Uncovering Popular Flea Market Products

Flea market vendors are always in search of the most popular flea market products to offer from their booths. This article will tell you the 10 most popular flea market products, where to find them and how to determine which products are selling well.

One of the best ways to find out what items are selling is to search ebay auction site and determine which listings are being bid on. The eBay Pulse page is also a good place to look. It lists the most popular items according to number of people watching an auction listing. Even though all the items listed on this page may not sell well at every flea market, you can get a good idea of what to sell.

Another way to research popular flea market products is to visit local flea markets and see what items are selling well. Pay attention to which booths attract the most attention. Then make a note of what items the people are buying. You also may want to make a note of how much the items are selling for. Because even if you have the most popular items at your booth, you have to offer a great deal on those items. The best way to know what to sell and how much to sell it for is to ask your customers what they are looking for and how much they are willing to pay for it.

According to our research and experience, the 10 most popular flea market products are:

Jewelry: Costume jewelry, body jewelry (such as tongue & belly rings), designer jewelry, diamond jewelry, gold jewelry, silver jewelry, beaded jewelry, fashion jewelry, and even hand-crafted jewelry seems to draw a lot of attention, and if the price is right, you could get a lot of buyers.

Electronics: People are always looking for a great deal on electronics. Home and car audio equipment, dvd players, cd players, television sets, cameras, cell phones, satellite dishes and receivers are usually good sellers.

Clothing: Almost any type of clothing can be sold at a flea market, if the item is in new or good condition. Some examples of popular clothing items are t-shirts, children’s clothing, jeans, work pants, dress pants, overalls, coveralls, dresses, sweatshirts, and sweaters.

Furniture: New and used furniture items sell well at flea markets. Outdoor furniture, couches, loveseats, recliners, bunk beds, coffee tables, night stands, and other furniture items are good sellers.

Tools: Whether you sell automotive tools, household tools, air tools, power tools, hand tools, woodworking tools, or garden tools. These tools can be name brand like Dewalt, Snap On, and Stanley or off brand names. These type of items attract a lot of male (and some female) browsers.

Knives: Case knives, pocket knives, hunting knives, folding knives, throwing knives, butterfly knives, switchblade knives, and even collectible knives can sell well at a flea market. Some flea markets do not allow you to sell some of these items because of state or local laws.

Books: Almost any kind of books can be sold. Children’s books, cook books, mystery books, romance books, comic books, coloring books, even Harry Potter books. Whether they are new, used, or rare, books are popular.

Candles: People love to decorate their homes with candles. Soy candles, jar candles, gel candles, pillar candles, tea light candles, votive candles, and scented can be appealing to most flea market shoppers.

Toys: Everything from action figures and toy cars to classic toys and stuffed animals attract the children to your booth (who will drag their parents behind them) to buy these items.

Dollar items: Everything from small toys and kitchen utensils to nail polish and fashion accessories that can be sold for $1 or multiples for a dollar (ex. 3 for $1), attracts a lot of buyers. Most people browsing flea markets have a few single bills in their pocket just waiting to be spent. Small children usually have some allowance money to spend or can talk their parents out of a dollar to buy one of your toy items.

DVD’s, VHS tapes, silk flowers, novelty and gift items also sell well. You can sell almost any item at a flea market if the price is right. Offer your shoppers a great deal on your items and you may just find that you have the most popular flea market products in town.

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Doing Business in Korea – 3 Must Knows

THE GREAT SOUTHERN GATE to the city of Seoul is officially called ‘Sungnyemun’ in Korean, which can be translated as The Gate of Exalted Ceremonies or sometimes The Gate of Courtesy and Respect.

If you’re kicking off business in South Korea, and don’t know all that much about the country, it pays to bear the Great Southern Gate in mind.

Despite all the glitz and glamour of modern South Korea, it’s sometimes forgotten that Korea has a long and proud history. Many of its customs and traditions still permeate modern-day life, which includes its business culture.

