Vintage events....the inside story!

Why run a vintage event?

The explosion in interest in all things vintage is fed by a vast range of fairs, vintage festivals and themed days all over the country.  All these events are organised and managed by someone with the knowledge and skills to bring many elements together to create a harmonious event.  Many people have been tempted into trying to run their own event and at face value it looks like an easy proposition.  "Just" hire a hall, get some stalls, place some ads and take the money!  But as any fair organiser will tell you, running a fair is very stressful and time-consuming - recently, a fair organiser told me she would rather organise 5 weddings instead of one vintage fair.  It is fun putting on an event, and a great buzz when it goes well.

Running a vintage or antiques event can be a way of expanding your vintage business.  Be prepared for a lot of work and stress - you may not even make much money on your first venture.

Local vintage jumble sale

Where to start?

Like any start-up, identifying a gap or niche in the market is a key start point.  If you live in an area where there already many fairs, you may have missed the boat to launch another.  There is probably a finite number of customers and sellers to get involved in any area, unless you have a massive following or deep pockets for advertising far and wide.  On the other hand, the number of successful events might suggest that there is enough interest and enthusiasm for a new event, particularly if you can come up with something original. 

Test the market

 If you have friends who trade or buy at vintage markets, ask their views.  Would they support a new fair, do they have any suggestions about timing or location, what do they like/dislike about other events?  Market research could yield some useful answers and help you develop a unique proposition.  

Unique Selling Point

A fantastic venue, such as a private estate, unusual  historic building or even a under-used town or village hall could be a perfect location and make your event feel different.  Try to identify a Unique Selling Point (USP) that will make your fair stand out. Many vintage fairs offer a mix of vintage and handmade items; vintage-style tea rooms and cafes; nostalgic music and entertainment.  Your USP could be the venue -  a chance to see inside a wonderful building or garden could  be a huge draw.  Or perhaps a local celebrity or well-known author signing books might draw the crowds. Selina Lake, a well-known author and stylist recently launched her book on Pastel Style at a lovely vintage fair in a wonderful historic market hall.  Her name and incentive of goody bags, drew a lot of people to the event.

A stall at an outside fair in the Hampshire countryside

Venue

The choice of venue is very important factor, both to draw crowds, provide the right facilities and ambiance and because venue hire will be one of your biggest costs.  Civic amenities such as town and village halls, are usually hired out by the hour, with extra charges for early or late opening.  Many come with restrictions on use, which can be a headache for the organiser.  Some will require you to take out an events insurance policy to cover your public liability.

Do bear in mind access to free and convenient parking - traders hate having to unload and then move their cars to distant car parks.  Parking on site is ideal and free parking nirvana!  A town centre venue rarely offers such a luxury.  If you are running a town centre event, make sure that you tell traders where the cheapest long-stay car parks are located or even arrange a deal with a local car park.  

Village halls can be cheap to hire, with facilities varying from basic to beautiful.  Many are well located on main roads, with ample parking and often by recreation fields which is great for families visiting your event.  Check out before you hire if there is a playing field - if your event is on at the same time as a local sporting fixture, the car park may not cope with all the cars.  

If you want to find something a bit different, renovated barns are often stunning venues but are likely to be costly as they are used primarily as wedding or party venues.  For the same reason, hotels and conference centres are likely to be rather expensive.  Or you could approach the managers of a local attraction such as show garden or petting farm, that might be willing to host an event to increase their own footfall.  Playing fields, public parks, stately homes, country estates and even school playing fields out of term, can offer the ideal space for an outdoor event. Your local council will have a list of venues that can be hired in your area.  Hiring a marquee can add a huge cost, so if a new venture, why not suggest traders bring their own gazebos.  Or offer a gazebo hire as an additional, chargeable service.  Gazebos can usually be borrowed, hired or even bought cheaply out of season.

trading from a gazebo at the Avington Brocante

Make sure the space allows for an adequate number of stalls, bearing in mind that stall fees should cover this cost.  Space per stand/stall is around 9 foot (to allow for a table of 6ft length and space to get in and out)  and about 5-6 feet out from the wall, to allow for chairs behind a table.  You may want to divide your space into bigger sections if people are bringing furniture.  Make sure you measure your space and use the floor plan to draw a layout to scale.  You can always use the middle space in a room or marquee for stands arranged in a single row, or in a "boxing ring" formation with tables on the outside of a square, traders inside.  If there is a stage area, this can be used for stalls and side rooms as well.  Outside space such as a courtyard or forecourt might be suitable for sellers of garden items or plants and flowers.

Other facilities to check are the kitchen/catering areas - some halls are well equipped and others only have rudimentary facilities.  In the latter instance, you will need to work out what equipment you may need to bring including crockery and cutlery, which adds to your workload.  Also check the toilets - are these adequate for your estimated number of participants and of course, disabled access.  Public buildings must conform to standards, but if you are using a private building they may not have suitable facilities.  Some listed or Heritage properties are not easy for disabled visitors to access or use.

Cakes and produce

Timing of your event

You must alow sufficient time to bring your new event a new to market including recruiting stallholders as well as your customer base.  Well established fairs that run on a regular basis can roll out new dates at relatively short notice, but a new event needs a longer incubation.  It is advisable to start planning about 6-9 months before your proposed event date.

Check out competitor fair dates, both locally and also the big national fairs that attract a lot of dealers (Ardingly, Newark, Kempton).  Bank Holiday weekends are often packed with events and activities aimed at families, so may be sensible to avoid.  Peak holiday times such as late July and August are also tricky - many people are away and those at home are probably spending money on days out with their families.  This may not be relevant if your fair is running alongside another activity such as a summer festival or country show.  The day of the week could affect your numbers.  If you are in an area where many people are free during the week then a day in the week may be fine.  In a town or busy city, weekends are likely to be better when people are at leisure. What works in one area may not work in another, but Saturdays generally seem to work very well for most events.  Don't forget that special days such as Mother's Day, Valentines and Easter might conflict with a vintage event. 

Attracting stallholders

Once you have settled on a date and theme/name for your event, you can start to recruit stallholders.  Many organisers use promotional postcards or fliers to promote their event to both potential stallholders and to customers. Spending a bit of time and money on having an attractive and well-worded postcard designed can is a worthwhile investment - this will be the showcase for your brand. Think carefully about the event name and overall "look and feel" - is it classic, retro, vintage - your material should reflect your desired image. These days, organisers are coming up with exciting and enticing names for their fairs - some good examples include:

The Sussex Country Brocante

The Vintage Jumble Sale

Country and Artisan Market

The Decorative Living Fair

Cuckfield Emporium

And in the USA, they have some cracking names such as Junkstock.

A distinctive name will be easy to remember and be part of your USPs.

Stallholder - getting the right balance

Getting a good mix of stallholders is absolutely essential for a good event.  If you have a good contact list,  use it to invite a handpicked group of traders.  This is a great way of ensuring you have a good range of stock and of the right quality on offer.  If you are starting from scratch you will have to actively recruit your stallholders.  This can be done through advertising, fliers place in local antique/vintage centres and at other events.  If at a competitor vintage fair, check with the organiser if they mind you approaching their stallholders and visitors.  Some even have a table for advertising other events, and one or two will not allow you to distribute.  Offer a swap - suggest that you promote your event in return for promoting their fair at your event.

Facebook is another great way of launching your fair and promoting it to potential stallholders and customers.  Set up a business page for your fair or as an event on your personal page and begin building a following.  Invite friends and followers to like your event and share to other pages which are seen by potential customers.  This might be community pages for your area, interest pages, other vintage business pages.  

