The great outdoors - vintage in the wild!

The summer time is a great time to be doing outdoor vintage and antiques events.  Many fairs take place in amazing settings - often privately owned properties and not generally open to the public.  My own visits to outdoor fair venues this year have included the glorious grounds of a wonderful country castle; the well-tended gardens of a delightful Cotswold stone country cottage in the middle of nowhere; a beautiful green park in London - complete with pond; a golf course overlooking the South Downs in Sussex.  The atmosphere is always joyful as the fairs' organisers bring together unusual and speciality catering ranging from afternoon tea to fashionable street food purveyors;  entertainment and attractions such as vintage car and bike displays, jive or Lindy Hop dancers, swing singers or brass bands,  even old-fashioned fete games and attractions. And these events bring a much wider audience than most specialist vintage or antique fairs.

For the vintage trader, these outdoor events are a great way to get out and meet a wider audience.  Whilst the real vintage addicts will visit every fair and shop they can, many more people will just enjoy a day out at a lovely place, with the vintage as an extra bonus.   And a new audience equals potential new customers.  Whether your stock is beautiful antiques, decorative vintage, funky retro, upcycled furniture or handmade items, your stall may inspire someone to try a new look or buy something unique.  So many people only shop on the high street or online so a fantastic vintage event can be a real revelation and inspiration to them.  Footfall at many of these events is high - one big London annual fair held on Wimbledon Common attracts 10,000 visitors!  And the first Classic Car Boot Sale, held on London's iconic South Bank, drew in over 7,000 visitors who enjoyed the amazing atmosphere with live music, street food, stalls and vintage vehicles to view.

Rather like camping, trading outdoors is a challenge - rain, wind, mud or heatwaves all present their own problems. It is essential to have some kind of decent rain/shade cover in place - on a hot day you will welcome the shade and on a wet day, it will protect you and your stock.  If you are on a tight budget, all the supermarkets and homestores sell cheap gazebos which do the job of covering your stand area.  These are usually very lightweight, relatively easy to assemble and cost around £50-75.  However, they tend not to wear well with heavy use.  Be aware that most are 3 m x 3 m so when booking your space, make sure you have enough room for a gazebo.  If you are only given space for a table, then an garden umbrella may be your only option.  Make sure you fix it into a sturdy parasol base, tie it down or hammer it into the ground - a strong gust of wind and you may find your umbrella flying off or knocking over your stall!  An umbrella won't stop the rain blowing in underneath on a very wet day.

Hardware stores sell plastic sheeting by the metre, so you might also invest in some large pieces of this to throw over your stock if not covered entirely by your gazebo or umbrella.  These are useful if leaving stock out overnight at an event, as the sheeting protects delicate items from condensation, birds and nosy parkers!  Get clear plastic if you can, so your stock can still be seen on a wet day even if you have to cover it over.  Large clamps or pegs are useful to clip the sheets to the tables - otherwise weight them down with stones.

If you want a more professional gazebo, it is worth spending a while researching a good one and getting recommendations from other traders.  The best I have used are the pop up variety which concertina out on jointed frames.  They usually need two people to put them up, but someone will always give you a hand at an event.  The better quality ones have steel frames, which are less likely to bend or snap than cheaper options.  Buy the sides as well - these are essential in wet weather or if leaving your stall overnight.  Some companies even make bespoke gazebos in different colours with your own logo or name imprinted.  A good gazebo can cost from £150 upwards, but should last you a few seasons.  If the gazebo gets wet, you should dry out the cover when you get it home to prevent rotting.  Don't forget to take leg weights to secure the gazebo - some fairs now insist on this, as a Healthy and Safety requirement.  If using guy ropes, put coloured ribbon or tape on them to ensure visitors can see them and do not trip.  It is your responsibility to make sure your equipment is safe and cannot cause an accident.

There are also gazebo hire companies - they provide units in various sizes including small marquees which are of professional quality.  Hiring is a good option if you only do an occasional event or have nowhere to store gazebos and umbrellas. Some companies will even deliver, erect and collect their equipment, depending on the type hired.  This can be a time saver if you don't have anyone helping you or space in your car for equipment.

