Antiques are alive and well!! I have had several booths in different malls for over 40 years and I couldn’t be happier!! I sell real antiques and people know that when they buy from me they are getting the real thing!!!!
I"m in Ohio and I rent booths.A booth cost me $220. per month for an 8x10 plus they take 14% of my sales.They raised the rent from when I started 6 years ago, it used to be $160. a month and they took 6%..If they raise the rent again I will have to move.I have added items that are vintage to try to make some extra rent money but I charge prices that are the same as a goodwill or cheaper. I don"t know how it is by you but it is getting harder to find antiques to buy to make a profit. Everyone around here are trying to sell their items for a little less then they are being sold on internet sites.The internet has been slowly killing the antique malls.
Hi. Thank you so much for your comments. Having owned an antique mall, I can honestly say that it is a difficult business to have. I actually got to pay myself for one month. Other than that I did not receive a paycheck. But I loved my shop and didn't want to raise the rent or charge more than 10%. But I highly recommend that you charge the actual retail price of your items. People will pay for actual vintage or antiques they are looking for. And you have to find individuals to source from. Run ads on Marketplace: "will buy your junk." When I purchased items, I only purchased for one price for everything they had. I didn't sit there and try to negotiate each item. That takes too much time. If they didn't want to do it that way, I would thank them and move on. Consider some live sales on FB marketplace. I have had a few of them and they were successful. I hope this helps and I appreciate your feedback.
I've considered an antique booth (case) to sell coins. With the monthly rent combined with the 10% cut going to the mall owners it is simply just not worth it
Thanks for video . Most comprehensive info I've seen on subject..theft, breakage and customers taking advantage of clerk who isn't familiar with your sales technic.. as all with green mark on tags half price... Clerk told it's from the half price booth!!!! Need I say more.. anyway .. good information.. plain fact even if you love it is still a lot of work and commands a great deal of time thanks bye
I just found your video. Thanks for sharing. You mentioned in the video that you're from Wisconsin. Where? I'm from Kenosha, Wisconsin. I've had a booth for over a year now, but very low key. So far, it has only been a Hobby, but due to COVID, I lost my day job, so I would like to turn it into a job and work for myself. I'll keep a lookout for your next video. Thanks.
Thanks for watching. I'm from Central Wisconsin - Rothschild. You can most definitely make it a job. It just requires a lot of work. But so rewarding. I wish you all the success!
Thanks for sharing this info - I just started my booth journey last month. Did you keep any sort of inventory? I love to repurpose so wanted to keep track of what I paid and the materials I use. I have quite a few things on hand currently.
You are so welcome. Thank you for watching. I did keep an inventory sheet. For my repurposed items, I had a project sheet where I listed what I paid for the item(s) I was repurposing and the materials I needed with the cost. I created a project book to use for that. I kept all my receipts. I wish you all the success! Blessings, Jackie
I can’t get to Melissa Marro’s link for the profits margins and pricing. Do you have a different link? The one I tried from your RUclips post says it’s dead. I was really hoping to get information on how to do that spreadsheet you showed us in the video. Thank you for a good video.
Hi. I am so sorry that her video is no longer available. I did update the description. I actually created the spreadsheet myself. I will see if I have a copy of it to share with you. If I do, I will let you know. Thank you for watching. Blessings, Jackie
Jackie- where are you located in Wisconsin? I’m close to Madison, WI and sell at Pardeeville Antique Mall. Rowe Pottery sells well for me. Mostly I sell vintage. It’s hard to find real antiques anymore and prices are high. In Dane County anyway!
Hi Kathryn. Thank you for the comment. I'm in Central Wisconsin, Rothschild, WI. I love Rowe Pottery. When I was buying for my antique shop and booths, I purchased a lot of my antiques in Ohio and West Virginia. I am from Ohio and know the area. I purchased from individuals when I could. It is difficult to find real antiques. You want to look for people with barns, old outbuildings, etc. We would buy in lots. For example, I would ask "what are you asking for this lot?" I only bought what I thought would sell in my shop. I did find items in Wisconsin. I would run ads on FB Marketplace titled something like "I will buy your junk". I would post photos of what I was looking for. I would be honest in saying that I was buying to resell. I do hope to visit the Pardeeville Antique Mall one day. I appreciate you visiting my channel.