Make sure you update your Facebook page regularly with photos and news about your event. Use the event flier as your profile picture to really make it stand out!  It's a good idea to put photos up of stallholders' stock when announcing which sellers are joining you.  Don't forget to tag the seller when you put the picture up.  Ask your sellers to promote the event via their page as well - cross-posting can reach 1,000s of contacts.  Twitter is a fantastic way of reaching out to customers - don't forget to hashtag your event so that those searching the Twittersphere can find it - the hashtag #vintage works well.  Try to get friends to re-Tweet your tweets or get a conversation going with your vintage community.

Once your event is established, word-of-mouth recommendation by stallholders is always valuable.  And if you do really well, you are in a position to invite your best stallholders to show at your events.

Administration and operations

It is essential to be systematic in dealing with enquiries, bookings and follow-ups.  Nothing is more irritating and off-putting to a potential seller if an email or phone call is unanswered.  And it doesn't give a good impression of your efficiency as an event manager!  Creating a booking form is a good idea - collect the usual name, address, contact information, Facebook and website pages and mobile number.  Additionally, ask for a short description of what will be sold and if possible, stock photographs.  You may want to vet unknown buyers and having photos gives you a chance to see what they bring.  Check out their Facebook pages for pictures and see if they have an active following.  It is sensible to get payment upfront, as you will have many costs to cover.  This is always the headache for any organiser - you may have to chase payment to ensure it arrives before the day.  To simplify this, consider setting up a special Paypal account which is a very easy way of receiving payments. www.paypal.com

Once you have the booking form and payment, around 7 days before the event confirm the operational arrangements to your sellers by e-mail.  This should cover the following:

• Set up/unloading time slot - you may wish to allocate a time slot if parking is limited
• Where to park - details of allocated parking/local car parks/costs
• Trading hours including any early opening times
• Admission charges to the public
• Catering - what is available
• Breakdown times - time slots/parking arrangements if necessary
• Health and safety reminders re electric cables; secure shelving units, clear gangways etc

Stallholders really appreciate efficiency, as they often have long journeys and other arrangements to put in place to attend your day and do not want problems when they arrive!  If you need to issue car park passes, wristbands, tickets etc make sure these are sent out in good time. And do have a contingency plan for those who turn up without them! ie a record of who is coming and who has paid for what. 

Lay-out of your event

It will help you and your traders if you have a floor plan prepared and stands allocated.  Most venues can provide a black and white floor plan or you can sketch your own (even use graph paper if it helps).  You can then work out how many stalls you can fit into the space.  Make sure you leave fire exits clear and that there is sufficient space between each stall for people to move in and out.  Gangways must be kept clear for pushchairs and wheelchairs.  Number the stalls and allocate on your master floor plan - do this in pencil, as you may need to change it before the day.  

Some people will have specific requests such as having  wall space, being near the cafe or being next to a friend.  It is up to you to decide how to allocate and on what basis.  If all else fails, allocate on a first come first served basis, rewarding those that make an early commitment with a good spot.  If you are offering outside space, make sure there is a wet weather option or just advise those sellers to be prepared!  Gazebos are relatively cheap to buy or hire but that should be the sellers' responsibility.  Most venues supply tables and chairs, but do be clear if sellers need to bring these along with them.  Experienced traders often have their own tables and props.

On the day, make sure you have several copies of the floor plan and even pin one to show the allocated spaces so it is easy for sellers to find their space.  Also, any helpers can see where people should go without having to ask every time.

Getting in the customers

An event of this type is only a success if you can get quality customers through the door.  Not just people having a look, but people buying from your stallholders.  This is the area where many new fairs fail - it is so disappointing for the organiser and the stallholders are so frustrated and upset.  So, you must give customer promotion your full attention from the get-go.  As you recruit your sellers, so you can also promote to potential buyers.  Your promotional postcards and fliers can be distributed around local shops, cafes, pubs, tourist offices, antique and vintage centres and fairs.  Give your sellers a supply and ask them to give out to their contacts.  You may need to print several thousand postcards or posters but this can really pay off.

Use local media to promote the event - your local newspaper, free paper or even parish magazine are all channels to potential customers.  You will probably need to place display ads in relevant papers and magazines in the weeks leading up to your event.  Advertising can be costly, so think carefully about where you advertise.  Look at the circulation and reach of each potential channel.  Can you advertise online and in print - good to do both, as not everyone looks at the Internet.  If your fair is more ambitious, you may want to advertise in monthly magazines such as BBC Homes and Antiques, but this is a big outlay for a new event. 

If you plan ahead,  many popular magazines will publish details of your event in a free listings/what's on section. National magazines need this information several months ahead; local papers work on a shorter timelie.  A press release should include the date, time and venue of your fair, your details and contact information and some interesting points about the event eg number of sellers, type of goods to be found, refreshments, entertainment etc. 

Some local radio stations do a mention of events so don't forget to send them information - not too far in advance though.  Call up to find out how they work and what they need to publicise your event. 

Outdoor promotion

Good signage will also help to bring customers to your fair.  Easy to read signs advertising the date, venue and times are ideal. You must be careful to check out what is permissible - many councils are actively against signposting of events unless done by the AA and RAC.  Take a lead from other local events and use sites and spots that are established.  Avoid tying your sign to any important road signs especially warning signs, as it may distract a driver and cause an accident.  If you can find private land where the owner is happy to display a sign, then that is ideal.  Be sensitive to the environment - use recyclable materials where you can and do take the signs away after the event.  Handmade signs, using pallets or wooden boards can work well or have them professionally made by a sign printing specialist.

Designing your signs

As most people see signs from a car, it is really important they can be read without causing the driver to go off the road!  Large clear dark type on a light or bright background is ideal.  Don't try to put too much information on one sign - people will only have a few seconds to read it.  Vinyl banners can be made large and displayed from fences or walls - these can be costly but a good investment if you plan to run a regular event.  A-boards can be good in town centres, but there are usually conditions on using these set by local councils.  Wall mounted posters are fine, but make sure you laminate them or put them in a weather-proof clear plastic folder, otherwise the rain will damage them.  Sizewise, A3 and even bigger signs work well, but smaller A4 posters can work inside shops, on car windows or at bus stops or community noticeboards.  Local shops usually make a small charge to display a poster, but this is a cheap way of reaching out to a wide audience.

Leaflets

Some fair organisers arrange for leaflet or flier drops to the area close to their fairs.  This involves posting a leaflet through every letter box.  It might be easier to pay a local student to do this on your behalf or even the local paper boy with agreement from a newsagent.  Targeting key areas near your venue can work well, but it is labour-intensive.

Refreshments and entertainment

Catering is a very important feature of any event - everyone likes tea and cake.  Having wonderful lunches or teas available will be a real draw and brings in considerable money.   Many venues now require caterers using their kitchens to have a basic Food Handling and Hygiene Certificate.  This can be done online at relatively low cost, if you plan to cater your own event.  However, catering is a lot of work so it might be better to consider other options.  If you have friends/family who love baking, why not ask them to run the tearoom or bake some cakes for you.  Basic sandwiches, tea, coffee, cake and soup in the winter is a good place to start. Or you could be more adventurous and offer baked potatoes with fillings; savoury quiches; sausage rolls; cream teas- this will largely depend on who is available to cater and serve before and on the day.

The alternative is finding an event caterer who can run this aspect of the event for you. A possible arrangement might be to charge them a basic fee for catering and they keep all the profit or some kind of profit share arrangement.   Or you could buy in the food from a caterer at a wholesale price and then serve and sell it yourself at a marked-up price. Ask around for recommendations - a small independent caterer may welcome the chance to showcase their food in return for some promotion and publicity.  Where possible, using local produce, preferably free range eggs and meat is always a great extra selling point.  Using Fairtrade tea and coffee is also worth considering.

