Tips on Display at your Flea Market Booth

1. Make sure that you and your booth are clean. Dress nicely, but casually. You need to look approachable.
2. Arrive early so that you will have plenty of time to set up your booth up before the flea market opens. You may reduce your set up time by carefully labeling your merchandise and display materials in boxes you bring.
3. Plan to deal with changing weather conditions at an outdoor flea markets Bring plastic sheets to protect your merchandise against rain and clips to hold the covers securely to the table in case of wind.
4. Use a clean and pressed fabric for your table cover that is large enough to cover your table and drape all the way to the floor. It is more attractive and it gives you a good place to store boxes out of view.
5. Take a picture of your booth when you are done setting it up. You can examine the picture later to see what elements you like and what you think could use improvement.
6. Be certain that you have brought enough merchandise to last through the entire sale.
7. Use display racks. Products on display at eye-level are the first noticed. You can purchase display racks from Frescos.com or have a handy person make them for you.
8. When displaying jewelry, use black or white materials for display. The contrast makes the jewelry catch the eye better.
9. You should also consider using your own body as a means of displaying your jewelry. If you do this, wear clothing that will have good contrast with the jewelry and show it off well.
10. Replace items that have sold with new merchandise right away.
11. If you choose to accept credit cards, then be sure to make a sign letting people know.
12. You should also make signs that display your web site’s URL and prominently display your business cards.
13. Even at flea markets, some states require that you display your business license. Check with the flea market organizer to be sure.
14. Some additional tips of handy things to bring:

paper towels or handi-wipes
shopping bags


brooms and dustpans

extension cords

a Trash can

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SELLING TIPS

Before The Fair Flea Market Gathering

1. Organize your products. It helps to have everything you sell in one container if possible. A plastic tub, backpack or suitcase on wheels all work well.

2. Imagine what your table will look like. Make sure it is inviting and not too cluttered looking. If you’ve never done a flea market before, it helps to do a dry run-through at home and set everything up. That way you can spot if there’s anything you need. Remember everything you used to set up and keep it all together until the big day. If you have a canopy or booth, make sure you know how to set it up.

3. Label every item with prices or clearly written signs. Labels are better, some people just don’t read!

4. Load everything into your car the night before so it’s all ready to go early Sunday morning.

5. Get change at the bank. It depends on the prices you ask for your products, but always have, at the very least: (5) $1.00 bills, (4) $5.00 bills and (1) $10.00 bill. That’s the bare minimum! People like to break their $20s in the morning so lots of $5.00 bills are helpful.

On the Day of the Gathering

1. Allow yourself plenty of time to get there. Plan to arrive near the beginning of set-up time. If you finish setting up early, take a break and mingle with other vendors until the sale starts!

2. People don’t usually come to flea markets to buy stuff they NEED, they come to see if there’s anything they WANT. It’s your job to show them why they want something. Many vendors never sit down unless it’s a really slow period.

3. Don’t hover over people, just organize the table or sort through excess inventory, something menial so people don’t feel they’re interrupting if they have a question. Standing behind your table makes people more comfortable asking a question about a product and more comfortable buying from you.

4. If a person browses through things for a while, or fingers the sunglasses, perhaps casually mention they can try them on if they’d like or recommend a pair of earrings you think might look good on them. And be honest! If someone tries something on that doesn’t match their face shape or hair color, tell them! But recommend something new in its place. They’ll appreciate your honesty and be more inclined to try more things on. Now, rather than deciding WHETHER to buy or not, you have them deciding WHICH product to get. That’s the key to a sale.

5. It’s more fun if you can get a friend to help you out, but don’t feel like it’s a priority. It DOES help though, to have friends stop in throughout the day and monitor the booth when you have to use the restroom, grab a bite to eat or just get out and browse other booths. Try not to ask the vendor next to you to watch your stuff while you run an errand. It’s nerve-wracking for both of you because you’re entrusting your stuff to them, and they’re stretched enough trying to handle their own business. Plus, with no one behind the table, you’ll lose potential sales anyway. If you must ask them, recognize they’re doing YOU a favor and maybe bring them back a water or a snack or something.

Suggested Supply List

• Collapsible camp chair. You won’t be sitting much, but it’s nice to have.
• Table(s). The lighter, the better.
• Table covers that reach close to the ground. Do not have bare tables. Always use nice fabric!
• Boxes to put on the tables and under an attractive fabric to vary the height of the sales area. This adds visual interest and invites buyers.
  
• Card stock paper for signs
• Bags so buyers can easily carry the items they buy from you
• Permanent markers (several colors)
• Pens
• Scissors
• Pad of paper for notes
• Tape (both scotch and packing tape)
• Calculator
• Extra price tags or stickers
• Camera. It’s always nice to take a picture of the table you spent forever setting up.
• If appropriate, bring business cards or something with your contact information and a holder or display for them.

Hot Tip

Buy an apron or something with easily-accessible pockets, because you DON’T want to keep your money in a cash box. It just takes a second for someone to grab it and take off running with your profits. Plus, you look ridiculous carrying it to the bathroom with you. Don’t think you’re just going to keep the money in your jeans pocket either, because (a) it’s not comfortable carrying a roll of bills in your form-fitting jeans and, (b), it’s easy for a stray dollar to fall to the ground.

If You’re Selling Jewelry

• Displays: It’s more fun to use something other than traditional flocked velvet displays you get at jewelry supply stores. Consider using a spinning cd rack to hold earrings. Necklaces can hang on decoration trees. It’s also nice to have shallow bowls or trays to hold bangles or things that won’t get tangled up.
• Mirror for customers (bring Windex wipes to keep it sparkling throughout day)
• Extras of everything you use: earring hooks, necklace clasps, wire, etc.
• Extras of most popular beads or charms you use
• Earring clip cards
• Small clear zip lock bags to protect customer purchases: the 3”×3" size for individual pieces. Make sure your business cards fit them and slip one into each bag you give out.
• Needle-nose pliers, wire cutters
• Ruler. Some people may want to know the length of a necklace.
• Small price stickers
• Jewelry cleaning cloth
• Sterilization supplies to use after earrings are tried on

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