Booth Crush

Patriotic Antique Booths & Vignettes

3:01 PM
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Several years ago, Restoration Hardware started the fad of taking old books and ripping hardcovers off. Then they would tie them up in a bundle with jute string. I love the idea for it's texture as well as simplicity. Since then lots of other ideas have been born. I thought I would share some other those ideas on the blog today. I'm pretty sure, Dawn (the other half of Booth Crush) cringes when she sees what they are doing to these old books. Her full time job is a Librarian. Sorry, Dawn. :-)

Books are a great way to decorate not only in your home, but in your booth. You can find old books at thrift stores, auctions, yard and estate sales. The best thing about them is they are usually super cheap.Dawn and I were in Savannah on business last week and I discovered a thrift store that had just received a truck load of old books. I mean really old ones like from the 20's - 40's. They had them priced a quarter each. It was a one day sale only and unfortunately, by the time I stopped by, most of them were gone. But I still managed to get some good ones.

There are a number of ways you can use them in your decor. The most popular way is bundling them up together. You can either paint them or remove the jacket and use them that way. I love the look of both ways. So here is just a sampling of photos and ideas for your creative inspiration. Most pics are from Pinterest, but the first few are from Restoration Hardware.

UPDATE: Please note some of the photos have been removed since these were pulled from Pinterest and we did not have the proper photo credit.

Here is my version. I don't know what those round, numbered washer looking things are but I thought they looked very Restoration Hardware- ish.

Here is one I found at my local antique store. The hardcover had been removed then the pages were lightly washed with a pale pink on all the sides. I bought it and used it for a while and then sold it on Etsy.

I love this next idea by Jen Rizzo. She has a tutorial on her blog. Be sure to visit. Link below.

Via: Jen Rizzo

I saw this cute idea on Pinterest. But you can purchase it on Etsy by clicking here.

Love this pretty bouquet. Available at Pages Garden on Etsy.

Love the simplicity of rolled up pages in a mason glass jar. Pic via: The Cottage Market

Gorgeous wreath available at Rose Flower 48 on Etsy

We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Please feel free to share your old book projects with us. Submit your photos to BoothCrush@gmail.com

1:35 PM
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Booth Etiquette

Antique Mall

We get a lot of dealer questions regarding how to handle certain situations when it comes to other dealers. If you have been in the antique business for any length of time, most likely you have had encountered an unpleasant experience or two. We are flattered you trust us enough to provide a solution, but we are by no means authorities on the matter.

Dawn and I discussed this topic and we both feel a certain obligation to help those that seek our guidance. As we often do, we turned to other dealers and asked them in a Facebook post on Mach 2nd, to share tips and suggestions. We got some great feedback and thought we would share them here. Sorry this took so long.

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to comment or e-mail us. We have shared those those comments below. I think we all can learn from each other. Dawn and I had compiled a list before we posted our thread. So we are sharing those first and then the comments we received from other dealers are at the bottom.

*Do keep your booth tidy and clean. Change out or rotate your merchandise often. No one wants to be beside a dirty stale booth. If things aren't selling or changing, customers notice and they tend to avoid those booths.

*When you are working in your booth, do not block access or place your items in another booth. This could possibly cause your neighbor to lose a sale, and it certainly causes customers to pass a booth up.

*If you are working your booth and take a break, do not go into your neighbor's booth and sit on their furniture.

Janet Barcheski Green: Don't "borrow" from my booth to help stage in yours. Keep the aisles clear or within the rules of the mall. Don't prop your items up against mine. Don't allow your items to creep into my space. Don't hang your items on the back of my tall furniture pieces, or on other "walls" I may have created for my booth, unless you ask me first. (Janet Green, Hazel & Verdie's, West Des Moines, Iowa.)

Susanne Trofa: Don't go out and buy the same things I am selling (because these items are selling) .... copying is just tacky.

Anita Ray McAlpin: I had a booth for several years & worked hard to merchandise it. I tried to utilize every inch & used lighting to "feature" areas. Sometimes I'd have areas dedicated to a specific theme based on what I had on hand. Please don't mess with my lights or items because you think I "need" help. Please don't "borrow" pegboard hooks without asking or use the back of my pegboard walls (which I hand built) to hang your stuff. If you don't want to build your own, don't just assume it's ok to use mine. Don't ask me what I pay for my space & compare it to the size you have...I don't set the price/space & consider it private between owner & myself. DO compliment your fellow vendors items & efforts....be available sometimes to just help newbies.