Stallholders really appreciate a free cup of tea or coffee as they set up and if you can offer free tea/coffee all day you will be very popular!  Give traders some kind of token or ticket if they get free refreshments to avoid confusion with the serving team.  If set up is very early, it is a great idea to offer early morning bacon butties, pastries or toast to stallholders.  Many will have driven a long way and made an early start.

If you feel entertainment would add something extra to your fair, then investigate the costs against the benefits.  It does add to the atmosphere but is not always vital. Vintage style hair and make up artists are popular at some fairs where fashion is the focus; cabaret singers or musicians are fun to include although if too loud can be offputting.  Not everyone wants to hear live music all day, so break it up with some quieter periods as well.  One idea that is popular is a Gentlemen's Creche, where bored husbands and boyfriends can read the papers, drink a coffee or even watch some TV.  This works very well particularly if there is any sporting occasion co-inciding with your event.  If your event is on a licensed premises or you are willing to obtain a license to serve alcohol, a bar can be a good thing to consider.  You might limit drinks to wine and beer, or perhaps Pimms and Prosecco in the summer. This can be quite a tricky area, with the laws concerning under-age alcohol sales, so it might be easier to hire in a mobile bar if you want to keep things simple.

The big day - your event!

All your stallholders should have received a final communication from you about the day; your floor plan is prepared; your caterers are ready; your support team are briefed and it is the day!  Arrive early so you have time to prepare before the stallholders arrive.  If you can set up the venue the day or night before, then this takes off a lot of pressure and hard work first thing.  Tables and chairs should be laid out, with a sign allocating each spot to a stallholder.  If you are not ready when people come early, ask them to wait until you are - otherwise things become chaotic and stressful. 

Once you let the stallholders in, be prepared for lots of questions.  If you have a team of helpers on hand, it is fantastic if they can help stallholders carry in their stock.  This is particularly useful if parking and unloading slots are restricted and cars have to be moved off.  This part of the day is hectic and so any help you can give traders will be well received.  Local teenagers might be keen to earn some money by acting as "porters".

Be on hand to ensure that traders keep their stock within their space and that they meet your health and safety requirements.  As the organiser, you have a duty and a responsibility to the public to ensure that the fair is a safe environment.  So no leaning towers of Pisa of stock propped precariously or cluttered gangways full of boxes and bits. 

Let the traders know when you are about to open the doors - a 10 minute warning is helpful, so that boxes and spare stock can be cleared away.  Once the doors open, you want the aisles clear of any clutter and stall holders ready to meet and greet their customers.

During the day

You may decide to trade yourself or help out on the door or in the kitchen.  Whatever you do, remain available and visible so that any problems can be sorted out quickly.  Ideally, your team of helpers will be on top of running the catering and you can be free to jump in where needed.  It is a good idea to walk around towards the end and just get some feedback on the day.  If you want customer feedback, you can ask people to sign up for emails about future events as they leave and ask where they heard about the event, would they attend again etc.  This is very useful information for future planning.   

If you are planning another event, this is a good time to secure interest from your stallholders - they may be keen to book straight away so strike whilst the iron is hot.

At the end

This can be the most chaotic part of the day as everyone is just keen to get away and home.  If parking is limited think about having someone in charge of this so it doesn't become a free-for-all.  You might ask stallholders to pack up first and then bring their cars in once they are fully ready to load and go.  This stops parking places being blocked by people who are taking ages to pack.  If parking is not a problem then everyone can be left to get on.  As the organiser, you have a duty to leave the venue clean and tidy.  This includes putting away any furniture, leaving the kitchen immaculate, removing rubbish, sweeping up floors and picking litter up.  You may lose your hire deposit if the venue is not in a good state when you leave.  If there were any problems when you arrive, make a note and take photos so that you are not held responsible - eg dirty kitchen, litter etc. 

Make sure that any cash taken on the day is locked away securely whilst the breakdown goes on - it is a time when a lot of people are moving about and carrying stuff out to cars.  So don't take the risk of leaving any cash boxes out or in your bag.

Thank yous

It is always a nice gesture to thank your stallholders, customers and helpers.  You could put something up on your Facebook page or send out personal emails.  A small thing, but always welcomed by those involved in your event.

Budget and accounts

To keep tabs on what you are spending before the event, it is sensible to set up a spreadsheet listing all our outgoings as the Event Budget.  This would include venue hire, advertising, printing of leaflets, catering costs ie supplies/food items, insurance, parking costs, fuel (when you drive around to put up signs/posters), hire of staff and equipment.  You need to estimate and total all your fixed costs (ie the costs that are not recoverable/spent in advance of the event).  Put in your estimated costs and then when you know, update with the actual costs. Your fnal estimated costs should be less than your forecast income, otherwise you will lose money.  Break even ie where costs match income, may be acceptable on a first event, but ideally you should aim to make a profit.  You have probably spent many hours of your time unpaid, so your net profit is payment for your work and effort.  There are no hard and fast rules about how much profit you should make unless you plan to do this on a commercial basis going forward.  You may be happy to make £100 or expect to make £500. 

The income from your event can also be set out on the same sheet - fees for stalls, takings from door admission and catering sales are your three main areas of income.  You could try and forecast what you think you will make to give you an idea of your final profits.  For example:

20 stalls at £40 gives you an income of £800

300 visitors at £1 per head creates £300

Catering takings (work on an average spend per head - say £3.00) 300 x £3 creates £900.

So your forecast income is £2,000.  When you count up your takings after the event, see how close each part gets to your forecast.  Your overall income is not your final profit.   You must then take away all your expenditure, to give you a net profit figure ie the money left over once all your costs have been met.  With the right planning and good luck, you should make a profit or at least breakeven.   If you have lost money, then you may need to assess where you spent too much.

Conclusion

A lot of fun can be had by running your own vintage event and it could even turn into a profitable venture, with some work.  There are pitfalls as a lot of money is commited before the event runs, but careful planning and budgeting should help to manage the risk.  I have been running antique, vintage and other events for 30 years and a good event still gives me a real buzz.  Good luck with your events, if you decide to start up.

Finishing touches - what the well dressed stall is wearing this year

I have been going to a lot of fairs in the last 12 months - there seems to have been an explosion of vintage fairs in the south east of England and beyond.  What I find most impressive, and to be truthful just a little daunting, is the level of detail and attention many traders expend on making their stalls fantastic showcases.  It's not just about selling a few bits and pieces, it's about luring people into the vintage lifestyle and creating aspirations to re-create a certain "look". That feeling of wanting to recreate something beautiful or unusual within your own home with that "must have" item.  I must admit to frequent stall envy when I am at fairs - I am never happy with my own stall layout when I compare it to some incredibly well-styled stalls.  Of course, everyone's stock varies and some things are easier to show off than others, but  it is the finishing touches on each stall that make them special and unique. 