At many outdoor events, you can drive your vehicle onto or close to your pitch for loading/unloading.  The organiser should tell you about the arrangements for delivery, loading and parking before the day. But if the event is on a private garden, you will probably have to carry your stock from a parking point.  It is worth investing  in a decent portable trolley.  There are several types of trolley available - a sturdy shopping trolley or basket might work if your stock isn't bulky or heavy such as jewellery or handmade textile goods.  Heavier items can be moved either on a sack trolley - the upright sort used by railway porters, or on a flatbed trolley - where items can be laid on the trolley base and pulled along.  Many trolleys fold down flat so are easy enough to transport and store in a car or van.  Using a trolley will save you a lot of time and a sore back if you have a lot to move.  It is also useful to have a trolley available to lend to customers who want to take heavy items back to their cars.

Many outside events organisers do not supply traders with a table/s, so you will need to source your own suitable tables.  Old-fashioned wooden trestle tables look wonderful at country events and are also very hard-wearing.  The trestle legs fold flat, but the tops don't fold so you will need a long estate car or van, or a sturdy roof rack to transport them.  The wooden tables are heavy as well, so may not be ideal if you find lifting and carrying difficult.  Lightweight modern trestle tables, with plastic tops are a good alternative.  Both types of table can be purchased online through specialist companies.  Old style wooden tables come up on Ebay, and on specialist sites - but they can be expensive.  Or you may be lucky and find one in your local free ad paper or through a village or church hall that is getting rid of them.  A simpler option is the decorator's pasting table, much loved by boot salers.  These fold up, are light to transport and easily available.  Avoid the very cheap plyboard options, as these bow under weight and are very flimsy..  Go for the ones with solid tops and strong legs - a bit more expensive but will last longer.  All types of these tables can be found at Homebase, B&Q and other hardware/DIY stores.

Keeping warm at outside events can be a challenge, especially you do them in the winter months.  An old piece of carpet or even a piece of strong cardboard to stand on helps to keep your feet warm and dry.  Concrete or wet grass can make your feet very cold and uncomfortable if you are standing all day.  Fingerless gloves or wrist warmers are useful for keeping your hands warm but allow you to handle money easily.  Pocket handwarmers available from camping shops are also handy, if you suffer with cold fingers.

Personally, I always take a picnic with me to outdoor events.  A little folding table and chairs to sit at is very useful, and gives you a place to put your notebook, pens, wrapping materials as well as somewhere to eat.  Coolbags for your water, drinks and food are a sensible and hygienic way to keep food chilled and bug-free.  Food at outside events can be costly and if you have to queue for a while, you could be losing out on sales at your stand.  Having your own supplies keeps things simple and cost-effective.  If permitted by the fair organiser, a camping stove or portable barbeque can be useful to warm up soup, cook a few sausages or just boil a kettle.  And it all adds to the fun of the day for you and your helper/s.

You will probably have more space to set out your stock than at an indoor event.  Make the most of this by bringing larger items of stock and seasonal items.  Garden items, sporting paraphenalia, luggage and beach furniture are very popular in the summer months.   A row of stripey deckchairs or an arrangement of garden statutary can be really eye-catching.  Some of the items that sell well at outdoor events include:

• garden furniture - sets of tables and chairs, benches or tree seats in wood or metal

• garden statues, urns, water features and small ornaments - animals are particularly popular

Gorgeous vintage whippet statue

 

• deckchairs, sun loungers, windbreaks and directors' chairs - colourful and vibrant

• galvanised items such as baths, buckets and containers look great displayed with flowers

Eye-catching collection of gardenalia

• vintage bicycles and tricycles, handcarts and trolleys

• vintage toys such as rocking horses, pull-along toys, ride-on toys are visually appealing

Pull-along dogs - what fun!

• enamel containers such as florists buckets, large bowls and baths for planters

• weathervanes and decorative ironwork such as rose arches,plant troughs, plant holders

• croquet sets, old tennis racquets, clock golf sets

• quirky items such as old bird cages, finials and gargoyles, lobster pots are great talking pieces

• terracotta flower pots, rhubarb forcers, planters are useful and ornamental

• wicker picnic baskets, with or without their cutlery and crockery - popular with vintage car enthusiasts!

