# Flea Market Sales -- jewelry and hair accessories?



## Cygnet

Am thinking of starting a flea market stall on the weekends. I've narrowed it down to inexpensive "sparkly" jewelry and hair accessories, which seem to have a high overhead and are impulse buys.

Is anyone doing this right now? How's the economy affecting sales? 

I'm looking at a price point of $3-5 per piece of jewelry (mostly glittery glass/crystal stuff, beaded necklaces, and flashy costume jewelry) plus hair accessories at less than $1. 

I might also sell hair brushes, combs, etc.

What do you guys think?

I've _got_ to start earning money somehow.

Edit to add: I have hair down to my waist. :angel: I can show the merchandise off very easily. *grin* 

-- Leva


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## clovis

The flea markets have been off saleswise for us, but we haven't been working it like we had been.

I think you are really on to something. The jewelry booths with affordable products appear to do very, very well, and have lots of customer interest.

The good side to your idea is that you are appealing to at least 50% of the people that walk thru the door, which are women.

Do NOT be afraid of taking some higher end, better jewelry with you. My well healed sister would probably not buy a $3 item, but might be drawn to a $30 item.

Don't forget to be nice to everyone, engage the customer in conversation, and suggestive sell!!!!

Oh yeah...make sure your stuff is good quality, and won't fall apart quickly. You will need to build a good reputation to get the repeat customers.

Hope you break a leg!

Clove


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## Cygnet

clovis said:


> The flea markets have been off saleswise for us, but we haven't been working it like we had been.
> 
> I think you are really on to something. The jewelry booths with affordable products appear to do very, very well, and have lots of customer interest.
> 
> The good side to your idea is that you are appealing to at least 50% of the people that walk thru the door, which are women.
> 
> Do NOT be afraid of taking some higher end, better jewelry with you. My well healed sister would probably not buy a $3 item, but might be drawn to a $30 item.
> 
> Don't forget to be nice to everyone, engage the customer in conversation, and suggestive sell!!!!
> 
> Oh yeah...make sure your stuff is good quality, and won't fall apart quickly. You will need to build a good reputation to get the repeat customers.
> 
> Hope you break a leg!
> 
> Clove


Thanks.  

How many "well heeled" customers are there vs. bargain hunters?

Also, do you think having freebies for the kids might bring their moms over? (I'm thinking stickers and erasers, both of which can be had for around a penny each.) 

So far I have on my list to buy:

-- Hair accessories: scrunchies, bows, barrettes, ribbons/scarves, etc. 

-- Combs and brushes

-- Cheap, "sparkly" jewelry that'll look more expensive than it is -- I'll probably just buy bulk lots and take what I get. I could have it laid out on a huge table with the more expensive stuff on a wall behind me. (If someone steals a ring that cost me $.75 to buy I'll cry a lot less than if they walked off with a $20 wholesale choker.)

-- A few nice chokers and other nice jewelry with austrian crystals or large zircs, better constructed and prominently displayed. (Thanks for pointing out about your sister. I have relatives like that too. LOL.) 

-- Solid sterling silver/cubic zirc jewelry or plate gold/zirc that can pass for much more expensive items. (I know a fair amount about stones and I have a hard time telling some of the imported zircs from the real thing.) 

-- Some faux new age stuff -- crystals, hemalyke and amberlyke, mostly, and magnetic bracelets. (And accurately labeled ... I get annoyed when I see vendors describing hemalyke as "hematite.")

-- Some tribal necklackes, men's jewelry and watches for the guys. 

-- Potpourri and incenses (due to the heat here even in winter, and risk of damage to my inventory if I'm trying to sell on a warm day, I'm not going to do candles.)

-- A couple really big, outrageous, sickeningly cute stuffed animals that will just help "fill out" the stall because the place I'm looking at has 30X10 places and this isn't going to fill the whole stall. And maybe I'll actually sell a four foot tall teddy bear or something. *grin* 

Help me brainstorm -- what else can I sell that fits with this? 

-- Leva


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## Otter

Do you know how to crochet hair scrunchies? Doesn't cost much but time, but can be a good seller if marketed right and maybe with some beads or polished stones worked in. Do custom ones for a little more.


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## Cygnet

Otter said:


> Do you know how to crochet hair scrunchies? Doesn't cost much but time, but can be a good seller if marketed right and maybe with some beads or polished stones worked in. Do custom ones for a little more.


I have rheumatoid arthritis and I wasn't good at crocheting even beforehand. :sing:

I can get wholesale scrunchies at less than it would cost to buy the fabric/yarn to make them, anyway.  

Edit to add: I'm really trying to avoid _making_ things and leaning towards _reselling_ things. I actually have a background in art, but am not inclined to try to make a living at it.

-- Leva


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## Otter

Oops, never mind. They're on my mind because I make them for stocking stuffers and haven't started any yet this year. I better start or I'll have some disappointed relatives.

You mentioned incense, how about incense holders? There's a booth at the flea market nearest me that does nothing but incense and holder and some of those are like statues, lots of variety and really pretty.


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## Cygnet

Otter said:


> Oops, never mind. They're on my mind because I make them for stocking stuffers and haven't started any yet this year. I better start or I'll have some disappointed relatives.
> 
> You mentioned incense, how about incense holders? There's a booth at the flea market nearest me that does nothing but incense and holder and some of those are like statues, lots of variety and really pretty.