It is often the smallest details that make the difference.  For example price labels can be madea lot less humdrum and a bit of care and attention makes quite a difference.  Currently, I am using colourful old luggage tags stamped with a wonderful greyhound stamp bought on Etsy.  You can buy readymade stamps very easily and cheaply, or have a stamp customised with your name and logo. Wooden stamps with a special little picture can be a simple way of customising standard tie-tags or labels and craft printing ink pads give you the option to print in a pretty colour.  Black and white is always crisp and smart, but ring the changes with a bold colour choice to make your tags eye-catching.  Some people even use craft stamping kits to print all the information including price on their tags- rather labour intensive, but very stylish.   Brown tie on tags, easily obtained from stationers or online, are great for labelling rustic pieces or country-style displays.  Pretty coloured tags in pastel shades look effective on dainty china and sparkling glass or on vintage textiles.  I use a calligraphy pen to write labels - even the most unspectacular writing looks better written with such a pen.  You can make your labels as plain or pretty as you like with a bit of thought and effort.  Labels can be tied on with string, colourful ribbon or even raffia - each conveys a different image from rustic to romantic.  Stick on labels are not exciting, but for some items they work better than a tie-on.  Be careful not to use a sticky label on anything where the residue will damage the item such as a book, paper item or fragile textile.  Books can be priced in pencil on the inside or use a plain bookmark inside with the relevant details inscribed.

Your table can set the tone for your display.  Most fair organisers provide a standard trestle table, these days usually plastic or formica topped.  I know some traders who take their own tables and these can create part of the overall look.  Lovely old rustic wooden trestles, some with flaky old paint and some au naturel, look beautiful stacked with vintage treasures.  If taking your own table is not possible, due to space restrictions, then using pretty table coverings is a must.  I use plain linen cloths which make a neutral backdrop for my collections.  But, a lovely velvet curtain or bed spread can be used for a sumptuous look, or a colourful cotton bed sheet for a crisp and colourful background.  Floral, striped, plain cloths - all can look great but should not overwhelm your display.

Display shelves, crates, boxes and plinths help to add height and visual impact, and create a more professional look to a stall.  One trader who I see at many events uses a range of wooden crates, painted in white, to stack as shelves.  The crates are versatile and make a great backdrop for their colourful stock.  And it maximises space on a trestle table as well.  Old apple crates are relatively easy to come by and can often be bought at larger outdoor antique markets or even via ebay. Cath Kidston used them to great effect in summer 2011 in her store windows.  Each crate had a painted interior in primary shades and they were packed with pretty goods.  Proof that a great display does not have to be expensive.  It's easy enough to paint or decorate a crate - even just Blu-Tacking some pretty wrapping or wallpaper inside can add a decorative note if painting is too long-winded.

Cath Kidston's window in Cambridge

A simple display case can be made out of an old drawer - this could be lined with paper or fabric and then covered with a sheet of clear plastic or glass.  An old fashioned printer's tray is ideal for showing off lots of small items.  The tray could be painted in a neutral shade or left in its original state.  Perfect if you sell little items such as buttons, beads, jewellery etc that fit neatly into the compartments.

If you can find vintage display items to use on your stand, this can be very effective.  Old fashioned tailors' dummies or vintage dress makers' models are ideal for displaying all kinds of things.  Clothing can look better displayed in this way, or jewellery draped or pinned onto the model even old badges and brooches.   Vintage shop display cases and shelves are very attractive and often feature glass doors, sides and tops, to make it easy to view displayed items.  These display cases are collectable in their own right, so don't come very cheap but you might be lucky enough to find one on ebay.

If money is tight, IKEA have some great display items such as mini-easels which can be painted and used to display prints, pictures and cards.  Old wine boxes often given away at specialist wine shops can also be used as shelves, painted or unpainted.  Mug trees painted a pretty shade are good for hanging up jewellery.  Look around your home and utilise your existing storage and display accessories.  A small bookshelf painted in a natural shade can be used to show small items; an old fashioned clothes airer is ideal for textiles and a plate rack great for stacking delicate bone china plates.

Colour themeing can be a great way to style your stall - having uniform colours for display shelves and stands can help pull a stall together.  A subtle grey is very fashionable at the moment and is a good  counterpoint to bright colours or subtle shades alike.  Taking one step further, some stalls even stick to a certain palette of colours preferring to buy their stock in a limited colour range.  Hard work but with a fantastic result.

Little touches of humour are a great finishing touch on a stall.  A cheese dish with a toy mouse under the dome or a child's chair dressed with an old doll or teddy adds a light-hearted note.  The quirky and unusual will catch the eyes of your potential customers as they walk by. Don't be afraid to let your personality shine through your stall - it is easy to copy the crowd but developing your own style "signature" is more original.

Using flowers and plants can really dress up a stall, especially in the spring when there are so many lovely and inexpensive potted bulbs available. Hyacinth, narcissi, daffodils and primroses look charming in old pots deftly placed on top of cupboards or in a teacup or bowl to bring natural beauty to the picture.  Cut flowers displayed in old glass jugs, single stems in pretty vintage bottles or natural twigs and leaves all have their merits.  I have even seen bowls of conkers used to dress a stall selling simple French rustic items.   In the summer, flowers and herbs are plentiful and a wildflower bouquet easily assembled to dress a stand.  Geraniums in weathered terracotta pots look fantastic, especially at open air events.  Lavender plants are cheap to buy and when in flower smell delicious.  Winter displays look festive with pine cones, greenery such as ivy and holly.

pretty spring flowers in a garden display

If you want to splash out, providing your customers with a good quality carrier bag for their purchase does lend a touch of class.  Handsome white or brown heavy duty paper carriers with string handles look smart and they can also be printed with your logo or you can add a sticker with your name and logo, to make them your own.  These types of bags are not a low cost investment, so you might prefer to recycle carrier bags.  Many carrier bag manufacturers can be found online.  For smaller items, traditional candy-striped paper bags are fun and come in a range of hues.  Normally, you have to buy a few hundred at a time.

Wrapping customers' purchases in tissue paper will create a professional feel at events.  Plus it protects the item/s and avoids the messy ink of newspaper rubbing off on delicate pieces.  Blocks of tissue can be bought from florist suppliers or online and comes in all shades and patterns. You can pick a colour to fit in with your brand colour/s - pastel shades are particularly pretty or floral patterened tissue.  Each purchase feels like a gift when beautifully wrapped up and adds to the feelgood factor.  So much nicer for your customer unwrapping some pretty colourful tissue, than some old, scrumpled newspaper.

If you are selling at a Christmas fair, you could take this to another level.  For example, putting some loose lavender heads inside the tissue package or some scented pot pourri.  Using decorative string or gift labels could be a further twist or you could offer a gift wrapping service, if you have the necessary skill and patience.

Your business card is a very important touch - people love to pick these up and keep them.  Make sure your card is on your stall and put one into each carrier bag with a sold item.  Many cards are now postcard sized, making use of great photos or illustrations for maximum impact.  You may have to invest in a graphic designer to produce something but some of the budget online printers do have templates available.  Bulk digital printing is now relatively inexpensive and companies such as Vistaprint provide a quick, accessible service.  Your card is your showcase so make sure it looks the part.  Don't forget to put on your Facebook and Twitter tags, website details and contact information.

the back of a fun business card

Other little touches that are worth considering include having wrapped sweets in pretty foil to offer - in a glass jar or little bowl, this can look quite charming.  One stallholder I know often has a plate of beautiful shortbread hearts on her stand - very popular with the visitors.  Offering a giveaway is a nice gesture and does help to bring people to your stall. Someone else I know has had some very smart pencils emblazoned with her logo and has these in a china pot on her stall. 

These small details may need a little time and effort, but if they bring more people to your stall or unit more sales should follow.  Plus, you will get the reputation of having the best dressed stall at the fair or market and this may secure you an invite to exhibit at one of the top-end fairs or shows.  Having the right look is very important to these fair organisers.

Enjoy styling your stall and finding those little extra flourishes that can make such a difference.

The young ones - vintage can be fun for children, too!

As many of you are probably parents with young or teenage children, this chapter is about how to get your children interested and involved with your vintage business. Also, if you particularly like children, you may want a business that sells vintage things specially for babies and children.

