# Well, I did it ...



## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

... I just paid a chunk from my rapidly diminishing savings for inventory.

Am getting:

1) An assortment of hair accessories

2) An assortment of Peruvian jewelry

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=110313748164

(I love the artistry in this stuff and the price is certainly right.)

3) An assortment of friendship bracelets

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=120344117250

And I'll order balloons just as soon as I verify the cost on a tank of helium.

We (my boyfriend and I) went and looked at two different flea markets. One is very "down scale" *ahem* -- in other words, it's in an inner city slum! -- and almost all the shoppers we saw were families with multiple children. Most were Hispanic. I'll need to brush up on my Spanish -- it's been a year or two since I've done any significant selling and my "Spanish for haggling" is a bit rusty.

It's got 2200 stalls, supposedly, though only half were full. It was still vast and varied with everything from permanent vendors to people who'd hauled their yard sales there. 

Ironically, my very first job EVER as a teenager was two blocks from this place. (Yeah, it's a bad neighborhood, but I grew up in a similar neighborhood and worked there for a couple of years as a teenager. I'm not overly worried -- and I'll have my boyfriend with me, which is something I can't say I had the comfort of when I was a seventeen year old kid!)

The other flea market was very upscale, with mostly permanent, established vendors (just a few spaces for newbies) and customers who were mostly gray-haired retirees. I saw TWO children in strollers and one teenager in a couple of hours. The rest was 100% adults.

Also, most of the adults were not wearing hair accessories. Little old ladies? Don't do scrunchies. 

We're going to start at the downscale market. *grin* I think what we want to sell will do better there. We can always try the other one later, and modify our inventory for it. (I suspect the Peruvian jewelry would do well in Mesa but the balloons? Not so much.)


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## PonderosaQ (Jan 12, 2004)

Good luck with your new venture. Let us know how you do.

PQ


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## MariaAZ (Jun 5, 2007)

Congrats! If I might make a suggestion; take photos of what you are offering and put them up on a website along with prices. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but then you can print business cards and hand them out with the website address. It might help drive a bit of sales between swap meet days, especially if you put the cards out on your table at the swap.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

Good luck!

Clove


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## JIL (Aug 25, 2007)

when we were doing flea markets a friend sold purses and cell ph accessories along with hair stuff she did *really well * $700-800 a week end. just a thought the more you can offer the better and most important be there everyweek end to build clientel Have fun! JIL


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