How to Plan for a Flea Market
Now that you have decided to sell your old wares at a flea market, also known as a swap meet, what next? Many sellers go to flea markets unprepared by mis-pricing items, leaving wares at home or trying to sell inoperable electronics and other broken things which should go in the trash or be given away. Some sellers do very well making sure the items they are selling look good, but give no thought to their marketability or appearance. You can give a buyer a great first impression by coming prepared to sell at the flea market.
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Things You'll Need
- Price stickers or tags
- Calculator
- Large table
- Tablecloth
- Two or more chairs
- Umbrella, canopy or tarp
- Clear plastic (optional)
- Garment rack (optional)
- Bins or boxes
- Receipt book (optional)
- Coins and single dollar bills
- Cash box (optional)
- Business cards
- Small, medium and large shopping bags
- Free items (optional)
- Balloons (optional)
- Radio (optional)
Instructions
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Look for flea markets in your area by checking your local phone directory or searching the Internet for local community links. Make phone calls to family, friends, city event coordinators and churches about meets and fairs in the area. Neighborhood civic organizations have meeting halls which may host a flea market once a month or once a year. There are large apartment buildings that have community rooms; sometimes small indoor and outdoor flea markets may be found there.
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Tour the flea market or location before you commit to attending. You may find that the area is not profit-generating, or it may be perfect. Pay close attention to what vendors are selling and the cost of the items. You will want to make a note of what you find when you price your own items.
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Talk to organizers to see what sells. Some will tell you what works and what doesn't. Find out rules and regulations.
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Reserve a table or space. Plan to spend between $20 to $50 per table or space. The price varies depending on the traffic the organizers anticipate. Most have tables and chairs for vendors, but many do not.
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Find items within your home to sell. Ask others for their donations. Also, you can find merchandise to sell by doing the following: search online for wholesale distributors, liquidation companies, auctions, or check local advertising for independent sellers or businesses closing their doors. You can buy large quantities of items such as novelties, housewares, electronics, books, CDs, DVDs, and other entertaining and useful things for cheap. You will mark the goods up in order to receive a profit.
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Make a list of everything you will be selling and their prices. If you will be selling others' items as well, pen the name of the person next to their item, then total up their profit at the end of the flea market. You should have some idea of what to price items based on your past flea market visits. Purchase garage sale stickers and place them on items. This list will help you and an assistant keep track of what is sold and help distribute money fairly and quickly between parties once the flea market ends.
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Go to a local bank or store to get single dollar bills and coins so that you can make change at the flea market. You may consider investing in a cash box to secure your money, especially if someone else will be working with you. Receipt books come in handy if you should accept exchanges or returns.
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Gather the following: a table, tablecloth, tarp, chairs, clear plastic, canopy or umbrella, and garment rack if need be. These items are usually available for deep discounts at thrift stores. You will also need a box or bin to transport your items.
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Print business cards or fliers if you have an additional business, event or an association you would like to promote. This is also a good way to build a mailing list.
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Review everything the day before the event that you will be taking to the flea market. All wares should be clean, organized and tagged. Drop a calculator in your purse, box or jacket. Check how much change you have in your cash box and make a note of it. Be sure you have taken inventory of all the items you will be selling. Collect bags to give out to your customers when they make a purchase. Provide instructions to your assistant and what they may need to do in your absence. Be careful not to sell any item that is inoperable. If you should, say for parts, then tell the customer what is wrong or post a note on the product stating what the defects are.
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Arrive early so that you can decorate your table, organize your items and begin enticing people to your space. Bring a radio, balloons, free gifts or anything that will make your table fun. Most of all bring a positive attitude and a nice appearance. Sometimes you may want to stand in front of your table or stand up behind it so that it appears you are willing to help the customer. Try to smile and ask them if they need any help or is there anything in particular they are looking for. Compliment them on something that they are wearing or maybe in their hand to encourage them to hang around your table a little longer. People respond better to a person who is friendly and attractive versus a person who is not. As the day unfolds, rearrange some items so that they are easily viewed as well. Sometimes a shopper will come back to a table and realized they missed something.
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Take a break throughout the day and look at what other sellers are doing to attract people to their table. Study what products are selling and what aren't. Avoid the temptation to be a shopper yourself: you are looking to make money, not spend it. Toward the end of the flea market day, start discounting your items so that you aren't stuck with a lot of things to take back with you.
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Tips & Warnings
Talk with vendors about the items they sell and what they like or dislike about the flea market. This will help you determine whether it is worth coming back. Ask about other locations they sell merchandise.
Watch the weather forecast for the day of your event. Prepare accordingly.
Consider holding a drawing or conducting a survey for visitors who come to your table. Provide a free gift when they participate in the drawing or survey. This is a great way to collect contact information and therefore use it to send business literature to the customer in the future or announce when you will be returning.
Most flea market organizers will not allow you to sell items that clearly violate copyright law.
Watch for strangers who repeatedly circle your table and touch items when groups of people are around it. They may be planning to steal.
