drills at home, he'd sell 1 at a flea market for $15 or $20.

Dad fabricated money on an item he didn't need, and the customer got a great deal. The same goes with home decor items. Some people beloved decorating their homes with fun and unlike flea market finds.

Or, decorating with pieces that match their mode or interests. For example, my dad bought a smashing picture at a flea market of a girl leading her horse through a small creek.

He got information technology for my oldest daughter for her birthday considering she loves horses. She didn't intendance that it came from a flea market. She loves it because grandpa gave her something that is totally "her."

And, grandpa got the beautifully framed picture for a song. It'south this blazon of centre-warming bargain that makes flea markets so pop for shoppers.

Vintage Furniture

If you can find a great deal on cool vintage or other furniture, consider getting it to sell at your flea market booth. The vintage thing is large at flea markets.

People desire stuff that no one else has. But know that transporting furniture to flea markets tin exist cumbersome. I'd keep article of furniture pieces to a minimum unless you're renting a long-term berth.

One-of-a-Kind Items

If y'all come across odd, "WOW, I've never seen anything like that before" stuff, that might exist a consideration for your flea market booth.

Again, people like buying something that no 1 else has. Utilise discretion of course. If information technology'southward ugly or too outlandish, your buying audience may dwindle.

Annotation: It tin can work to sell expensive items at flea markets if they're 1-of-a-kind. If you notice a great deal on an expensive detail, don't be afraid to attempt and sell it for a higher price.

4. Shop the Right Places for Items You Sell

Luckily, there are lots of places you can get items to sell at your flea market berth. Here are some ideas.

Your Dwelling house

Shopping at home for items to sell at your flea market booth has one major benefit: It'due south free! Go through your closets, drawers and storage areas. Notice all of that stuff you don't need or want. Wait for jewelry, clothing, furniture, toys and games, collectibles, etc.

Whatever you find that you don't want, include it in your sale. I remember my dad would sell everything from unwanted tools to home decor.

Your Local Thrift Store

A lot of times you tin can find stuff at local thrift stores that you may exist able to resell for more at a flea marketplace. The key to succeeding at this, however, is to notice austerity store items that are a super good deal.

People buying from flea markets want slap-up deals. Therefore, you demand to make sure you're buying even amend deals if you lot desire to resell them at your flea market place booth.

When you're shopping for resale items at thrift stores, consider buying trade that meets these criteria:

Clearance items
Percent-off items, similar when stores have fifty% or 75% off days or sections
Highly undervalued stuff. Sometimes austerity stores will price things ridiculously low
Gratis bin items. Some thrift stores have "free" bins or areas. Encounter if you can snag a bully deal in them

Only don't program on flipping your thrift shop finds if you pay a "fair" price. You lot've got to go for heavily discounted items.

Local Garage Sales

You may be able to discover things to flip at your flea market booth via local garage sales. Some people price garage sale items extremely low. They just desire the stuff gone.

I once held a garage sale with a friend. She was selling a long leather dress coat in mint condition for $10. The coat was worth at to the lowest degree $100 on eBay. Those are the kinds of deals you'll want to seek out at garage sales.

Scour garage sales, particularly citywide sales with lots of people selling in one area. Look for those unbelievable deals and grab them quickly. Shop with cash and don't be afraid to haggle.

Adjourn Finds

In the area where I live, people oft get out stuff at the adjourn for complimentary. Some cities have large-trash pickup days, when the city will pick upwards piece of furniture and other items you don't desire.

If you find a resellable item on a curb, grab it! Be sure information technology'due south in decent status and is something that someone else may want.

Wholesale Websites

Some other identify you might be able to find items to sell at your flea market booth is on wholesale websites. These are sites that sell large quantities of items for super cheap.

Browse through sites such as AliExpress and come across if y'all tin find cheap items yous can resell at a profit.

Buy advisedly, notwithstanding. Don't buy too much stuff until you have a good idea of what sells well at your flea marketplace booth.

Facebook Yard Sales

You may exist able to find items for your flea market booth on Facebook'southward grand sales page. Merely search "yard sale" when you're logged into Facebook.

It should populate a listing of auction items almost you. Note that some Facebook g sale items are great deals, others are not.

Yous need to be able to find a deal on an particular yous can resell for more at your booth. And then pay careful attention to price. And consider travel time and gas money to get the items likewise.

Craigslist

Some other place to detect items to sell at your flea market is on Craigslist. I'd first with the "free" section. From at that place you can browse other sections that sell what y'all want to sell at your booth.