Kudos to you if you actually stocked your booth with 75% of TRUE antiques. For something to be antique, it must be over 100 years old. I live in NY and in this state, I doubt there is a single antique mall or even an actual antique store that has 75% stock in TRUE antiques. I have also done a lot and I mean a lot of traveling to other antique stores and malls outside of my state and heck even across the US and never seen a single store or booth that is stocked with at least 75% of TRUE antiques. Maybe you are mixing up your words? I can see easily stocking a booth 75% with Vintage finds but there is no way that booth renters and owners of brick and mortars are going to be able to keep 75% of stock TRUE antiques. You referenced Pyrex. I am very familiar with Pyrex and know that the first line of Pyrex dishes came out in 1915 so technically there is only 7 years of Pyrex dishes produced that are actually antiques and I highly doubt all your Pyrex dishes were from the year of 1915 - 1922 🤷♀️
Hi Amber. Thank you so much for your comment. I really appreciate it. The booth that I had in my own antique mall I would say was 75% or more 100+ year-old antiques. Hubby and I went to Ohio and West Virginia (and points within) to source our antiques twice or more a year. I didn't really sell glass (Pyrex). I really love the primitive items. We sourced from individuals and not other antique malls, Goodwill, etc. We have even driven to Kentucky to pick up tobacco baskets from the 1800s. We have pulled stuff from really old barns. We loved the architectural pieces and our customers loved them. I love old tools and really old tools. It was important to me because I know people drive to visit antique malls to see antiques. Many antique malls have gone to glass and repurposed - which is fine for them if it's working. I no longer have a booth and now buy for myself. We only buy antiques for our home. Having a mall with 75% antiques is possible, but it is hard work to source those items. It takes actual picking skills. I appreciate your feedback and visiting my channel.
Thanks for the really useful info. I'm not a fan of people who fill their booths with more modern or craftsy things. (especially cheap, ugly modern porcelain dolls) Dealers need to double check all sides of their wares before putting them out. It makes everyone look bad when a customer picks up an item that's got a forgotten thrift store price sticker on the back or bottom. It really cheapens the experience for the customer. If I see any like that, I bring it to the front to point out to the cashier, so they can let the booth owner know. (And to save them from further embarrassment). I always appreciate a booth that is dusted and has clean items. Especially clean glassware. If I see booths decorated for Halloween still on display, and it's past Christmas or for Easter and its the middle of July for example, it tells me that the booth owner really doesn't care. I looked into renting a booth in a local antique mall, but they've raised the rent so high that I knew it was too hard to make a reasonable return on my money. I told the owner and he got mad and told me that I just didn't have enough faith that my itens were good enough to sell. I still go back with my hubby, as a customer, but it's really awkward and the owner treats us differently and makes offhand rude comments. Just another reason I'm glad I decided not to become a vendor at that location. I do sell some things on ebay but they keep changing the rules all the time. So every venue has its pros and cons. Nothing is perfect. However, it makes it all worth it when a customer lets me know how happy they are with their item.
