Booth Crush

Tea Stained Price Tags

I love seeing what kind of price tags dealers use for their booths. I think having pretty tags can definitely help increase your sales. I know it may seem silly to some, but I can't count how many times I have purchased an item just because it had a pretty price tag. Last month we did two back to back blog posts all about tags. Here are those post links in case you missed them.

The Skinny on Price Price Tags

Creating Your Own Price Tags

My friend Leslie of Whimsical Earth Antiques and Vintage Gifts decided to create her own tags using the tea stained method. She bought a box of 500 tags at a local office supply store. Each bundle has 100 tags already tied together. All she did was boil the water, place the tea bags in the water to steep. Then she let the tea cool down. Next she placed a bundle of tags in the tea and left them until she got the desired color.

Next she placed the tags on a paper towel to dry for a couple of days. Leslie said the tags dry a lot darker so keep that in mind if you try this out.

After her tags were dry, she used a star punch on one side of the tags to give it a little something extra.

Here is a side by side comparison of the tags both before and after their transformation.

You can find the Fiskars star punch here. Just click on image.

Thank you, Leslie for sharing your beautiful tags with us. Swing by Leslie's Facebook page to say hi and see more pics from her booth. Or if you are in the Marietta area you can see her booth in person at Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors. Her booth is the first one of the left on Church Street (name of the aisle) I grabbed a couple of pics from her FB page to share.

If you like the tea stained looked, but not the star there are lots of different hole shaped punches you can choose from. You could also embellish these tags with rubber stamps on the back. The sky is the limit. Hopefully, this post has inspired you to get creative with your price tags. I know this encourages me to step up my game.

6:12 PM
1 Comments

A Beautiful Shabby Chic Booth

Antique Booth

2:21 PM
0 Comments

Starting Out With A Small Antique Booth

Antique Booths

Happy first day of the month junkers! March is certainly being true to form "In like a lion" we have had a windy day that has now turned into rain and thunderstorms.

We often get questions from apprehensive folks considering becoming a first time booth owner. However, one of the most asked questions we receive is: Should I start with a smaller booth? That question is usually followed with a comment like: but I'm afraid if I start small I won't have enough room for everything. We totally get your concerns. So we thought we would do a post showcasing smaller spaces to try and encourage you. Just because a space is small, doesn't mean it can't be beautiful or profitable.

There are lots of things to consider before signing on the dotted line. The most important thing is do your homework. Ask yourself questions. Ask the shop owner questions. Think on, pray about it, discuss it with your family and friends. If the timing is right, everything will fall into place. In the meantime, here are some questions to keep in mind.

1. Will you be doing this full time or part time?
2. Do you have enough inventory to start with and more in reserve?
3. What kind of traffic is the store getting?
4. How long is the lease?
5. Does the store promote and advertise?
6. Is the store easily accessible?
7. What days/hours are they open?
8. How much is the rent, commission and other fees that will be taken?
9. Do you have to work the store or do they provide a staff?

I wish we could look into the proverbial Crystal Ball and tell you everything will be okay. All we can say is -- listen to your instincts. If a place doesn't feel right for you then do not proceed. I learned this one the hard way. I once took a booth and ignored all the red flags. During that time I was unhappy but at least I made some good friends and learned I should always follow my gut.

If you are on the fence but afraid of failing we encourage all of you to start small. Most places offer smaller size booths or even end caps. In this business you see it all, and trust me we have. One of the smallest spaces I've ever run across is the old closet. I've seen lots of those over the years but one of the prettiest ones I've seen is from Celeste of Always in Bloom. She has a bigger space now, but this is to give you an idea.

Celeste has a booth in Savannah, GA at:

Habersham Antique Market

Her Instagram page is:

@Instagram.com/Always.In.Bloom

My friend, Tammy of Tamaras Treasure Trove has been in the business for a while. She started out with a larger booth and at one time had a couple of booths in multiple locations. A few months ago, Tammy decided to focus more on her online shop so she downsized to only one 3x5 booth.

Tammy has always amazed me at how much stuff she can pack into a booth and still make it look great. She truly believes in utilizing every square inch of her space. She sells a mixture of vintage and handmade gifts.

Tammy's booth is located in Bowdon, GA at:
The Checker Berry Shoppe
You can also find her here:
Facebook
Etsy
Blog

I'm not sure what size this next booth is but it so cute. They mostly sell knobs, but have a collection of painting and gifts for the home. I apologize as I do not know who owns this booth.