This can form all or part of your stock - outdoor items look great mixed with homeware.  Adding plants and flowers to the display really enhances the appearance - ferns, lavenders, geraniums, hydrangeas, lupins and foxgloves are perfect.

Once well equipped, outside events can be enormous fun - with a picnic and the sunshine you could almost be on holiday!  Winter outside events are more of a challenge.  Sunbury Antiques Market, held at Kempton Race Course, runs all year, rain or shine.  But it is always packed with traders and buyers.  Wearing lots layers, taking hot drinks and soup with you and moving around all help to keep warm.

If you have not done an outside event before, look out for new events in magazines with listings such as Homes and Antiques http://www.homesandantiques.com/.   Many events only run in the summer or are held as part of another bigger event such as a country show.   Being outside in the English countryside on a clear day beats being in an office anyday so make the most of the opportunity!

New ways to sell your vintage and antique stock.

Running a stall at a fair or market is great fun but sometimes it is hard to sell specailist items, or you need to reach a wider audience than your local customers.  There are other options for selling available, both through the Internet and also at specialist events.  Many traders who have a stall or a shop use other methods to sell their wares -often an item might not "fit" with other stock, but an online auction allows a sale at a good price.

Social media has opened up a world of possibilities.  Before Facebook, selling online involved having a website or using ebay or other auction sites.  I have noticed recently that more and more people are listing and displaying photos of items on their business Facebook page and doing a great trade.  This could be for vintage china and glass, craft and hand made items, second hand goods for the home or furniture and larger objects.  To be successful, you will need to build a following for your business Facebook account - however, there is plenty of information out there on how to do this.  The most important part of this process is to have a good, clear photo or photos of the item and to give a decent description.  If there are faults you should mention them - an unhappy customer will not be slow in making their feelings known on your page!  Some people build up some excitement by announcing a Sale or Auction of their items.  If you have a big following this can be a good way of getting people to focus on your page.  Others just list items as they come in, using a fairly simple template photo and short description to do the deed.  Don't forget to mention post and packing costs if you sell this way.  Even a small item can be costly to post and your profits will vanish if you have to cover this cost without charging for it.  If the item is very large, investigate using a courier service - these can work out cheaper.  If you do sell on Facebook, it seems to work best on a first-come first-served basis, but you will need to manage your page.  Be quick to acknowledge who makes the first offer by putting up a SOLD message with the name of the individual tagged, so there is no doubt who purchased it.  It is then up to you and the buyer to arrange for payment and ensure the item is sent promptly.  Paypal is a good method of receiving payment, but you might be also be willing to accept cash, cheque or postal order.

This rather informal method of selling has less protection for the buyer and seller than Ebay.  For example, if there is a dispute there is no mediating party to sort it out!  And if someone doesn't pay, you can't do much about it.  So, be a little cautious about selling via Facebook.

Ebay (www.ebay.co.uk) is the giant online auction service which allows you to sell pretty much anything you can imagine.  You will need to set up a personal account and agree to their terms and conditions.  As well as paying for each listing, you pay a % on every sale. Look out for free listing offers for specific categories or over weekends.  Listing is relatively simple as you are taken through the process stage by stage.  There are countless books and articles about how to sell well on ebay, so I won't go into massive detail here. It pays to be very clear in your description about the piece and to provide plenty of photos.  You should be meticulous about describing damage and flaws, otherwise your disappointed buyer is sure to give you poor feedback.  Feedback gives you credibility as a seller and buyer and if it is tarnished by a few complaints, might deter other people who were potential buyers.  You may want to start out with some small, low-value items and get familiar with the process. You have the option to set a starting price or reserve, to sell only to a domestic audience and to offer items for collection only.  Bear in mind the more conditions you add, the less bidders you will have.  A zero or low starting price auction tempts the treasure hunters and being willing to post or courier to home or abroad brings your pieces to a wider audience.  Again, do check costs and state these clearly from the start for any postage or delivery charges. 