Oh my goodness when you said people wouldn’t buy from you if you sourced at thrift stores or estate sales. Seems like you just spent a lot of money you didn’t have to by traveling to source. It is hard to take this seriously as a business example. You mentioned later in this video the it is not prudent to invest alot of your time on the item “You want to save time which saves you money into these items”. That is an actual quote. yet you only source where you travel 😳 Like I said Hard to take information in this video seriously as good business advice There are lovely antique and vintage items at thrift stores and estate sales. I just completed a Spode setting for 8 with serving pieces including a pitcher simply thrifting at my local thrift store and estate sales in the area. It took me less than a year. The oldest most valuable piece I actually found at my thrift store. All Christmas gifts and birthday gifts I purchase thrifting. I found a beautiful Wedgwood liquor decanter that I gifted to my son in law for his birthday $15.00 and change. They obviously didn’t realize it was Wedgwood. He was thrilled. I have found valuable Murano art glass for gifts as well as heavy lead Crystal pieces for hostess and birthday gifts with sterling silver serving spoons etc. most of the Christmas ornaments I buy are Waterford, Lenox, Wedgewood, Limoges. I found the most beautiful antique table with intricately carved feet for the dining room in our Airbnb on 50% off day at an estate sale. I have found antique marble topped lamp tables or side tables worth hundreds of dollars at estate sales on the last day 50% off. I did not have the traveling expense to add to overhead as every where I go is within 25 miles of my home. You probably weren’t seeing profit because you were spending it on your trips for sourcing. I’m not giving up on your channel just yet. This is only the first time your video was on my recommended list. I just hope that newbies to reselling are not discouraged from trying a booth or from sourcing in the most profitable places even if it is thrift stores and estate sales.
Thank you SO much for your comment. I really appreciate your perspective. Hubby and I enjoy traveling looking for unique primitive antiques. It was a business for us but also time together on the road, looking for unique items and meeting others in this business. It was a personal choice that I didn't want to buy local. That's all. I would buy local from individuals who were personally selling their own treasures. Yes, you can find items to sell at estate sales and thrift stores. Absolutely you can. But for us, we were looking for those really unique finds for our customers. But now we're retired from that and travel to find treasures for our own home. I thank you for visiting my channel and watching the video.
Antiques are alive and well!! I have had several booths in different malls for over 40 years and I couldn’t be happier!! I sell real antiques and people know that when they buy from me they are getting the real thing!!!!
I love buying the "real" thing when it comes to antiques. It is important. Thank you for watching and commenting.
I"m in Ohio and I rent booths.A booth cost me $220. per month for an 8x10 plus they take 14% of my sales.They raised the rent from when I started 6 years ago, it used to be $160. a month and they took 6%..If they raise the rent again I will have to move.I have added items that are vintage to try to make some extra rent money but I charge prices that are the same as a goodwill or cheaper. I don"t know how it is by you but it is getting harder to find antiques to buy to make a profit. Everyone around here are trying to sell their items for a little less then they are being sold on internet sites.The internet has been slowly killing the antique malls.
Hi. Thank you so much for your comments. Having owned an antique mall, I can honestly say that it is a difficult business to have. I actually got to pay myself for one month. Other than that I did not receive a paycheck. But I loved my shop and didn't want to raise the rent or charge more than 10%. But I highly recommend that you charge the actual retail price of your items. People will pay for actual vintage or antiques they are looking for. And you have to find individuals to source from. Run ads on Marketplace: "will buy your junk." When I purchased items, I only purchased for one price for everything they had. I didn't sit there and try to negotiate each item. That takes too much time. If they didn't want to do it that way, I would thank them and move on. Consider some live sales on FB marketplace. I have had a few of them and they were successful. I hope this helps and I appreciate your feedback.
I just found your videos. I started a booth back in August. Looking for all the advise I can get. Thank you for your time.
Thank you for visiting my channel. Congratulations on starting your booth. I wish you all the success!
Thanks for sharing all of this information. I just subbed and can not wait to see more of your videos. Thank you.
Thank you SO much!
Hi Jackie, great video with a lot of good information and tips.
Thank you SO much!
I've considered an antique booth (case) to sell coins. With the monthly rent combined with the 10% cut going to the mall owners it is simply just not worth it
Have you considered FB live sales?
Thanks for video
. Most comprehensive info I've seen on subject..theft, breakage and customers taking advantage of clerk who isn't familiar with your sales technic.. as all with green mark on tags half price... Clerk told it's from the half price booth!!!! Need I say more.. anyway .. good information.. plain fact even if you love it is still a lot of work and commands a great deal of time thanks bye
You are very welcome
Thank you for sharing this info. It is very helpful.
You are so welcome!