My daughter, Emilia, was only 3 when I started going to boot sales and markets regularly and being a single mum at the time, she had to come along with me.  She became quite well known at the various places and enjoyed the attention and fuss she received.  Now as a twentysomething, she shares a love of the old and quirky, so something rubbed off along the way.  We used to have fun together and keeping her interested allowed me to enjoy my passion, too!  It wore off a bit when she was a teenager - the early starts did not appeal.  But by then, she could be left for a couple of hours without worrying.

sweet old music score for a lullaby

Making things fun and enjoyable is the best way of keeping your children engaged and lets you have time to browse when you are out buying.  And if they come to events where you are selling, they can become great little helpers and develop confidence at the same time.

The boot sale conundrum.  When our children are little, most of us have enough plastic toys to build a replica of the Great Wall of China.  So, avoiding acquiring more plastic is a big issue at boot sales - inevitably your child will fixate on some ghastly lump of plastic that you loathe.  Of course, there are always loads of sellers getting rid of their own plastic toy mountains!  But, even little ones can enjoy the fun of having a small sum of money to invest in a collectable. If you find something your children love - it might be My Little Pony (collectable plastic!), china animal ornaments like Wade Whimsies, old school or picture books, metal or wooden toys - the boot sale becomes a treasure hunt and enormous fun.  I always like to encourage children when I am a seller - I let them handle things under supervision and enjoy their interest and questions.  And most people appreciate someone showing an interest in their child's enthusiasm.

When the children get a bit older, around 6 or 7, you might even introduce them to the idea of buying things to sell.  I used to give my daughter a couple of £s to buy items and then sell them on her behalf, giving her the profits.  She loved finding her bargains and making a bit of pocket money.  And it does teach children about money, negotiation and other valuable life skills.  At our local fair, Village Vintage, a really fantastic young man called Henry aged about 13, has a regular stall.  He brings along all his finds and makes some decent returns - his dad helps him, but he is a real entrepreneur in the making. 

old ted in his vintage bed with little bedclothes fasioned from an old sheet and blanket...ssshhh!

Children develop their eye for good objects if they visit antique shops, vintage markets, old houses and places of interest.  If you enjoy lovely things and can show them how to appreciate things, it will be a lifelong habit and pleasure.  Of course, they may reject "old stuff" totally for a while and only like modern, new things, but come back to it later.  From what I see at every fair, there are plenty of  girls and guys in their 20s running vintage businesses - and loads more out there buying all sorts of funky, fun and inexpensive stuff.  I love it!

How about getting your child involved in your stall if they have to come with you? Helping you carry in a few items is the obvious starting point, although you might think twice if your stock is heavy or breakable.  But they can carry the cloths, your stationery kit, picnic and props - all very useful. Maybe they have a few things to sell and you can give them a little space on your table.  If not, how about getting them involved in selling for you on a commission basis.  I used to leave my daughter in charge of my stall and she would do a grand sales job for me.  I used to pay her a percent on sales, to incentivize her.  Asking your child to wrap up sold items and take the money and give change to customers, will help to build their confidence and makes them feel they are important.  Most children seem to respond well to responsibility and enjoy being treated as an adult.  Learning how to have conversations with adults who are not friends or family is another bonus.  And if they sell their own treasures, being able to research and give the history of the item is another great learning point.  Most buyers are friendly and encouraging of young ones who are helping on a stall.

Scripture Cubes - a very old fashioned toy!

inside the box! for Sunday Best only.

Another fun job that can be given to a child with neat writing is to produce your price labels - an artistic child might be encouraged to design something for you.  Or you could use rubber stamps to make attractive labels.  This can be done at home whilst you are cleaning, refurbishing and packing your stock.

If your child really takes to selling, when they get a bit older they might even want to start up their own stall.  Lots of girls in the vintage world sell clothes, jewellery, hair ornaments, children's books and toys - and there is no reason why your son or daughter can't do the same.  Boys might be interested in vintage memorabilia, games, sporting items or classic collectables like toy cars and planes.  Having their own stall and making their own decisions about stock and pricing is a great way to create an independent and confident teenager.  Many schools now encourage this spirit through the Young Enterprise scheme.  And earning money is always an attractive option for teenagers.

lovely old Triang caterer's truck....

As a trader, I also try to make my stall attractive to children.  Many mums come along with toddlers and school children and it can be very boring for them.  Being small, in a hot busy hall, with people's bags and packages bashing into you isn't a lot of fun!  I always have sweets or chocolates to offer - mini Easter eggs or wrapped sweets (hygiene being a concern).  I always check with the parent or carer before offering the sweets, in case the child is not allowed them.  At Christmas, I have a 50p lucky dip which is always popular and again provides a child-focussed activity to make the day enjoyable for smaller visitors.  Having attractive vintage toys, games and children's books will of course be a draw.  Just make sure that the items at child height are robust enough to stand a bit of handling - something wooden that cannot be broken is ideal.  If your stock is too precious or valuable to be handled by children then do keep an eye and gently remind the child or parent that the item is very precious.  Most parents will get the hint!

A lot of mums and teenage girls seem to enjoy a day together at a vintage fair - what a lovely way to spend time and build closeness.  Fairs where there are vintage stylists and make up artistes are particularly popular with the girls - if you are offering this kind of service at your stall, then maybe a "mum and daughter" offer would work well.  Prettily displayed clothes and accessories will be a magnet to today's fashion loving teens.  If you sell fashion, make sure you have a good mirror available or are close to a changing area for trying on.  Some fairs even have prizes for best dressed buyers and if you sell fashion items, perhaps you could sponsor the prize and have pictures of the winner taken at your stall?

I also try to have things of interest to small (and grown up) boys!  Pictures and books on cars, planes, trains are always a hit; old metal farm animals and cars, wooden tractors and train sets are bound to appeal.  One word of warning though; many old toys were painted with lead paint, now not in use as it is toxic.  If you are buying or selling toys that would appeal or be played with by small children, please make sure that the parents or guardians are aware of this.  I would always stress that old toys are collectables and not necessarily for everyday play.  This would also apply to the eyes and clothes on old teddies and dolls - not necessarily safe by today's standards.  Some grannies have old toys that the children can only play with under supervision which sounds like a good compromise.  I still have my Great Aunt Amy's doggie nightdress case, Rover, which I played with everytime I visited her - probably not up to safety standards of today, but it gave me hours of fun.

Christmas fairy and golden coins

If you want to appeal to young parents and have a stall that attracts their custom, I can guarantee that small chairs are extremely sought after.  No-one, especially grand-parents, can resist a cute tiny school chair, deckchair, rocker or armchair.  Small tables, old fashioned school desks, old third pint milk bottles, blackboards on stands, vintage metal and wire school lockers, pre-1960s school and youth group uniforms and kit, garden benches, tiny deckchairs, children's gardening items like tools, wheelbarrows and watering cans all sell very well.  In fact, you could dedicate a whole stall just to vintage things for kids!  I know of one trader, Dinky Vintage, who sells lovely vintage children's clothing.  Photographs of babies and children taken pre 1960 are also adorable - small serious boys clutching teddies; round faced girls with bobbed hair in their Sunday dresses - lovely examples of what is out there.  And don't forget vintage tricycles, scooters, rocking horses and pedal cars - lovely for a child but also great display objects for grown-uips, too.

I hope these ideas and reflections on involving your children are helpful.  A shared passion with a child, whether for vintage, sports, music or any other activity is a wonderful bond.

Happy face!

Setting up shop.