Let’s look at just 3 of the basic must-knows for doing business in Korea.

1.    CONFUCIANISM AND THE FAMILY

Koreans are an emotional and spiritual people. They’ve been called the ‘Welsh of Asia’ for their love of music and church. They also play a mean game of rugby.

A quarter of the population is practising Buddhist (many more are non-practising), a quarter is Christian, and at least as many believe in the shamanist principle that the world is inhabited by spirits that live in nature and that can be summoned or placated through rituals involving incantation, music and dance.

Woven into all these beliefs is a powerful strand of Confucianism, which emphasizes the importance of family, the authority of elders and of ancestor worship.

As in many Asian societies, eldest sons are expected to financially support the family and to carry on the family name by marrying and having sons of their own.

Children are raised to believe they can never repay their debt to their parents, hence the popularity of ancestor worship. Ancestral ceremonies for the previous three generations (parents, grandparents, and great grandparents) are held several times a year.

2. MEETING AND GREETING

These traditions underpin they way business is conducted in South Korea. There are rules of protocol when greeting a Korean, although they are not quite as set in stone as those in Japan.

A person of lower status bows to a person of higher status but the most senior person will offer the handshake that follows after the bow (a good example of the Korean taste for mix-and-match).

They will say ‘pleased to meet you’ in Korean but unless you are fluent in their language, don’t try to reply. A smile and a handshake usually do the trick, plus a business card. However, make sure that you wait to be introduced at a social gathering and when you leave, say good-bye and try to give a short bow (not a Mr. Bean parody) to everyone present.

Remember that women also require a handshake and bow, although the Confucian ethic still relegates women to a lower position in Korean society than men. Women usually appear quiet and submissive in public. In reality, women wield considerable power behind the scenes, often managing the family finances and wellbeing and they are increasingly visible at management level.

Don’t be fooled by the Korean male walking through the door ahead of his wife and her helping him into his coat!

An interesting difference to other Asian countries is that a Korean may very well look you straight in the eye when presenting himself. There’s a certain directness in the Korean approach to foreigners. This is possibly explained by the extreme emphasis Koreans place on the importance of the visual. Koreans will draw initial conclusions about you based also entirely on what you look like.

So remember to keep up your standards of personal branding so that your project the kind of stylishness, confidence and culture that is so much part of modern Korean life.

Business card etiquette in Korea is much the same as in the rest of Asia. Present the card in both hands with the Korean translation uppermost and the characters facing your counterpart. When receiving a card, take it formally in two hands and don’t slip it into a back pocket. Read it carefully, register the title, and don’t write on it.

Your business card should also show your job title, thereby allowing your Korean counterparts to understand your place in your company’s hierarchy. Be respectful with it.

3. SAVING OR LOSING FACE

In South Korea, as in other Asian societies, face is central to the way business and social relationships work. Through their social etiquette and behaviour, Koreans aim to preserve a harmonious environment in which a person’s kibun can remain balanced. Kibun literally means mood or inner feelings.

Any damage to kibun damages the business relationship. This means that Koreans often appear helpful, polite and friendly on a personal level but they will aim to do nothing that upsets kibun, such as middle management always saying ‘yes’ when they mean ‘no’, never giving a straight answer, never assuming personal responsibility for anything.

The best way to handle kibun is not to demand yes or no answers, as in Japan, and to accept the need for slow consensual decision-making. Given Korea’s history of subjugation and being threatened, it is vital to treat South Koreans with proper respect and to avoid any situation in which they or their country might appear to lose face.

Contradicting someone openly, criticising them in front of someone else or patronising them are a sure way to lose business.  Always give face through sincere compliments, showing respect or doing something that raises self-esteem.

If you remember these 3 must-knows you will be on your way to forming the kind of long-term business and personal relationship that is the key to doing business in South Korea.

- See more at: http://davidcliveprice.com/doing-business-in-korea-3-must-knows/#sthash.qVFGwyef.dpuf

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