It is worth spending time writing about your item - some ebay sellers are positively flowery, others terse to the point of almost non-existent information, which for a buyer can be frustrating. Find a happy medium and write upbeat, descriptive and factual selling copyy.  If you are selling something with any age, use the words "vintage antique old"  in the title - this picks up searches on each word.  Check your spelling! Poor spelling means your item may not be found by keen buyers who search only on correctly spelt wording. Remarkably, there are now specialist sites that search ebay for misspelt items on behalf of bidders.  These item can often be bought at bargain prices, due to lack of competition in the bidding process.  Look at how other, experienced sellers word their descriptions and use photos to best effect.  Many ebayers have shops and have nicely designed templates within which to sit their information, terms and conditions.  Do spend time on the terms and conditions of sale and returns.

Other sites that are popular for selling vintage/antique items abound.  Etsy is a great source of the quirky and unusual, with many vintage items listed.  Sellers can set up an Etsy shop with a picture of each item, price, description and postage.  Many Etsy sellers also post links to their Etsy sales page from Facebook -  a kind of social media double whammy. Writing good descriptions, photos and clear sales information including post and packing costs is important.

Another great service for selling antique and vintage items is The Hoarde (www.thehoarde.com).  Items on this site tend to be the more decorative antiques and vintage and there are plenty of different sellers on board to study.  There is a selection process, which is clearly explained and if you like using a computer, take good pictures and want to expand your audience, this could be a good option to follow up.

Another way of selling is to set up parties in people's homes, a bit like a Tupperware party!  You take your stock along, the host or hostess invites their friends and provides refreshments.  You have the chance to demonstrate and sell your stock in a mini-presentation.  This can be fun and sociable, but sales are never guaranteed.  Often the chit chat and gossip dominates the evening and the purpose of the party is somewhat lost.  Or people are not that interested in your items and have just turned up to support their friend. A more fruitful opportunity for generating business are the invitation-only private house parties, often held for charity, where a few selected traders are selected to sell.  These can be very profitable if the visitors are the yummy mummies and  well heeled ladies that lunch who like a bit of private shopping with an exclusive edge.  An extension of this are the charity gift fairs that abound in the autumn - many have stringent selection processes and are difficult to get into.  It is arguable whether antique and vintage items are popular at these fairs - not everyone wants to buy used items for gifts.  However, many charities attract a strong and loyal following of affluent supporters, who will spend generously at such events.

If you fancy being really ambitious, and specialise in an area such as dog or horse collectables or gardenalia, you could take a stand at the shopping villages of major dog, horse, country or garden shows.  The investment in these can be substantial and you will need masses of stock, as they are often several days long.  I have seen dog antique stands at Crufts, packed with china, glass, brass, silver dogs and dog-related ephemera.  Chelsea and Hampton Court flower shows often have stands with a range of vintage garden tools, furniture and statuary - often with big price tickets!  If you have a theme or passion for a niche area you will find other enthusiasts at such events.  If you like automobilia, then a stand at Goodwood Revival could be the perfect outlet for your vintage oil cans, road maps and picnic sets.  The same theory could apply for sporting events with vintage equipment and ephemera available at golf tournaments, tennis matches, cricket games etc.  There are also many auction houses who hold specialist sales once or twice a year and if you do find something unusual, consignment to a specialist sale could bring you a great price.

Developing your business takes a bit of thinking and effort, but it can yield great results.  You may find less competition for business and a more knowledgeable and enthusiastic audience by investigating specialised and niche events and selling opportunities.  Be bold and try something different!

Repair, upcycle and restore those vintage finds

The beauty of vintage and antique pieces is that they have been used and loved by other people - and the patina of age and wear enhances many items.  This is a very different way of thinking to those who collect specific pieces where condition has to be perfect such as ceramics,  figurines, glass and high value antique furniture.  But, for those who embrace the shabby chic, distressed vibe, a chip here and a crack there is not a deterrent to loving a piece.  However, there are times when a bit of care and attention will improve a piece or even turn an ugly duckling into a swan.  There are a lot of people upcycling and refreshing furniture that would otherwise end up in landfill - a great way to reuse an unloved and unlovely piece.  You don't have to be daunted if furniture painting sounds a bit hardcore - there are lots of simple and quick ways to improve your finds.  Here are a few tips and tricks that will help you to refresh and restore your finds and add a few £s to the selling price.  You may even find it so enjoyable that you want to try out more crafting and restoration and learn skills such as upholstery, furniture restoration or ceramic repairs and painting.