I have always had a desire to have my own beautiful shop.  This started when I was at primary school and a friend and I used to make little things and bring them to school to "sell" (actually, give away).  My "shop" was a cardboard toy suitcase and I used to make tiny gonks out of sponge with drawn-on felt pen faces  (I was a child of the 60s) and other funny homemade things.  My friend's shop was better stocked, as her dad owned a toy store and got proper toys to stock her shop-in-a-suitcase.  And for a while, I have considered having my own shop, but not yet been brave enough to take the leap.

I am sure that many of you trading successfully at fairs have a dream of opening a shop as the next step in your business.  The happy medium is to find an antiques/vintage centre or arcade where you can rent a space or unit.  A shop within a shop.  This is a much less risky way of trying your hand at shop-keeping and can be a great way of selling to a wide customer base.  Sadly,  the number of antique and vintage centres is falling - the recession has taken its toll. Towns like Dorking and Petworth once noted for their plethora of antiques shops, have seen many of these close down in the past few years.  As business rents have increased, traders have been priced out of the market; footfall in many places has declined and online selling has changed the face of retailing.  However, many people who buy vintage and antique goods still like to examine and handle items before buying. 



With the explosion of interest in the vintage lifestyle and interiors, some new centres have opened for business moving away from the traditional antiques centre model to offer a brighter and more attractive alternative.  If you are a collector or love decorating your home with old bits and pieces, you probably already know the best local centres and even thought about taking space.  BBC Home and Antiques magazine and other interiors/design/collectors magazines, publish features on "vintiquing" in particular towns or regions, including information on the best centres and shops to visit.  If you already frequent centres you will have a good idea about where your merchandise might fit in best.  I love places where I may unearth a bargain - a bit chaotic, lots of stalls and a regular turnover of stock and these rummage-y places seem to be popular with buyers, too.

gorgeous display at Country Artisan market

I used to sell at a monthly market and many of my regulars were traders in a particular antiques centre.  It soon occurred to me that I could cut out the middleman, get a unit in the same centre and sell my stock direct to their customers at a better price.  Like many popular centres, this particular place had a waiting list so I called in or phoned each week until I secured a space.  A very small space, but it got me started and established.  Since then, I have tried several different centres, even having two on the go at once for a few weeks.  It sounds strange, but not every centre will work for you.  You may have to try a couple before finding the one that's best for you. I have no explanation for why this might be - just personal experience.  I prefer to be in a dedicated antiques/vintage centre and not one where there is a mixture of craft and antiques.  A cafe on site can be a bonus, although some people will only visit the cafe and spend little or no time exploring the stalls. 

Selling from a centre might involve having to staff the shop for a day or half-day on a regular basis.  Many centres are operated by traders taking turns to run front of house. Whilst this can be enjoyable it can be an unwelcome constraint if you have to juggle family life or other work to accommodate it.   I used to work full-time and had to do my day on a Sunday, often with my small daughter in tow.  Some centres are owner-operated or have a full-time manager to take care of things.  In this case, you can just price and display your stock and they do the work of selling, keeping records and accounts and paying out.  This can be a real bonus as it frees up your time to go out buying and to work on displaying your space to a high standard.  Every centre will vary so if you are planning to take up space, find out what is expected of you in terms of time commitment within the shop.

Rent is the biggest overhead and you need to evaluate what you can realistically afford.  If the rent is too high, all your profits will just be sucked back into rent and you will have no money to reinvest in the business.   Some centres allow you to rent a few shelves or a cabinet and this can be a gentle way in if you are cautious. A few centres will sell on a commission basis and take a % of the sale price;  some may also take a percentage if the customer makes a credit or debit card payment.  If get the chance, talk to other traders in the centre to find out if it is well organised and has a steady flow of customers.  A centre that is visited by the trade and the public is ideal - the trade will buy regularly from you if they like what they see.  Easy access for unloading and delivering stock is desirable, particularly if you are selling large or heavy  items.   Also check out how the centre advertises and markets itself either in print, through social media and via a website.  Ideally, a good centre will advertise widely and regularly to draw in new customers.

Having a unit in a centre is like having a full-time stall at a fair. And it saves you the effort of a lot of lifting and transporting stock to and fro; plus your stock is on show all the time, not just one or two days a month.  Statistically, this gives it a better chance of being sold. Once in a centre, it is really important to keep your unit or space looking fresh, tidy and well stocked.  Even if you just move things around and re-display a few bits it gives the impression that new stock has arrived.  I often find that "old friends" sell when I re-arrange my stall - things come to light and are snapped up.  If you leave your stall untended for several weeks, its appearance will suffer and so will your sales. Left alone, stock gets damaged and dirty and often moved from your space to another.   If you can't visit the centre regularly, at least leave stock priced up and ready to go out so that the staff or manager can replenish any gaps.

Styling your unit with attractive fixtures and fittings, good lighting, seasonal displays, clear and informative price labels on a  range of interesting stock all helps to generate interest and sales.  The same tricks for styling your stall at a fair apply to a unit - vary the height and layout of items; group colours together or go for a packed, busy and interesting display that hints at undiscovered treasure.   Be original about your displays - take a theme or colour and build your display around that.  In the past, I have themed my unit in
keeping with events such as the Jubilee; Trafalgar Day; Easter and of course, Christmas.  If you are creative, this is an excuse to go over the top and make your space stand out from the crowd.  You can create quite a following by having an interesting stall and attract regular buyers who appreciate your unique and eye-catching stock display.

Jubilee styled shop window for an opticians in Kent

You should gradually start to see a pattern in your weekly turnover figures and get a feel for how much you might sell in a week or month. Sales may not be consistent at first, as it takes time to find out what sells well and what is less popular.  Some weeks will be slow and then it will suddenly pick up.  Like most retailers, your sales will be affected by all kinds of external factors such as the weather, the time of year, the school holidays, the economy....I could go on!    Customers often have other pressures on their purses and vintage items are in the "nice to have" not "need to have" category.   You may be lucky enough to be trading in an affluent area or one where tourists visit and the recession has less of an impact.

Your centre will provide you with a sales record and you can marry this up with your stock book and track your profitability.  Some centres pay out "on demand" so you can go in any time and collect your takings.  Others pay out on a set day of the week or month.  It is up to you how detailed your accounts are and if you track profitablity on every sale. I will cover keeping accounts in a later chapter.

Having a unit is a relatively low-risk entry point into running a shop.  Most centres require either a weekly or monthly payment of rent and a month's notice, so you are rarely committed for a long period.  Allow two or three months to "bed-in" and to assess your sales and profits.  The manager or other traders may be able to advise you on how to improve sales if you are not doing so well.  Be open to advice from those with more experience.  You may have to experiment a little with stock and try out different items and displays to get sales.  There is often a first flurry of sales when you first open your unit as your stock will attract interest from the regular customers. Your best pieces will probably go very quickly - you may want to review pricing in line with other traders if your prices tend to be lower or higher than others.  If after 4-6 weeks things are very slow, you may need to re-think your strategy.  If you are still doing fairs as well, perhaps you are holding back your best stock for fairs?  In which case, the sales in your unit may be slow because you are not updating stock with your prime pieces.  In the past I have been tempted to change direction on my stock, thinking it would improve sales in a particular centre.  However,  it didn't work for me and meant I ended up with stock I found hard to shift elsewhere.  Mostly, trial and error will determine what works best for you - there is no magic formula.

Networking and making friends with other traders and customers is an added bonus.  Having a good network can be useful if you need information about a specific fair, auction or a second opinion on an item or price.  There is a camaraderie in the trade and you will meet many fascinating and friendly people.