Tammie Beckner: My biggest complaint with fellow vendors is when they bring in new items and place them in my booth/s, blocking access, while they stage their booth with the new inventory. One vendor in my mall constantly does this. Very disrespectful.

Kathy Setzer Goodson: First, be friendly. If your neighbor seller is in their booth say hello and introduce yourself. As for courtesies...Stay in your space. Don't block the aisles, don't spray air freshener or scents in your booth as it floats over to mine as my hubby has allergies. Put walls up if possible to prevent the hanging of items on your furniture or use a large shelving unit to separate the space. Don't call other vendors and complain about the owners of your shop. Leave me out of your petty arguments. Don't spread gossip about other vendors. In public don't criticize the other vendors or their wares. If you put the business down you are hurting your own sales. If you don't like the way the shop is run just leave. There are other shops. Finally, please don't copy my ideas. If I create an unique upcycled item don't make one just like it. Goodson Vintage Treasures.

Desiree Byrne: As the vintage market producer for Front Porch Pickins, I would say never assume. Vendors will say, "Oh, I might be an inch into the neighboring space, but I'm sure they won't care." People don't like confrontation. Your neighbor will smile and act like it's a non-issue & then come complain to me or my staff. And in that regard, I'd say bring me your problems! My job is to market the event, provide crowds of buyers, AND to serve you, my client. I have no problem with telling another vendor they must be within their designated area. It happens ALL of the time. And the larger the show, the more we need you to bring it to our attention, as with 400+ booths, I guarantee we won't see every issue.

Cathy Wittmeier: Don't pretend to be a customer and ask questions about my items, do your own research or at least be honest about your intentions. Don't overstuff your space so that customers put your things in my space to access what they're looking for. Stay in your own boundaries- I once had a large room to myself and the next vendor over put up a shelving unit in my doorway.

Sandra Lucas When nailing items on the back side of my walls, be careful. I'm finding items broken on the floor that they have knocked off by their hammering.

Alison Bradley Your booth neighbors can be great resources if you take the time to be friendly. I've had sales because other vendors recommended one of my benches to a customer that bought her vanity. Be helpful and courteous. When I moved to a new store my neighbor came with me and we asked to be neighbors again. The more cohesive the space looks the nicer it is for the customers to shop

Jollity at Antique Co-Op Get to know your booth buddies. Talk to them regularly and share local market info. Help them when they need a hand and ask for their help when you need it. Work together to drive your businesses. Building relationships will reap more benefits for each of you and assist in potential conflict resolution. Be open to suggestions and requests. Do not ask for discounts. We get that too much from customers. If you want something buy it at my fair asking price and I will do the same with you.

Cari Dollimore: Hi I'm in England and I've sold at a few antiques centres over the years .. at one of them was a dealer who used to regularly go round to all the other sections and stuff his business leaflets in people's dispensers, or scatter them on their surfaces! Cheeky.

Rosie Parker: Courtesy, Golden Rule, Kindness, and Positive Comments. Works best!

Betty Glendale, AZ: In the mall I'm in the vendors have to pay to have pegboard or sheet rock installed in their booth. I had pegboard hung in my booth, but my neighbor has not had anything put up over her side of the two by fours. So she hangs her s hooks into my pegboard and I'm constantly having to work around them. I think it is unfair that she is using my wall. Very rude.

Anonymous: If you see something selling in my booth don't be a copycat. Get your own ideas.

Anonymous: don't eat in your booth. I'm pregnant and my booth neighbor eats in her booth all the time. It stinks and I don't care to smell it. It makes me sick at my stomach.

6:52 PM
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Great Selling Smalls that Cost $5 or Less

Antique Booth Smalls

Happy Friday friends! The weekend is here and that means it's time to go junkin. I will be attending a memorial service for a family member tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be great so I hope all of you are able to get out and enjoy it.

Speaking of junkin...I was in Alabama this week, and met a new dealer. As we shared some booth talk, she explained she was new to the business. She opened her booth April 1st of this month. She was telling me she had already cleared over $600 in just three weeks. She said she mainly did that by selling smalls that were $3-$5.