It is located inside the

The Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors

Marietta, GA

This 3x8 booth was submitted from Beth Nelson of

Lavender Carriage House which is located inside
The Queen of Hearts Antiques & Interiors
Alpharetta, GA

This is a great example of an end-cap space. This photo belongs to Danavee of The Vintage Grove Her adorable vintage space is 8 feet tall x 8 feet wide x 2 feet deep.

Here is what Danavee had to say:
I have had that end-cap for SIX YEARS! I started with that space and now have two more in that same mall that are larger spots. My end-cap actually supports all three spaces by itself. It's in a great location. In fact, if I gave up a spot, it would be a big booth and NOT my end-cap. The end-cap happens to be my most lucrative booth.

You can visit Danavee's booth in Springfield, MO and you can also find her here:
Facebook
Instagram

This next 2x5 booth was submitted by:
Vintage on Main
Tahlequah, Ok

Here are some smaller booths spaces found via Pinterest.

This is the same booth as above. We wanted to share both images so you could see it staged with different merchandise.

I love how cozy this next booth feels. They maximized their square footage by going up. They stacked as many things as they could and I love the small box springs with twinkle lights.

We hope you enjoyed this post and got found some inspiration. Just remember if you start out small, you can always grow into a larger space. We wish you luck much luck and success with your new journey and just remember...

4:30 PM
2 Comments

Seeing Past the Ugliness

Ceramic Figurine Makeovers

How many of you dealers pass up an item just because it is outdated, ugly or the wrong color? Oh come on you know you are guilty. The next time you are out shopping yard sales and thrift stores slow down and give that ugly item a mental makeover. If you walk away you are losing easy money.

Sometimes all an item needs is a simple coat of paint or a few tweaks to change the complete look. When I am out junking I am always on the look out for certain things, but I never let an ugly item keep me from making a purchase. Thankfully, I was blessed with the ability to be able to see past the ugly and envision what an item could look like. It is not always an easy task, but most of the time I can.

We wanted to share seven quick, easy and cheap thrift store fixes.

1. Figurines: I painted over this ceramic figurine with a coat of Annie Sloan Paris Grey and then went over with her white wax.

2. Picture Frames: Frames are usually an easy fix. A coat of paint and some pretty scrapbooking paper can change the look in 20 mins or less.

On this next frame, I covered the existing image with burlap then added burlap flowers, a lace doily and painted clothespin to hold a picture.

3. Outdated Framed Prints/ Mirror Frames: Take that outdated photo out, remove the glass and backing, give the frame a coat of paint and sell it as an open back frame. These are so popular with brides right now. Or replace the picture with a chalkboard center or chicken wire for a message board.

Here is a gorgeous old frame I found at a thrift store. I think it may have had a mirror in it at one time. I loved the shape and the ornate details. My first thought was chalkboard, but then after a closer inspection the wood was cracked and too uneven so I came up with jewelry organizer.

4. Floral Arrangements: If the flowers are outdated and it is a pretty basket or vase, just toss the flowers, paint the vase (if it needs it) and add some new greenery or sell just the vase.

5. Wreaths: This was a pretty simple makeover. I took everything off the wreath. Painted the deer and pine cones white and then added rearranged everything and added a burlap bow to the deer.

6. Pitchers: This is another easy fix. Check out the makeover. These pitchers were picked up for $2 each at the thrift store. Pic via: Pinterest (The Painted Hinge)

7. Lamps: This was an ugly, green metal lamp. I spray painted it white, distressed and added the burlap flowers to the existing shade.

Scored this pretty little glass lamp for a buck. I didn't change the appearance of the lamp, but I deconstructed the shade down to the bare bones and added bits of lace trim and old ribbon. Another super easy fix that was flipped for $34.

Here is a pic from an old booth of mine. I found a pair of UGLY old brown, wood lamps and transformed them with a coat of chalk paint and sold them without shades.

Pic via: Mom Advice

5:36 PM
2 Comments

Pages

Tea Stained Price Tags

A Beautiful Shabby Chic Booth

Starting Out With A Small Antique Booth

Seeing Past the Ugliness

.

Search This Blog

Translate

.

Popular Posts

Blog Archive

Instagram