Dec.5,2009 WPB Antique show

Well this show is a little slow. I talked to a few inside vendors and they are not doing well. Even the ones that do sell most times. Some money is being passed around outside but half the time we are covered up from the rain. It stopped raining for 2 hours today and I was able to make the booth rent. Sunday it's supposed to not rain but I have little or no faith in sunday shoppers.

Well Sunday turned out better then I thought it would. I guess since we got rained out most of the weekend everyone that couldn't see our stuff Friday and Sat. came back buying Sunday.

It could have been a pretty good show if it didn't rain so much. Many inside dealers cried yet again. But you need to remember many that cry all the time have the same items for the last 15 years priced from way back when business was thriving. They never lower their prices nor give better prices and sit and sit and sit on their stuff hoping it will sell. I can go inside at any given show and see the same items with the same prices from 15 years ago.

Buying And Selling In Fl.

Let me just fill some of you in about the tactics used in south Fl markets. Thanksgiving Used to be a great day of selling up until 5 years ago. Nowadays With the Internet and everyone with a pc thinking they know more then seasoned sellers it's a little tricky buying.

I always say I would rather buy from an educated seller then a wanna be weekend warrior seller. This is why. I was out buying thanksgiving day and came upon a booth. Now picture 20 banana box's on the ground covered with all types of vintage linens 3/4 of it is damaged in some way. The linens were not in the boxes but piled on top in a huge pile like trash.

So I started digging like many before me that made the mess I was standing in, when I hear sir,sir, please put the stuff back into the boxes? I said no problem to the vendor. But none were even in any box to begin with but I tried my best to deal with the situation at hand. Next thing I hear is the vendor saying once again sir, sir, how about we terminate our business for today because you are posing a risk to my customers? I couldn't come back with any response to this crazy lady because it was so far out of left field I was kinda shocked to even hear it. So I threw down what was in my hands and told that CRAZY LADY she doesn't have anything I can't live without. And told her she can be an A-hole to someone else as I walked away.

Then I head out for another booth. Now this is another wanna be that buys warehouses of boxes and boxes were all over the booth. So I finally find a book to maybe buy from about 50 boxes. I ask the vendor how much. He tells me 1.00. As I'm putting the book into my bag he says let me see the book. So I hand him the book,and when he hands the book back tells me 5.00? Needless to say I turn around and walk away shaking my head.

These things are just a couple things I go threw picking everyday. It doesn't happen everyday but it happens often enough that when it does those vendors will never see another penny from me no matter what they have.

Sad Show At Mt.Dora,Fl

Well it was a pretty weak show last weekend. I spoke to many other vendors and most said it was their worse show ever. My friend Donna had a few big sales but she just turned her money over with no profit. Or very little profits.

I did hear a few say it was ok but not great. My show was pretty bad. In 3 days of selling I only sold 1 thing for 35.00,everything else I sold was under that amount with many 10.00 sales or less. Many customers are only offering half the sticker price for our stuff. And the last person that wanted something from me was offering me 1/5 what it was priced. And the cup was only priced at 25.00 so he offers 5.00?! HUH? Whats wrong with that picture?

Well at least my space was free or it would have been a big waste of time. After that show I went to a dirt flea market for Monday. And that was even worse. I only bought 2 pieces of jewelry for resale and made ZERO dollars. So I'm out the 15.00 it cost to setup and picking was terrible!

Well I'm back in south Fl. for a few weeks then after Christmas shows start up again. So it's back to cranking stuff on ecrater until I'm on the road once again.
-----------HAPPY THANKSGIVING--------------

Heading For Mt. Dora Antique Show

Well it looks like I'm headed for central Fla. next week. A Friends friend is not using her space and it is being give to me. I haven't setup at that show in about 7 years. So now people that don't know me will think I'm a newbie lol. It might help sales.

I'm hoping to find some more photos and maybe a couple other items as well. Picking was kinda light this week. But I was able to buy a few things that were added to the store. Tomorrow is the United Way Garage sale in WPB. I was going to setup but they only had corner spots and wanted 80.00 and I passed. I am going to pick and Sunday I'm setting up in Wilton manners.

Been getting my truck loaded for the show next week. I'll be dragging bottom when I pull out of here lol. But at least I have a healthy load for the show and the couple flea markets I'm doing after that.

Well Happy Turkey Day to anyone and everyone that might stumble upon this blog.

WPB Antique Show

Well the first show of this season went pretty well. Buying was kinda light but selling was pretty brisk. Friday and sat anyway were good sellig days. Sunday I didn't have a single sale during the whole day. I was almost all packed when a dealer wanted a pair of 1930's chevy head lights and I let them go. They were big and It was a good sale to end the show with.

Just going to pick all week if that hurricane allows me to and next sat the United Way is having another garage sale in wp again. Now that I know they don't want to pay for good stuff at that flea market i'm going to bring enough stuff to pay the rent, and mainly i'm going to buy stuff.

I missed a lot of stuff at the last show. This time I'm ready and will concentrate on buying more then selling.

Fall Is Finally Here

Well fall is here and shows will be starting this week. I'm setting up at the west palm beach antiques show, and will be offering many store items to the public.

It's been a long summer and had it not been for ecrater it would have been hard to survive in south Florida. I'm going to stop worrying about daily sales in the online store and start getting my stuff ready for the shows. I'm not sure if traveling around the state is in my future this year or not. Will keep my ears open about the other shows and make a judgement call when the shows come up. Picking will continue since i'm always going to be a buying junkie at heart lol.

Ecrater ROCKS!

Well this month started so slow I was wondering if I'd have my first month with no sales. After 3 weeks without any sales,then all of a sudden the sky opened up with better then average sales. I have now doubled my monthly averages with 1 more day to go in Oct. Proof that not worrying and thinking positive works. Plus adding more items almost daily gives better chances of sales being made.