Flea Market Suckage

[tropicsgoddess]

This story is from my MIL. She has been strapped for cash, so she decided to sell some of the jewelry she made by hand at the Flea Market to get some quick cash. The jewelry she made was gorgeous, pearl necklaces and a bracelet, and some of these earthy colored stone beads with a large hoop in the middle and they came with these beautiful handmade oriental style sachet bags and she had some black Buddha necklaces with the leather and all of them in her wooden display case. One guy comes up to her, checks out the wooden case from top to bottom, no corner unturned and offers $10 bucks and it was worth more than that. All the "customers" wanted to get her handmade beaded jewelry for next to nothing, and the only thing that she actually made some cash from were her Buddha necklaces since she was able to sell them for cheap since there was less work involved in it. To top that, she had to pay for her vendor space and for parking. Another reason why Flea Markets suck...too many cheapskates that'll haggle you to death or try to swindle you into getting something for free or next to nothing.

[Evil Queen]

My Dad sells stuff at flea markets. The biggest sellers are weird tools that rarely, if ever, gets seen. Like... sythes. My gawd, my father sold three of those for pretty pretty pennies.

You almost always pay a vendor to use a spot. Usually it's something cheap like $5. Yes, people will haggle, that's why it's a flea market.

Honestly, it's easier to either donate the items and use the tax write off later or have a yard sale; but you would have to advertize that, but it's usually cheaper in the long run.

[protege]

When I was younger, we'd have garage sales. Mainly because my great-grandmother would go to Florida for the winter, and hit as many garage sales as she could find. She's then ship all that shit (sorry folks, it *was* shit!) back and store it at my grandmother's house across town. We're talking Buddha statues, shoes, wallets, paperbacks, old bottles, etc. She had enough crap at that house, it literally took up several rooms

Needless to say, as soon as she moved up to Maine for a bit, we hauled as much of that crap away as we could...simply to sell it on. Some of it was sold over the years, but much of it went right into the trash. Whatever got sold, usually went for very little. At the time, we didn't care what it was worth--we just wanted it gone.

The absolute worst people at those sales...were the old people. Sorry folks, but they were. They were always trying to negotiate on 5 and 10 cent items...and if we wouldn't come down, we were "ripping them off." Yeah, and just what are *you* doing, trying to get something for nothing, buddy!

Then there were the people who would want only part of an item. Say you had an ugly lamp--they'd want just the shade, or the base, but not both. They'd get upset and say something like "what the hell am I going to do with the base?" Uh, insert it somewhere?

Another favorite...were the people who would see what an item was going for, and then bitch because it wasn't *pristine.* Um, are you kidding me? It's a fucking quarter!

[Becks]

That's why you add another 10% or so onto your asking price...so you can "lower" it for hagglers.

[Bramblerose]

1) few understand the value of hand-made. Too many confuse it with home-made.
2) She'd do better at the Farmer's Market if you have one.

This is why I don't sell my knitting, unless you manage to talk me into a commission. Few people understand the value of the time and materials.

[tropicsgoddess]

.

You almost always pay a vendor to use a spot. Usually it's something cheap like $5. Yes, people will haggle, that's why it's a flea market.

the vendor fee is about $30 something dollars...

[worddork]

This is why my hand made jewlery is given away. The one time I sold a piece it was a special request from my friend's preacher's wife.

Since it was a special request I had to order the beads at a cost of $27.00, I sold it for $20.00, $5.00 of which was a finder's fee for my friend who set up the sale, and yet the preacher's thought $20.00 was too much and wanted lower price.

And then this woman had the gaul to ask my to make 45 braclets for a women's retreat. I did the math and figured that if I charged $20 a braclet it would be $900, so I was going to be generous and charge $300, since the beads and findings would cost $250. So preacher's wife decides $300 is too steep and decides to cancel the order. Thank (insert deity here) I had not order the beads yet or I would have forced them down her throat.

Sorry for the rant.

[AnqeiicDemise]

Perhaps I'm weird...

When I see a nice necklace or bracelet that's been hand made I tend to haggle up. xD

Then again, I've actually made some myself and seen the prices for the beads (my sister does little cellphone charms). I know those suckers ain't cheap!

[Shangri-laschild]

If she wanted to try online I know there are sites like etsy that are like ebay for homeade stuff. Now I don't know if things sell very good on there but it's a thought. Probably gets rid of the haggling.

[protege]

Perhaps I'm weird...

When I see a nice necklace or bracelet that's been hand made I tend to haggle up. xD

Hehe I sometimes do that too! The last time, was when my church had their annual White Elephant (i.e., the crap sale) and had some 1/8 scale models. Total wrecks ('67 Corvette, '32 Ford street rod, '79 Pontiac Firebird, etc.), but they were definitely worth more than the $3 total I bought them for. Keep in mind that those kits *new* go for about $90-100 apiece I tried to be nice and offered $20 for the trio, but the guy wouldn't have any of that. $3 was all he'd take...since models simply don't sell there.

Of course I went back the next year, found a huge (over 2 feet long!) model of a B1b bomber still in the box...and got that for only $5. New price? Well over $80! Again, they wouldn't take more for it, and insisted it was only $5. Needless to say, it came home with me, and is still in the box

[Miffed]

People at flea markets and yard sales don't want to spend more than a quarter on anything. Since a good portion of what is being sold is basically someone's trash that they're trying to make a quick buck off of. Not a very suitable place for handcrafted jewelry.

[LifeCarnie]

My ex- has a deluded idea that she can sell her handmade doll house furniture on-line and make enough to support herself.

I'll have to share this post with her, since the internet is just an on-line flea market.

Of course I went back the next year, found a huge (over 2 feet long!) model of a B1b bomber still in the box...and got that for only $5. New price? Well over $80! Again, they wouldn't take more for it, and insisted it was only $5. Needless to say, it came home with me, and is still in the box

That sounds like my fishing pole. About fifteen years ago I bought a Penn Saltwater Rod and Reel for $20 at the flea market. Turns out that it's a vintage rod and reel; and is worth over $1000 now. I won't sell it, I use it for fishing.

[Aislin]

Perhaps I'm weird...

When I see a nice necklace or bracelet that's been hand made I tend to haggle up. xD

Then again, I've actually made some myself and seen the prices for the beads (my sister does little cellphone charms). I know those suckers ain't cheap!

*give you a cookie*

I do that too and love people who do that!

[Bramblerose]

If she wanted to try online I know there are sites like etsy that are like ebay for homeade stuff. Now I don't know if things sell very good on there but it's a thought. Probably gets rid of the haggling.

NOT Ebay. You will not get good value. There's an ebay-like place that is strictly hand-made. I can't remember the name.

And for clarification

Home-made- we can't be bothered to buy this stuff (not even the cheap China-made price), so we just bodge it together. poor quality

Hand-made- this is a craft/skill the maker practices and has reason to have pride in work. In some ways beats machine made.

[jerkface11]

She could try getting a table at a Gun Show. There are always a few people selling jewelry at them. Plus the people wandering around tend to have money and bored girlfriends/wives with them.