Cleaning a grubby item is often the first step to making your vintage finds look less shabby and more chic! But beware, dirt and grime on some items adds to rather than detracts from their value.  Please do not pressure wash old garden ornaments with a lovely speckling of moss and lichen!  However, most china and glass benefits from a good wash by hand; but never put old or fragile pieces into a dishwasher as it can damage the decoration and glaze. And some glass goes cloudy if it goes through the dish washer. Just a gentle wash or soak in warm soapy water removes the dust and grime.  A soft wash cloth is ideal for tackling the nooks and crannies, unless the item is grease covered.  Caked on kitchen grease, or even nicotine, is often found on items that have been displayed in a kitchen or near an open fire and may require a soak in something stronger.  Clothes washing tablets dissolved in water soak off all kinds of muck and grime and are best used dissolved into a bowl of warm water.  Put the item to soak for an hour or so, but be aware that if the glaze is crackled water can seep into the pottery or china.  Old cheese and butter dishes often have a greasy base where over the years the natural grease has seeped into the glaze.  If a cup, bowl or jug is stained inside with old tea or coffee stains, a dilution of Steradent or Milton's Fluid left in overnight lifts off those stains.  Unfortunately, chips and cracks often come to light after a good wash - not much you can do about that.  If glass is cloudy or stained inside, try filling with water and rice and give a good shake.  This helps to remove residue. Vinegar is a good cleaning agent - a drop of vinegar in water  often lifts dirt and grease efficiently.  Old housekeeping manuals, such as Enquire Within Upon Everything http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10766 , are full of old tips and hints on cleaning household goods with natural cleaners such as bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice, vinegar and salt.

Textiles need to be handled carefully and if they are old and fragile, I would leave their cleaning to an expert.  Stain removal from fine pieces can sometimes cause discolouration if chemically based products are used.  Gentle handwashing using a non-bio product or if a woollen item, old fashioned soapflakes, can remove a lot of spots and stains.  Again, a soak overnight in soapy water can work wonders but beware of hot water which can shrink fragile items and fix stains.  Anything of great monetary or sentimental value I would take to a specialist restorer.  Modern dry cleaning can work on some textiles, but many old fabrics are not suited to the chemical processes involved.

Old woollen blankets can be put on a wool wash on most modern machines and come out fresh and fluffy.  Try to dry on the washing line or on an airer as tumble drying is not great for woollen items - if you do tumble, try to use a cool setting unless you want felted wool.  Even old feather eiderdowns can go on a gentle wash - I tumble dry with a tennis ball to help to fluff up the stuffing after washing.  Old rag rugs and cotton mats can be soaked in the bath to remove the grime and dust build up.  Vintage clothing such as suits, skirts and dresses are sometimes lined and the lining can shrink when washed so hand washing is better.  But if the textile has a treated surface, such as glazed chintz, then washing can remove the finish.  There are a lot of specialist vintage clothes traders who might be willing to share their secrets on how to remove an annoying stain or patch.

If you buy dull looking old plastic or tortoiseshell items, a gentle buff with a soft cloth dipped in olive oil can bring up the lustre and clean off any film of dust or dirt.  Tortoiseshell benefits from the light oiling as it is a natural material that can dry out and crack.  I sometimes use olive oil on old bread boards or chopping boards, once I have given them a good scrub. Salt makes a good natural scrub to clean wood, rubbed on with half a lemon - this is a natural way of lightening wood as well.  If the stains on a bread board are very bad, try a very gentle sanding with a fine grade paper then a good oiling afterwards.  Natural materials often need replenishment with oil or beeswax.