Ooh, good point. I'd need to get something to put the incense in for people. Hrmmmmm ....

*brainstorming a moment here*

How do people respond to deals like, "Buy $20 in merchandise and get a free <something>" with <something> in my case probably being a bear or hair accessory? 

Also, would people go for "grab bags" of merchandise -- I'm thinking pretty cello bags filled with, say, a barrett, ring, earrings and necklace in matching colors, or a dozen scrunchies, or a stuffed animal and a couple pieces of sparkly jewelry ... that sort of thing.  Priced less than buying each piece individually would cost. 

Hmmm.

Also, maybe tie a balloon to each grab bag to draw attention to them? 

(Oooh. I just remembered -- if I can find the material for it, I know how to make mylar balloons. Takes an iron, basically. I could make the biggest mylar balloons EVER to float over my booth -- I could dress one up to look like a hot air balloon. I seriously doubt that most people have seen a mylar balloon as big as I could make them. *grin*)


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## Otter

How can you post that without telling us how to make mylar balloons??? Oh please, pretty please tell me how???

The guy at the flea market has some like this;
http://metapot.com/thumb_popup.php?productid=5245
and this
http://www.abaxion.com/sd297.htm

Apparently fairies and dragons are popular on line too, but he also has smiling Buddha and a couple that look like trees or ornate metal fans that hang on the wall.


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## Cygnet

I can't see the pics because they're blocked by a firewall, but *if* you can find the mylar to do it, it's got a heat sensitive coating on the inside. It comes in various colors. You just draw a pattern on the mylar of whatever shape you want, put a bit of wax on it (or crayon), melt it together with a hot iron, cut it out, and then inflate it. The trick is to get the seams tight so the helium doesn't leak out. Three dimensional patterns are a LOT harder than 2D. 

Balloons you make yourself last forever, by the way -- the seams are a lot better than the "store bought" balloons and hold helium a long, long time. I had one blimp in my bedroom as a kid that floated for over a year. (We had an art teacher in junior high who had a source for the mylar. I've lost touch with the art teacher -- that was twenty years ago and he was a student teacher who was only there for one quarter. The teacher made a balloon eagle the size of a Cessna in that class. I made the blimp, complete with a wicker basket and a battery operated fan ... I used fishing weights for ballast.)

Unfortunately, I've tried in the past and haven't been able to figure out where to get the mylar. I even contacted DuPont, who makes it, and they wouldn't tell me a retail (or wholesale that I could buy from) distribution source. And they wouldn't sell rolls of it to an individual.

That was six or seven years ago ... I should try again.  More companies are online and I might be able to find a web site with it. 

(Maybe your flea market seller could tell where he gets it?)


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## clovis

Cygnet said:


> Thanks.
> 
> How many "well heeled" customers are there vs. bargain hunters?
> 
> Also, do you think having freebies for the kids might bring their moms over? (I'm thinking stickers and erasers, both of which can be had for around a penny each.) -- Leva



I think it is really hard to tell what kind of customer you will get. If I have learned anything, you cannot "out-guess" what the customer is looking to buy!!!!!!!

For instance, I bought 22 small Longaberger baskets at an auction, with a cost of about $250. I got home, and looked them up on ebay, and was sick over my purchase. Literally sick that I bought those things.

I went ahead and priced them at double what I paid, and sold everyone within 24 hours!!!!

Personally, I wouldn't mess with the stickers or erasers, but that is me.

Clove


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## Cygnet

clovis said:


> I think it is really hard to tell what kind of customer you will get. If I have learned anything, you cannot "out-guess" what the customer is looking to buy!!!!!!!
> 
> For instance, I bought 22 small Longaberger baskets at an auction, with a cost of about $250. I got home, and looked them up on ebay, and was sick over my purchase. Literally sick that I bought those things.
> 
> I went ahead and priced them at double what I paid, and sold everyone within 24 hours!!!!
> 
> Personally, I wouldn't mess with the stickers or erasers, but that is me.
> 
> Clove


Re: buyers -- oh, yeah, I know. Sometimes people amaze me. 

$250 in one day. That's pretty encouraging. ;-) 

I'm trying to think of ways to send more buyers to my booth ... am going to see if the flea market would allow my boyfriend to walk around with mylar balloons. He could sell mylar balloons and each balloon sells with a coupon for a free scrunchy or piece of cheap costume jewelry. (At the profit I think I could make on a mylar balloon we'd still come out ahead over $1.60 a balloon AND drive buyers to the booth.)


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## clovis

I don't think you will have to "send buyers to your booth", unless the place is like 40 acres big.

They will find you easy enough, and if you sell right, they will beat a path to your door.

Clove


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## amwitched

I ran a flea market booth for awhile selling Needleart supplies/patterns. I eventually got into selling "junk" because I needed to make $ to cover the booth rental. I found that the people frequenting these places are pretty frugal. So your inexpensive items should sell really well. 

Be sure that you keep you items in display cases or individually wrapped. We had a horrible problem with dust blowing in through the open windows at my booth. It just seemed to coat everything with a fine grit. Luckily I had a sealer machine that I used to encase my towels & fabric. 

One thing I can think of that the kids would love is Candy necklaces or bracelets . I used to get a catalog from a supplier but I sure can't remember their name. But the kids really loved them. 

I think the hair scrunchies will go over really well. I would try to match the fabrics or patterns to the time of year or the season (Xmas, Valentines Day or Easter).


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