Thank for sharing
You bet
I just found your video. Thanks for sharing. You mentioned in the video that you're from Wisconsin. Where? I'm from Kenosha, Wisconsin. I've had a booth for over a year now, but very low key. So far, it has only been a Hobby, but due to COVID, I lost my day job, so I would like to turn it into a job and work for myself. I'll keep a lookout for your next video. Thanks.
Thanks for watching. I'm from Central Wisconsin - Rothschild. You can most definitely make it a job. It just requires a lot of work. But so rewarding. I wish you all the success!
I guess cause I’m in a small town my rent is 135 n no card fees n mall get 6%.
That is great. Thank you for the comment and for watching.
Thanks for sharing this info - I just started my booth journey last month. Did you keep any sort of inventory? I love to repurpose so wanted to keep track of what I paid and the materials I use. I have quite a few things on hand currently.
You are so welcome. Thank you for watching. I did keep an inventory sheet. For my repurposed items, I had a project sheet where I listed what I paid for the item(s) I was repurposing and the materials I needed with the cost. I created a project book to use for that. I kept all my receipts. I wish you all the success! Blessings, Jackie
Thank you for the information 🌺
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching.
I can’t get to Melissa Marro’s link for the profits margins and pricing. Do you have a different link? The one I tried from your RUclips post says it’s dead. I was really hoping to get information on how to do that spreadsheet you showed us in the video. Thank you for a good video.
Hi. I am so sorry that her video is no longer available. I did update the description. I actually created the spreadsheet myself. I will see if I have a copy of it to share with you. If I do, I will let you know. Thank you for watching. Blessings, Jackie
Thank you. Very informative. CB
Glad it was helpful!
Jackie- where are you located in Wisconsin? I’m close to Madison, WI and sell at Pardeeville Antique Mall. Rowe Pottery sells well for me. Mostly I sell vintage. It’s hard to find real antiques anymore and prices are high. In Dane County anyway!
Hi Kathryn. Thank you for the comment. I'm in Central Wisconsin, Rothschild, WI. I love Rowe Pottery. When I was buying for my antique shop and booths, I purchased a lot of my antiques in Ohio and West Virginia. I am from Ohio and know the area. I purchased from individuals when I could. It is difficult to find real antiques. You want to look for people with barns, old outbuildings, etc. We would buy in lots. For example, I would ask "what are you asking for this lot?" I only bought what I thought would sell in my shop. I did find items in Wisconsin. I would run ads on FB Marketplace titled something like "I will buy your junk". I would post photos of what I was looking for. I would be honest in saying that I was buying to resell. I do hope to visit the Pardeeville Antique Mall one day. I appreciate you visiting my channel.
Kudos to you if you actually stocked your booth with 75% of TRUE antiques. For something to be antique, it must be over 100 years old. I live in NY and in this state, I doubt there is a single antique mall or even an actual antique store that has 75% stock in TRUE antiques. I have also done a lot and I mean a lot of traveling to other antique stores and malls outside of my state and heck even across the US and never seen a single store or booth that is stocked with at least 75% of TRUE antiques. Maybe you are mixing up your words? I can see easily stocking a booth 75% with Vintage finds but there is no way that booth renters and owners of brick and mortars are going to be able to keep 75% of stock TRUE antiques. You referenced Pyrex. I am very familiar with Pyrex and know that the first line of Pyrex dishes came out in 1915 so technically there is only 7 years of Pyrex dishes produced that are actually antiques and I highly doubt all your Pyrex dishes were from the year of 1915 - 1922 🤷♀️
Hi Amber. Thank you so much for your comment. I really appreciate it. The booth that I had in my own antique mall I would say was 75% or more 100+ year-old antiques. Hubby and I went to Ohio and West Virginia (and points within) to source our antiques twice or more a year. I didn't really sell glass (Pyrex). I really love the primitive items. We sourced from individuals and not other antique malls, Goodwill, etc. We have even driven to Kentucky to pick up tobacco baskets from the 1800s. We have pulled stuff from really old barns. We loved the architectural pieces and our customers loved them. I love old tools and really old tools. It was important to me because I know people drive to visit antique malls to see antiques. Many antique malls have gone to glass and repurposed - which is fine for them if it's working. I no longer have a booth and now buy for myself. We only buy antiques for our home. Having a mall with 75% antiques is possible, but it is hard work to source those items. It takes actual picking skills. I appreciate your feedback and visiting my channel.
