Inventory Sourcing for Your Antique Booth
5:21 AMWe thought we would share this article since we get a lot of messages from newbies. Most of you seasoned dealers already know where to source for merch. So for those of you thinking about starting a booth, you should be stockpiling your inventory. If you haven't you need to get on that ASAP! You can start by shopping your own home. What are some things you no longer need? Most stores make you sign a lease. Some are 3,6 or 12-month leases. If you sell a lot of times, you will be scrambling to replace your merchandise. So we always tell dealers to start off small and have enough items in reserve.
If you want to get serious about picking you need to start making a name for yourself in your community. Put the word out and let people know what you do. Then print some business cards with your name and contact info. Make sure to include a tag line or something that identifies what you do.
Once people know you and know what you do they will start reaching out to you. I have a friend that lives in my hometown. He is the top seller in one of the largest antique malls in North, GA. He is a die-hard picker and he finds all the really good stuff. He has really built a name for himself over the last 15 years. When barns and houses are being torn down they call him. Sometimes he scores it all for free and other times he gets it for very cheap. It's a win-win either way.
Auctions are another great place to source true authentic antiques and vintage goods. Especially small-town auctions. There used to be a really good one in the town where I live. I made friends with the auctioneer and his assistant. They really got to know me and my style. If I couldn't make it to the auction they would send me photos of items that were going through that night. This way it allowed me to place a silent bid on items I was interested in purchasing.
Having Booth Crush has given me an advantage because so many dealers know me and my style. When they are out picking for themselves sometimes they will pick up an item for me too. Of course, I don't mind paying them a little extra over what they paid just to make it worth their time. So get to know other dealers and have each other's back.
Other places to shop are thrift stores, junk shops, yard sales, flea markets, and estate sales. Be sure to join your local Facebook groups and watch FB Marketplace daily. There are a lot of apps to watch but the main one I use is Offerup.
Now if you plan to buy wholesale items for your booth we compiled a list of popular companies. This list hasn't been updated in several years. Just click here to see the directory.
We did a video on this topic and you can view it on Youtube. Just click here.
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