We get e-mails from time to time regarding dealer booth rent. Most are inquiries but there are those occasional rants we receive as well. While we don't mind answering your questions we have noticed an influx on this topic. So we would like to address some of your concerns in this blog post.

For the newbies out there, booth rent is a monthly fee you pay for a designated area within a shop or mall. This is your area and you can place your items within this space. Some stores/shops also rent wall space only. These are ideal for artists. But that's another topic for another day.

You pay booth rent to the store owner. Some shops will also take out additional fees such a commission on all your sales. Usually, it's 10% commission but some places don't charge a commission at all. These are things to ask the shop keeper when you are looking for booths to rent. We have an entire blog post written about the questions you need to be asking. You can click here to read more.

Most shop owners charge by square footage. Your rent will depend on the city and state you are in too. For instance booth rent downtown Atlanta is very high. The further you go out and away from the city the cheaper the rent. I've found myself in metropolitan areas as well as rural areas and I can say this..my rent was triple the price the closer to Atlanta I got. Rent also depends on where you are within the store/mall. If you are at the end of an aisle, closer to the front of the store your rent may be more. If you have a window space your rent could be higher. If you are in the back of the store your rent could be cheaper. It's all about location. The better the location, USUALLY the higher the rent.

You may be asking yourself...If the shop gets a commission why do I have to pay booth rent too? Here's why.

*Most antique malls and shops have to pay rent on the building they are in UNLESS they own it.
*They collect all sales tax and report them.
*They have to pay the electric bill which can be a huge expense in the winter and summer months.
*They have to pay the water bill so that customers/dealers have a restroom to use.
*They have to pay for telephone internet services so credit cards can be run.
*Some have to pay an alarm company so that your things are safe.
*Some have to pay for the software so sales can be uploaded nightly and you receive an e-mail with your sales total.
*Some stores have cable so that the hubby or kiddos can sit in the break area and watch TV while the wives/parents shop.
*They have to pay themselves and or staff.

It doesn't just stop there. Other expenses include cleaning supplies and paper products for the restrooms. Coffee and snacks for the break room (we're referring to the larger shops on this one) office supplies, light bulbs, business cards, paper bags and tissue for wrapping items, websites, advertising, and social media management, maintenance on the building (if they own) promotional items and the list goes on.

Think about this for a minute. You rent your booth/s. You take your things to your booth space and drop them off. They do the rest. They are there to open and close up each day. They are dealing with the sometimes rude and unpleasant customers, they have to help load your furniture. They have to keep the restrooms and break area clean. They are the ones dealing with breakage, messes and other tasks. You don't have to be there to sell anything. You drop off your things and you can go on about your day. They sell your items, collect the money and pay you at the end of the month or in some places every week or bi-weekly. So the next time you are questioning booth rent keep these things in mind.

The owners and shop keepers (well most of them) are your friends. Please treat them with kindness and respect. You treat them badly and they are not going to be willing to help you or send customers to your booth. So you are only hurting yourself. They are working hard for you so that you don't have to. Plus it is just best to be a nice person. You never know what someone is going through or if they are having a bad day or not. A simple smile or hello can go a long way. Happy shop owners equal happy customers.