Thanks for the really useful info.
I'm not a fan of people who fill their booths with more modern or craftsy things. (especially cheap, ugly modern porcelain dolls)
Dealers need to double check all sides of their wares before putting them out.
It makes everyone look bad when a customer picks up an item that's got a forgotten thrift store price sticker on the back or bottom.
It really cheapens the experience for the customer.
If I see any like that, I bring it to the front to point out to the cashier, so they can let the booth owner know. (And to save them from further embarrassment).
I always appreciate a booth that is dusted and has clean items.
Especially clean glassware.
If I see booths decorated for Halloween still on display, and it's past Christmas or for Easter and its the middle of July for example, it tells me that the booth owner really doesn't care.
I looked into renting a booth in a local antique mall, but they've raised the rent so high that I knew it was too hard to make a reasonable return on my money.
I told the owner and he got mad and told me that I just didn't have enough faith that my itens were good enough to sell.
I still go back with my hubby, as a customer, but it's really awkward and the owner treats us differently and makes offhand rude comments.
Just another reason I'm glad I decided not to become a vendor at that location.
I do sell some things on ebay but they keep changing the rules all the time.
So every venue has its pros and cons.
Nothing is perfect.
However, it makes it all worth it when a customer lets me know how happy they are with their item.
Thank you for your well thought out comment and feedback. All are valid points. The Holiday point is one that gets me. I appreciate you watching.
What state are you located in?
Wisconsin
Oh my goodness when you said people wouldn’t buy from you if you sourced at thrift stores or estate sales. Seems like you just spent a lot of money you didn’t have to by traveling to source. It is hard to take this seriously as a business example. You mentioned later in this video the it is not prudent to invest alot of your time on the item “You want to save time which saves you money into these items”. That is an actual quote. yet you only source where you travel 😳 Like I said Hard to take information in this video seriously as good business advice There are lovely antique and vintage items at thrift stores and estate sales. I just completed a Spode setting for 8 with serving pieces including a pitcher simply thrifting at my local thrift store and estate sales in the area. It took me less than a year. The oldest most valuable piece I actually found at my thrift store. All Christmas gifts and birthday gifts I purchase thrifting. I found a beautiful Wedgwood liquor decanter that I gifted to my son in law for his birthday $15.00 and change. They obviously didn’t realize it was Wedgwood. He was thrilled. I have found valuable Murano art glass for gifts as well as heavy lead Crystal pieces for hostess and birthday gifts with sterling silver serving spoons etc. most of the Christmas ornaments I buy are Waterford, Lenox, Wedgewood, Limoges. I found the most beautiful antique table with intricately carved feet for the dining room in our Airbnb on 50% off day at an estate sale. I have found antique marble topped lamp tables or side tables worth hundreds of dollars at estate sales on the last day 50% off. I did not have the traveling expense to add to overhead as every where I go is within 25 miles of my home. You probably weren’t seeing profit because you were spending it on your trips for sourcing. I’m not giving up on your channel just yet. This is only the first time your video was on my recommended list. I just hope that newbies to reselling are not discouraged from trying a booth or from sourcing in the most profitable places even if it is thrift stores and estate sales.
Thank you SO much for your comment. I really appreciate your perspective. Hubby and I enjoy traveling looking for unique primitive antiques. It was a business for us but also time together on the road, looking for unique items and meeting others in this business. It was a personal choice that I didn't want to buy local. That's all. I would buy local from individuals who were personally selling their own treasures. Yes, you can find items to sell at estate sales and thrift stores. Absolutely you can. But for us, we were looking for those really unique finds for our customers. But now we're retired from that and travel to find treasures for our own home. I thank you for visiting my channel and watching the video.