Hi Folks,
At one time I had a lot of, well, for lack of a better word “stuff”. So during this post I am going to refer to all of my possessions to be sold as such. One example of this stuff was a PlayStation 2(PS2), an old item that had laid dormant under my bed for years.
Well you know I tried to get rid of my PS2 through Craigslist, but with no success. As I was trying to sell my PS2, I realized that I had a lot of other stuff just sitting around and not being used. I looked at all of this excess material as an opportunity to.
- Make a little extra money by selling it all.
- Open up some much needed free space in my apartment. Reduce the clutter factor.
So, with no luck moving just one item through Craigslist, how was I going to move all this other stuff that I wanted to sell as well? Yard sells were out of the question. I live in an apartment.
However, at a flea market consumers already know were the store front is. This way your stuff has a far greater chance of being sold as more eyes will have a chance to see your merchandise. Even if I had the ability to have a yard sale, the number of possible people who would actually stop by would be limited in comparison to a flea market.
In my area there are two flea markets. One was much larger then the other. I choose the smaller flea market for a couple of reasons at the time. Easier to get my vehicle in and out and secondly the price for renting tables was less expensive. Here are some more ideas if you decide to sell your possessions at a flea market.
- Check to see if the flea markets in your area has a website. If they do, great. Table rent pricing, table sizes, when renters have access to the facility; and the location of the flea market will probably be posted on their website. Here is the websites to the local flea markets in my area. Dallas Flea Market and 161 Highway Flea Market. I choose the 161 Highway Flea Market.
- Take a weekend and head out to the flea market(s) in your area. Plan to stay most of the day and scout for the best table locations that would suite your purposes. Observe how vehicles get in and out of the market.
- Look at how many people are at the show. Is there a large crowd? And if so, how long are those numbers maintained throughout the day. At some point as the crowd lessens you will want to pull up stakes and go. There is no reason to waste your time.
- If you rent a table(s), take a second person with you. This allows for the trifecta of benefits. Bathroom breaks, help with managing sells, and an extra set of eyes to ward off “five finger discount” purchases.
- Talk to the vendors at the flea market. Some of the vendors at flea markets rent a booth every weekend and they could offer valuable advise.
On a final note, all of your stuff that you want to sell. Well it is probably crap now and you should sell it as such. Price your inventory to move. Let loose of any sentimental value that you have with your material possessions as you do your inventory of what needs to be sold. If there is a strong attachment with an item, leave that item at home. Remember, your mission here is to get a little extra money in your pocket and free up some extra space in your home. Please do not be afraid to cut some deals to get merchandise sold.
And of course have fun! When you are done, pack up and walk around the flea market. Treat yourself to some food at one of the food venders. But try not do spoil all of your earnings on a car load of 8-Tracks.
Take Care,
Lat
