Filed under: Design, etc
Inspired by Brimfield, we're celebrating flea markets around the country this week with tips and insider notes. Today, a diary of my weekend as a seller at the biggest flea market fair in the country.There's a lot to take in at the Brimfield Antique Show in Massachusetts. It was my first time there this past weekend, and I had to consistently keep my shopping urges in check. That's mainly due to the fact that I wasn't there to shop...I was there to sell.
A friend of mine who works at an antique textile and art gallery in Manhattan had rented a booth at the fair and he'd asked if I might be interested in helping him out. My answer: Of course! But only if I could keep a diary of my time there to share a seller's perspective.
Scroll to see my log and check out my posts on Wednesday and Friday for what I learned as a seller and handy advice from experienced vendors.
FRIDAY
6:00PM - Leave New York City for Brimfield in a car jam-packed with merchandise.
10:00PM - Arrive at our site in Brimfield to unload our goods and set up our booth. Luckily we called ahead to let them know we were arriving late and had all our documents so it went quickly...sort of.
SATURDAY
12:30AM - Finally finish setting up the space and drive to hotel for the night. Exhausted.
6:30AM - Alarm goes off. Snooze? Please?
8:00AM - Arrive at our booth for final touches.
8:30AM - Fair opens! People start coming by and looking at our textiles and art.
9:35AM-10:15AM - Help a number of shoppers with questions. One woman wants to know how to hang one of our antique rugs as a wall tapestry. Love that idea!
10:40AM: Spot Diane Keaton shopping at the booth across from us! I know she's passionate about home and design, but I'm still star-struck!
11AM-1130AM: Take a break from the booth and stroll around to see what others are selling. See two of the same statue at two different stalls. One of a kind? Um, yeah right.
12:00PM - Rearrange merchandise to show off pieces that were not as prominently displayed before. Friend goes off to meet other vendors. Sit patiently and help a few interested shoppers.
1:15PM - A couple shows up and the husband asks about a green embroidered hanging textile. Help the husband with his inquiries and offer the price. The husband loves the piece but needs to convince his wife. Kind of love this husband. Usually it's the other way around!
1:20PM - Sells green textile! Friend comes back just in time and helps wife with another textile, which she ends up buying also!
1:45PM-2:15PM - Lunch break. Thai food.
2:20PM - Our site manager comes by to greet us and see how we are doing for our first time at the antique show. So nice.
2:30PM-5:30PM - Help passing customers with pricing on select pieces. Start wrapping up for the day around early evening. Head back to hotel to turn in early and get in a lot of sleeping hours.
SUNDAY
8:30AM - Arrive at booth and find that a number of people have packed up and left. Should we give up?
11:30AM - A couple comes by and buys a watercolor painting. Hooray for not giving up!
12:00PM-2:30PM - Lunch break and start packing up merchandise since it is the last day of the fair.
4:00PM - Car loaded up and head back to New York City. Much more elbow room now that we've made a few sales.
Despite that our timing was slightly off this time, my friend and I had an amazing time. It was a great learning (and selling!) experience, and now we've been primed for the real deal...the September show!
For more information on how to get your foot in at the Brimfield Antique Show, visit their website here.
Check back tomorrow for more tips on tackling the flea markets this summer!