If you do a rip-roaring trade in your unit and have masses of stock stashed away, you may be tempted to open a shop of your own.  This can be a highly costly and risky exercise and there are many pitfalls.  But retailers such as Cath Kidston and Cabbages and Roses started with one outlet and a lot of passion and commitment. 

Renting a shop is not a cheap option.  A well located shop in a busy high street might command an annual rent between £10,000-£25,000 plus.  Most commercial tenancy agreements tie the tenant in for at least a year, often longer, although you may find a landlord willing to offer a short lease or a sub-let.  The high streets are full of empty shops, which tells its own story about how difficult retail is at the moment.  Large retailers undertake incredibly careful analysis and market research before renting or building retail space.  If you are going to have a shop, do your homework very carefully.  Is the shop in a busy area with good pedestrian footfall; being close to cash machines, supermarkets or other well-established independent stores is also a bonus.  If your budget precludes being in the main shopping streets, are you in an area that is easy to find, close to cafes and car parks or amongst similar retailers.  It can be an advantage to be near other similar shops, as this creates a destination for customers who enjoy exploring several places in one trip.  Talk to other small shopkeepers about how they find local trade, when they find it quiet or busy etc.  If other independent shops, even vintage and antique shops have opened and then closed, try to find out the reasons.  If they found trade tough, you might too.  The local Chamber of Commerce is a good source of business information and will be able to give you insights into local conditions. 

Bear in mind the outgoings on a shop not only include the rental, often payable in quarterly instalments in advance.  On top of that you will have to pay business rates, unless you are in an enterprise zone where the council waives rates as an incentive to new retailers.  Don't forget the utilities, light, heat and water are also a cost.  And you will need public liability insurance, and also if you employ help, employer's insurance.  All these essential but boring expenses have to be covered each month before you sell one item and in a slow month, this can be a big cost and worry.  Shop overheads (ie all the costs just described) are constant, unlike fairs and markets which can be turned on and off to suit.  A shop can be the death of your dream if you are not prepared for this financial and time commitment.

You may think about sharing the shop with a friend or acquaintance.  My advice is to think very carefully about going into business with a friend -often friendships don't survive.  Even if you think it will work, do have a simple a contract between all parties agreeing setting out roles and responsibilities including financial liabilities.  For example, if you have a lease only in your name you will be liable for the rent, so if you are sharing a shop, make sure both of you are named and sign the rental agreement.  On a long lease, even if your business folds you will still have to pay rent unless the shop can be re-let.

Consider carefully what you and a partner want from setting up a shop - if one of you is more business like and profit focussed than the other, that could lead to conflicts.  Do you have compatible or complementary stock and similar ideas about display and layout.  If you have complementary skills this could be useful - one of you is great on accounts, the other on marketing for example.  Like any partnership, there will be areas of compromise.  If you know you don't work well with other people or have a very strong style that might not fit with someone else, then sharing may not be an option.

You could offer space to invited stall holders - if your potential shop is large enough to split into sections, this could enable you to have a steady cash flow from rent.  Of course, you will need to be sure that your stallholders will pay on time and will run their stalls in accordance with the standards you wish to set.  Ideally, draw up terms and conditions that form a contract stating rent, notice period, requirements for manning, stock management and so on.  Do not be tempted to be casual about arrangements as this leads to confusion and ill-feeling.  Taking on a shop and setting it up as a centre with several traders is quite an ambitious step.  Your work behind the scenes will involve accounts, advertising and marketing and sorting out manning.

If you have a shop, consider how you will staff it day by day.  Ideally, you will want to open 6-7 days a week, but doing this on your own will wipe out family life and the chance of getting out to buy.  If you are sharing manning, then you can work out a rota.  If you chose only to open on specific days, that can work well - I know one trader who runs her shop from home and opens on two weekdays and Saturday.  Her signage is clear about her hours of business and the rest of the time customers can visit her online.  But if you are paying high street rents, you need to maximise your opening hours.

If you take someone on, you need to think carefully about the implications of having an employee. Paying a wage or salary, plus sorting out tax and National Insurance contributions is where it starts.  You are also obliged to meet the requirements of employment legislation covering things like health and safety; maternity or parental leave; sick pay; working hours; holiday pay.  Many councils run services for small and medium sized enterprises to brief them on law, accounting and general business practice.  Most people starting up a business shy away from taking staff on, because it is not a straightforward process.  If you can hire someone who is willing to work on a freelance basis and invoice for their services, this may be a way to go.

Running a shop requires a lot of careful planning, good budgeting and accounting, accurate record keeping for tax purposes as well as the more creative side of buying and displaying stock.

In my next chapter, I will talk about other routes for diversification in your business.

Bigger and better...next steps

Once you start selling at fairs and markets in your local area, it is quite natural to think about where you can go next with your business.  There is no pressure to expand, if what you are doing suits your lifestyle.  That's the benefit of working for yourself - no targets to meet and no managers breathing down your neck.  Over the years, I have found I have peaks and troughs in my activity levels - sometimes, it suits me to do very little; other times, I am fired up and out and about at lots of events. 

So, what are the next steps you can take, the pros and cons and the costs involved.

Firstly, and very simply, you could just increase the number of local fairs that you do.  Your early research will have given you some ideas about the best local fairs and markets.  Perhaps you are doing one monthly event and could manage another, without it being a massive workload.  Ideally, try out a fair with a different audience to your regular spot.  Otherwise, you are not widening your potential customer base and will be showing the same stock, at twice the costs, to the same people.  This might involve going out of your home county, to another big town or signing up for an annual event that attracts a big following.  This shouldn't involve a huge amount of extra work although you will need to buy in more stock.  The benefits of trading at two fairs is that you can rotate the stock between them; what doesn't sell at one might be the item that sells quickest at the other.   And you will expand your customer base and contacts by going to a new fair.  The costs of a stall might be more expensive for a one-off fair and the travel costs higher, but by now you should be making some profit.  Some of this can be invested in buying into a new fair and increasing your stock levels.  Many traders make a good living by trading at local fairs within a small area - this can be a stable and satisfying way of doing business.  Or you can be more ambitious and think about travelling further afield.

If you love the vintage scene, the specialist vintage festival might appeal to you. In recent years, a variety of Vintage Festivals have sprung up, bringing together music, dance, food and stalls selling all kinds of vintage homeware, clothes even bicycles!  These are great events to go to, usually over a weekend in a pleasant setting such as a racecourse or a country house estate.  People often attend impeccably dressed in their vintage gear, looking for all kinds of items to add to their homes and wardrobes.  Some people style their homes entirely in keeping with a period such as the 40s or 50s  even TVs, fridges and cookers.  These festivals can be great places to sell, if you are willing to put in the work required.

One successful organiser is Discover Vintage http://www.discovervintage.co.uk/  - they hold big festivals at York and Sandown racecourses.  The benefits of selling at festivals is that everyone there is committed to the vintage way of life and the footfall can be in the thousands, putting you in front of a massive potential customer base.  Festival goers will be having a good time and in the mood to buy wonderful vintage goods.  There are a few things that could work against selling at these events, though.  Firstly, they are a big investment both in terms of cost, but also of time and preparation. The commitment to be there for a weekend, and sometimes the day before to set up, is much greater than a local one-day fair.  Plus, you will need plenty of stock to ensure you have sufficient available for the whole event.  You may also need to stay on site or close by the event, if it is too far to travel to and from each day. And trading for two days can be pretty gruelling - so try to enlist help, if you can.  As you can see, the costs are beginning to stack up but the returns can be high.  Other organisers of big vintage festivals and fairs include www.judysvintagefair.co.uk - they run fashion, furniture and kilo sales - the last is ideal for buyers of fashion items if you trade in this.