Again, it's important to consider time and gas spent to go the items. Factor that into the turn a profit yous will (or won't) exist able to brand when y'all resell the items.

Now that y'all know where to go your items, you have to know how to price them for the best auction results.

v. Price Your Items Wisely

Pricing your items wisely is another fundamental to making money at flea markets. Start by shopping your competitors' booths. See what they're selling and how much they're pricing it for.

Pay special attention to the really decorated booths. Attempt to determine what is drawing the customers to that particular berth. Then mimic their techniques.

Pricing is important at a flea market place booth considering people go there to get practiced deals. This means you have to know how to toll your stuff for two stop goals:

Price to make a profit
Toll to concenter customers

If yous can find a remainder betwixt these 2 goals, you're on the right rails to brand some cash.

half-dozen. Organize Your Berth for Like shooting fish in a barrel Shopping

Organizing your flea market booth is vitally of import. People desire to exist able to approach your booth and know what you have for auction.

If everything is thrown together in a heap, customers will but walk away. Here are some tips for flea market berth system.

Position like items together. Put all of the jewelry together, all of the accessories together, etc.
Use pegboards, shelves, racks and stands for neatly displaying your items. For instance, have habiliment on hangers and have the hangers on racks.
Characterization and price every item. Brand it easy for customers to see what yous have and what you lot're asking for it.
Have electricity available if you're selling items that need information technology. Bring an extension cord and a surge protector.
Similarly, accept fresh batteries or charged-upward batteries in items that need it. You'll desire to be able to prove that they piece of work properly.

By organizing and clearly labeling what you lot have, customers will be more likely to shop — and to buy.

seven. Know How to Negotiate

Negotiating tin be a big role of making coin at flea markets. This is because it's a marketplace that'due south well-known for haggling. Here are some tips for negotiating profitably:

Know how low you can keep a price before yous're no longer making a turn a profit.
When making a deal, experience costless to offering a two-for-1 or 3-for-i special.
Exist okay with saying "I tin can't go that low" if you actually feel you can't.
Sell dirt cheap if you lot need to on items that have been sitting for a while. It'south better to go rid of that inventory and make room for something more profitable.
Make negotiating with customers fun and light-hearted. Afterward all, it's only coin.

Now that you know how to negotiate on items, here are some pro tips for flea marketplace success.

8. Follow Tried and True Tips

Every bit with any other concern, there are things yous can do to make your flea marketplace more than successful. Nosotros already talked about buying the right items and organizing your berth.

Hither are some other things you can do to help make your booth more than successful.

Change Up Your Inventory

If you're renting a permanent or long-term berth, be certain to change upwards your inventory. Don't permit items sit for too long before adding new items.

Many people shop the long-term markets on a regular basis. They like to see new stuff bachelor for auction.

Connect with Customers

Connecting with customers is vitally important. Smile. Say "hi." Ask them if they've found whatsoever good deals. Don't do this in an insincere mode, but in a way that says "I actually care."

Put downwardly the smartphone and make your fourth dimension at your booth personal and interactive. If you're friendly and fun, customers volition keep coming back.

Exist Prepared

Being prepared is important for good flea market place sales results, likewise. Equally I mentioned earlier, exist sure to have electricity and batteries if you need it for the things y'all sell.

Be prepared for conditions bug. Dress comfortably. Bring a chair to sit down on. Have shopping bags for customers (reuse the bags you become at Walmart and Target).

Have a mirror available if you're selling wear or accessories. Bring a change box with plenty of $ane and $v bills and quarters.

Keep actress price tags on mitt for repricing things. Pack a lunch, snacks and water to beverage. All of this preparation volition help make y'all more comfortable and customers more appreciative.

Hang in There

As with any business organization, a flea market business organization can have time to build. You might take success your starting time time out, and you lot might not.

Keep trying. Experiment with different items to sell. What works for one person might not piece of work for yous. Or, yous might discover a niche item that sells really well for yous.

Hang in at that place and don't give up until y'all've spent some serious time trying.

Know When to Quit

That existence said, you might try ane weekend at a marketplace and decide it's not for yous. Information technology'due south important to know when to quit if something'southward not working for you.

If you've given your all and are not selling, or if you lot just don't similar it, quit and move on to another thought. Don't keep working your berth if you lot absolutely cannot stand flea markets in general.

Summary

Flea markets can be a great way to brand some serious cash. Nonetheless, you've got to brand an attempt to get to know what y'all're doing.

If selling at a flea market place sounds interesting to yous, follow the tips above and meet what you tin can do. Y'all might but make a legit side hustle out of your efforts!