It really got me to thinking about smalls for my booth too. So I posted a thread on Facebook last night and asked our readers to share their most popular items that were $5 or less. We got some terrific feedback. Thanks to all of you that commented and shared photos. We are sharing some of your pics today, but saving some of them for future posts.

Nolan from Twindig Vintage said he has a bowl of loose scrabble tiles and holders in his booth. He charges .25 cents per tile and $1.00 for the holder. Nolan says: We include little paper bags with our vendor number on labels where they can fill in ____# of tiles x .25 = $_____.

Liz Humphries says: vintage hankies, silverplated flatware, paperweights, funky refrigerator magnets, wine bottle corks, bags of marbles, horseshoes, comic books, cookie cutters, bottle openers, fishing lures and pill boxes are her best selling smalls. I love how she has them packaged.

Sandra Lucas says she does really well with reader digest books. She usually picks them up for .50 cents and resells them for $5. I like how she has them staged, showing the customer how they can use them in their own home.

Janel Yoder says: All my cheapest things are marked "Mix and Match Pricing. $3 each or 2 for $5." I sell a lot of vintage kid's books, and little Made in Japan knickknacks, as well as handcrafted items like mini polymer clay houses. I rarely sell a single $3 item. Everyone looks for a second one to save the dollar.

Ruth Battam McNeil has her sewing notions packaged. Are these not the sweetest? I don't sew, but I would buy these. I am such a sucker for cute packaging.

Tamara Bronaugh says: I sell a ton of record albums @ $3 each. Hundreds of dollars every month! Also, Nature items like bird nests, small hornet's nests, tiny eggs, etc. Vintage children's books fly off the shelves at $5 each. Anything rusty and "farmy" sells here, especially if you stage them with other items, such as old rusty toolboxes with old books in them, or rusty kitchen grater with greenery, etc. It gives the customer ideas of how to re-purpose those items at home. ~ Oddica at Bryants Antique Mall.

Lydia Shaulis: says: I love to sell vintage children's books, candle holders (with new yummy-smelling candles in them), unique kitchen utensils, small toys, office supplies (a crummy seller, honestly, but I still buy them since they're so cheap + I personally just like them and how they look in the booth) recipe booklets and maps, antique stamps in tiny frames, postcards, greeting cards, Readers Digest condensed novels and other vintage books. I'm a sucker for paper products.

Denise Menezes Williams says: I own a business called "Soul Pickers" and my motto has always been that "smalls make the world go round." Smalls sell quickly if you pick smart and price to sell quickly--yet still make money! I am a treasure hunter of many things, but smalls are my favorite.

Matchbooks seemed to be mentioned several times. You could either fill up a pretty jar or a plastic cello bag with a cute topper for these.

Holly Grondman says: I have paid my rent by selling many small items also. One of the first words of advice I received entering this business was having enough smaller items, so when the large ones do not sell as quickly you still are able to make money. I love to have something everyone can afford for their home. When I was first married setting up a home I was on a strict budget. Acquiring beauty for my decor was very difficult. I feel everyone should be able to have a beautiful home that they can afford to create. the little porcelain door hinge covers with plants in them are $3.00. ~ The Brown Paper Package, Grand Rapids, MI

Pic via: Jennifer Chamberlin

Vintage Sheet Music These sell well both in their original form or rolled up with a piece of twine. I have seen prices from $1 to $2.50 per roll.

Troy Rash says: Postcards, linens, silverplated flatware, soaps, votive candles, junk bags - clear bags of broken costume jewelry etc., mismatched china and whatever else I can find.

Old Books covered with wallpaper or scrapbooking paper are a cheap way to decorate and add a pop of color.

Mason Jars are great to fill with little things like buttons, spools of thread, old clothespins, marbles etc. Here are few pretty samples I found on Etsy.

Little Peanut Gallery via Etsy

I have a bunch of these little glass spice jars. I have been saving them for something special. So this next photo inspires me to fill them up with buttons or other little treasures.

Birkshire Shop Girl via Etsy

Here is another cute idea for scrabble tiles.

The Retro Bee Hive via Etsy

I found these vintage style milk bottles from the Dollar Tree. I painted them white, shabbied them up a bit and added a spring of green. These sold for $5 each.