Secrets to SELLING PROFESSIONALLY at Flea Markets TRADE SHOWS Craft

Flea Markets, Trade Shows and Craft Shows are probably the most underrated businesses. When we opened our "test market store" for Worlds Sexiest Wholesale we chose to sell at a Flea Market / Trade Center. Everyone I spoke to laughed and rolled their eyes at the venture. - But end the end, I got the last laugh.

The idea of a flea market being for "junk" is so 1980's. Its 2010 and flea markets have become hot places to get authentic designer merchandise and save a bundle. Flea Markets can be a very lucrative business; far beyond garage sales and/or selling on eBay. I wanted to compose a series about how to PROFESSIONALLY sell at Trade Centers / Flea Markets, etc.

If you are looking to resell our items through channels outside of the internet / eBay, Flea Markets, Trade Shows and Craft Shows can be an excellent way to generate income at a very low cost.

A spot at a Flea Market will range in price from $10 to $200 a week, depending on location of your spot and size. We recommend spending time at the flea market prior to paying for space. Examine traffic patterns and see where people tend to “gather”. You will want to pick a spot that gets a lot of foot trafic,is visable and also is not next to a direct competitor.



SECRET #1 - Making the Most of Your Space
When geting ready to set up your space, consider the full amount of spance! Your space is NOT limited to a table top! BUILD UP! BUILD OUT! Making the full use of your space is going to allow you to pack the full amount of products into it.
Instead of a flat table top, use shelving or create layered tiers so that all of your items are visable. Instead of just relying on a 7 foot table, get pegboard or any kind of wood that you can find to build a tall “wall”. Then hang shelves or pegs for clothing/purses.




Secret #2 - Hang it!
If you are strictly selling clothing, consider a clothing rack as opposed to folding and setting them on a table. A clothing rack can be purchased for around $10 and allows you to display your full selection. If your for-sale clothing is folded and placed on a table, browsers will not want to “ruin” your folded piles so they will pass you by! By investing in a $10 clothes rack you will be able to hang everything up; making browsing easy and increasing sales!



Secret #3 - Protect It!
If you are selling items like purses, you can also use clothing racks. When we do trade shows we have multiple clothing racks that we ziptie the handles of our purses to. This allows the purses to BE SECURE FROM THEFT and also displayed. Potential customers can easily browse all of our selection without actually holding the item.
If you are selling perfumes; NEVER put your stock on a table! Your products will get stolen faster than you can say “Theft”. Instead, use one perfume in each scent as a “tester”. Keep the others on display behind plexi glass or hidden from view.



Another BIG secret to flea market/trade show success is BRANDING. If you are selling Victorias Secret, you need to let customers know from a mile way that you have these products. This is where Victorias Secret PINK tote bags come in handy. Hanging a few large totes that read “VICTORIAS SECRET” across them in giant print can catch the attention of a passerby in an instant.

NOTE: Be careful not to infringe on COPYRIGHTS. If you hang a printed sign with the Victorias Secret logo, you are walking a thin legal line being that you are representing yourself AS Victorias Secret – WHICH YOU ARE NOT. However, if you have totes that display the branding, you are not insinuating that you ARE the company, you are simply displaying totes.

Keep you eye out for our Guide to Professional Flea Market Success coming August 2010! Over 50 unique tips and tricks to making a fortune off flea market selling!