It's been both fun and exhausting, to occupy my own clandestine cubbyhole in Jacksonville, Florida's popular Southern Crossing Antique Mall this year. I've exhaustively documented my progress, sales, and the lessons this space has taught me along the way.
Goals for my Antique Store Space in 2012: Bigger, Badder, Better!
I don't have my final sales tally for the antique mall yet, but you can in past posts (below) that sales were on the low side. I wasn't able to dedicate more than a few hours per week to the space this year. Now with a flexible schedule, I'm going to dedicate more time and effort to my little corner of southern crossing. This year I'm going to:
1. Re-Brand the Space; Make it More Thirft Core: I'm going to complete a sign, change the look of my space, and work on curating the merchandise to tell the Thrift Core "story."
2. New Merchandise Schedule: I'm going to exchange all of the merchandise bi-weekly and switch the vintage goodies around weekly to keep the booth fresh.
3. Become More Analytical: I'm going to document what I spent on merchandise and critically analyze sales trends.
I'm looking forward to spending more time in the antique store in 2012. I may not continue to share every single sale, but I will continue to share my findings and helpful tips for success every month. I'll fill you in with how the changes above work for me, too.
All 2011 Antique Store Wisdom Posts:
[2/02/2011] Don't Underprice Your Items
[2/10/2011] Should You Rent a Booth at the Antique Store?
[2/16/2011] Stage Your Booth Like a Pro and Increase Sales
[3/03/2011] The Answers to Your Antique Store Booth Questions
[5/03/2011] The Four Month Update (A Candid look at my Sales)
[5/11/2011] Finding the Best Antique Store
[6/02/2011] The Vintage Cabin's Expert Reselling Tips
[6/09/2011] 10 Action Steps to Improve Booth Sales, NOW!
[6/07/2011] Antique Store Wisdom: The 6 Month Update
[7/14/2011] A Frank Look at the Sales Numbers
[7/21/2011] Sales Trends and Surprises
[8/10/2011] A Bigger Booth and Increasing Sales
[8/23/2011] A Late August Check-in
[9/15/2011] The August Sales Report
[10/13/2011] The September Sales Update
[12/15/2011] What I've Learned 11 Months in...
So tell me, what are your goals to improve reselling efforts for 2012?
I want to shop your booth! You are killing me with the vintage science books up there....errr. Hahah! I always feel like I should open a shop but then when I think about the work and the dissapointment I'd have over sales...well, I just can't bring myself to start. Been contemplating Etsy for a while as well...but I just struggle with it.
ReplyDeleteI keep forgetting to post my band's artwork for you! I love vintage robot and horror and I was dying over those little movie plates you got for such a great price. My fish tank is done in vintage horror theme/movie posters. :)
Channy: I can't seem to sell the science books for some reason, but I love them! I do like selling at the antique store because it's a smaller scale and I don't have to worry the big things like paying the building's rent and utilities. No shipping is nice too, that's the biggest pain of selling on Etsy.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a vintage horror fish tank, share that along with the band's artwork please! :)
I pretty much have the same goals. The analysis of my booth sales is one of my main goals. I'm really trying to focus on inventory that actually sells and doesn't just collect dust.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion inventory makes or breaks you in this business.
Jay: Thank you for the valuable feedback. I'm trying to do the same too, it's all about that guessing game of what you think will sell and not buying merchandise that YOU like, per se.
ReplyDeleteAlthough usually the best stuff you'd like to keep will be the things that sell!
Hi Van! Thanks for visiting my blog to "introduce" yourself. I like your site...very cool stuff! I'm going to drink my coffee and spend some time reading older posts. I think we have a lot in common yet I can learn from you as well!
ReplyDeleteMitzi: Thanks for the kind words! I shall enjoy scanning through your blog as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your goals. I've been working on my own. Time to get more consistent with my blog posts and definitely brand our little corner at the group shop my husband and I are trying out. I'm really looking forward to 2012, can't wait to see what great finds are out there and what you post on your blog. cheers!
ReplyDeletevland: Let's hit it in 2012!
ReplyDeleteI just read through all your "Antique Store Wisdom" posts in one sitting. I'm pondering taking the plunge to get a booth at a new shop here in St Louis. I've just about decided to do a 3 month trial and consider it educational - like taking a course in reselling - so I can justify the expense of the booth even if I don't make any sales. Your blog is sort of like fun homework for me at the moment, and I thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of very interesting antique pieces you got there. I love the lampshade. It's very unique yet hip.
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