The other big factor is weather - summer 2012 showed us that we cannot rely on sunshine and dry conditions at outdoor events.  Even if you are in a marquee or have your own gazebo, if the weather is poor, people don't always turn up or stay around and sales will be affected.  However, there is the peculiar British thing of being out in all weathers, which can work in your favour.  Last year I did a particularly wet fair in July - our gazebo was crammed all day with people sheltering from the rain and spending their money.  The mud was on knee high but somehow we all had a great day!  Very much a case of keeping calm and carrying on.

If you are at a large event, the design and layout of the site will have an impact on footfall.  Make sure that your stall or site will be located near to other attractions or where plenty of people will pass by.  Not much good to be tucked away at the bottom end of a field, if nothing else is there to draw people over.    With other events and attractions laid on, the stalls are in competition to grab attention.  Also, you will be in competition with many other stalls, so you will need to think about how to make your's stand out.  Having a stall at a festival can be a lot of fun and financially rewarding, but be prepared to work hard for your dollars!

If festivals aren't your bag, you might be tempted to sell at one of the large antiques fairs such as Ardingly, Newark and Swinderby organised by IACF www.iacf.co.uk .  If you have visited these to buy, you will know how busy and exciting they are and how varied the stalls can be.  Again, this involves a higher stall cost than you might usually pay for a local fair.  You can keep costs lower by trading outside, rather than in the more expensive indoor spots or tented areas.  Actually, it's great fun outside, but do bring a gazebo, waterproofs and suncream!  You will probably plan well in advance to take a stall, to give yourself time to acquire plenty of fresh and exciting stock.  This will be on top of the stock you take to your regular markets.  Price and pack as you go, so you don't have a massive task just before the fair.  These fairs can be quite frantic at first - driving around to find your spot, unloading and setting up usually as quickly as you can go.  If you can, take a friend to help, it's advisable to do so - you will need breaks and loo trips and time to look around.  Be well prepared with food, drinks and anything else you need.  These fairs are advertised internationally and attract masses of buyers - the trade days are usually the best for sales.  Only committed buyers will pay the high admission charges and are definitely there to find the bargains.  Many traders I know who do these big fairs do so well on the first day, that they don't always go back on the second day.   But, this does mean missing out on potential sales, unless you have sold out of stock!

If these big scale fairs sound a bit daunting, then there are many really good one-day fairs to try out.  These might be purely antique or vintage fairs, or part of another event such as an agricultural or country show, a homes and gardens show or even a wedding fair.  Depending on what you sell, you might want to explore these avenues for something different.

A great one-day trade fair to sell at is Sunbury Antiques at Kempton racecourse.  Held twice monthly, this fair attracts buyers from all over the world, and is fantastically cosmpolitan and exciting.  You can buy a ticket to sell outside in advance from the organisers - this means you are financially committed whatever the weather.  Tickets sell out quickly so book well ahead for the fair date you want.  Or you can take the more spontaneous approach of being a "casual" - just turning up on the night and queueing to get a spot.  If you do this, find out from the organisers what time to get there to queue.  Many people arrive in the very early hours and sleep in their cars and vans, as the fair opens at 6.30 am.  There are also indoor spaces, but many are occupied by regulars and you may have to wait a while for a space to come up.  Outside is fun - you unload straight from your car onto your table and start selling straight away.  The trade buyers are quick and focussed, so it can feel quite rushed.  The public arrive later, when things are less frantic.  If you have unusual stock or a lot of things to sell, this fair is the place to be.  Give it a go if you can. www.sunburyantiques.com


In some areas of the country, some more exclusive fairs have sprung up in recent years.  Often stallholders are invited to exhibit by the organiser, rather than just applying and being accepted.  These are often held in private country houses and attract a very affluent group of customers.  As these fairs are curated, rather than open to all-comers,  the quality of stalls and stock tends to be very high.  If this type of event interests you, it is worth visiting a few to see the high standards and gorgeous pieces avaiable.  One such fair is the wonderful Decorative Living fair on the Eridge estate in Kent.  This is held in May and brings together superb purveyors of textiles, painted furniture, gardening antiques, beautiful clothing, French antiques and much more.  It is a feast for the eyes, as every stallholder competes to win the Best Dressed Stall crown.   The organisers may invite you to exhibit, but you can also put yourself forward with photographs of your stock.  Many of these fairs change their stall holders each year to provide variety, so don't be too deflated if you don't get invited.  The work involved in producing a stall for these exclusive fairs is considerable and investment in good stock quite substantial.  You can follow Decorative Living Fair on Facebook; other events of this type include the Avington Brocante, also in May and a wonderful Christmas fair organised by Betty and Violet at Woburn www.bettyandviolet.com.

Having to apply with photos of stock to exhibit at fairs is not uncommon, as organisers want to ensure quality and provide a good range of items to attract customers.  There are some outstanding fairs such as the Country Living Fair www.countrylivingfair.com and The Wealden Times Midsummer and Midwinter Fairs www.wealdentimes.co.uk, that have a strict application and acceptance policy.  Even many one-day fairs are taking this approach, with the vast number of people wanting to sell their wares.

If you have ever been to one of these fairs, it is tempting to think about applying for a stall. To be selected, you have to provide photographs of your stock and convince the organisers that you have something different and special. If you do apply,  it may take a few attempts before you are accepted.  The organisers can afford to be very choosy. The costs of a stall can run into hundreds, so it is a big financial commitment.  Plus the fairs run over three or four days, and a set up day and some even open in the evening.  Your stamina will be tested by the long hours, the pace and pressure of such a large event.  Again, you may have to stay near the fair venue if you cannot travel to and fro each day; plus you may have to hire help to cover some of the sessions.  These types of fair are the ultimate shopping experience - with the right stock and a fantastically styled stand, you could do very well.

If this sounds a bit overwhelming, you may want to investigate the Charity Gift Fair circuit.  These tend to run through spring/summer and then another season in the autumn for Xmas gift shopping.  You will have to apply and may be vetted for most of these fairs.  Many work on the basis of charging a stall fee plus a commission on sales and often a donation of an item to the charity raffle.  These fairs are held in country houses, beautiful barns, hotels and private homes and can attract large numbers.  However, they are usually open to sellers of all kinds of items, so you may be next to a stall selling cheese, wellingtons or children's toys.  Small items, such as jewellery, silver, cutlery, pretty glassware, serving dishes can be popular buys.  They can be a little hit and miss though, as many visitors will not be interested in vintage or antique items.  If this is something you wish to pursue, there is a Charity Fairs Association to help sellers and organisers www.charityfairsassociation.co.uk

In the summer outdoor events often invite traders to take pitches - some are themed such as Garden and Produce shows, Steam Fairs, Agricultural Shows and Car Rallies.  If you have items that will interest people who go to such events, you could find them a very good outlet.  A trader friend of mine exhibits at a Rare Breeds show and over the year collects up all kinds of agriculturally-themed items - these go down a storm at this specialist event.  If you have a particular interest such as gardening or cooking, taking along your vintage gardenalia or kitchenalia to a gardening show or a Food Festival could work really well.  If you trade in a niche area such as dog or horse-related items, then taking a stand at Crufts or Olympia horse show could work well.  But this requires very diligent and exhaustive buying to build up a mountain of stock to take to these busy, national events.

There is a fair or market out there for everyone - you may prefer to be inside at a high-end fair or outside in a gazebo at a big summer show.  Until you try, you won't know what works best for you, but there is an abundant choice.  In my next chapter I will talk about the pros and cons of being in or running a shop.