Cleaning leather items such as bags, boxes and suitcases is easy.  Leather is best cleaned using a damp cloth to wipe away any grime.  Saddle soap can then be used to bring up the sheen on natural leather. http://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/saddle-soap.html Rub the saddle soap with a damp cloth and then rub into the leather.  The smell is gorgeous and the soap feeds the leather.  Once dry, the leather then can be buffed with a soft, dry cloth to bring up the shine.  It is a very relaxing and rewarding process.  If you can't find saddle soap, colourless shoe cream is good as it nourishes the leather.  Shoe polish is not a good idea in general apart from on shoes.  Shoe cream is a softer and more gentle way of cleaning up leather.  Very dry or cracked leather can be fed with linseed oil, but this could damage any linings of bags or cases so be very cautious as it will stain and mark fabric.  Use by rubbing on and letting it soak into the leather.  Old saddlery and harness often needs a serious dose of linseed oil before being cleaned up with saddle soap.  I used to soak it in a bucket of oil for a day or so to give it a good chance to absorb.  If the leather of a bag or case is coloured, look online for coloured shoe creams to polish out the scratches and marks - a huge range of colours are available. Rub in well, otherwise the colour will come off on clothing if carried against an arm or the body.  Test on a small area that is not obvious before applying to the more noticeable parts. Sturdy leather shoes and boots benefit from good old fashioned spit and polish.  The dirt is removed with a damp cloth; then a layer of shoe polish is rubbed in.  Then, the old method is to spit on the shoe and rub this in, repeating the process several times, hence "spit and polish".  This creates a glossy, perfect finish as would be sought after by servicemen cleaning their boots!  I was taught this method as a child for cleaning my riding boots and they used to gleam - it creates a hard, protective surface.  This might be too much for delicate ladies' shoes - shoe cream is the safer option.  Silk or satin shoes obviously cannot be cleaned in this way - a gentle sponging might remove marks, but it is easy to damage such fine materials.

Jewellery needs delicate handling and I would never attempt to clean anything precious.  I do drop my engagement ring into gin now and then to bring a sparkle back to the gems.  Costume jewellery made of paste and plastics should not be subjected to a gin bath!  A gentle brushing with a dry fine artist's paint brush will remove dirt and dust from crevices.  Silver, copper and brass can be cleaned with propietary products such as Silvo or Brasso -  a rewarding task if you don't mind blackened hands. http://www.ehow.com/about_6365683_silvo-silver-polish-information.html A great job for a rainy evening in front of the TV.  Silver cutlery can be dipped or left to stand in a liquid silver cleaner - then gently buffed and polished for a high shine.  Beware of over polishing silver plated items - this can remove the plate and damage the piece.   Views are divided on pewter - I love it looking old and tarnished whilst others prefer a shine.  If the piece is very old, the "dirty" appearance is part of the patina and value of the piece so get advice before you set to with the polish. Similarly, with copper, the green verdigris adds a lot to a piece and removal can affect value.

Wood items can be cleaned and restored in various ways.  Small items can easily be polished up.  Scratches and dents can be filled with either a wax pencil filler product or a liquid that is rubbed into the scratched areas of wood.  These can be found in a range of wood tones to match pine, oak, mahogany and other woods. http://www.liberon.co.uk/  All come with instructions and are simple to use.  Once the wood has had its marks and scratches filled in or covered, a polish with a clear beeswax brings it to a shine.  If an item is French polished, you may need to find a professional to restore the piece as this is a more specialist process applied to items such as dining tables, chairs and bureaus.

If you are restoring a larger item, you may want to strip the wood back before polishing.  When stripped pine was in fashion, wood was either dipped into a caustic tank or hand-stripped with products such as Nitromorse.  If you use these paint stripper, you must be very careful not to inhale, to let it go onto your skin or near your eyes or mouth.  It should be used outside in fresh air and away from children or pets.  The stripping process dries the wood and affects the wood glue, so once dried out you must replenish the oils in the wood and reglue loose joints.  Beeswax is the best polish - Briwax is a well known make; do not use the spray-on wax polishes used for housework.  For information about how to use polishes visit http://www.briwax-trg.com/products/briwax/briwaxhints/briwaxhints.html Spray can polishes create a silicon layer and do not feed the wood as well as natural beeswax.  On stripped wood, polish can be rubbed into the grain with fine grade wire wool, left to harden and then buffed.  You may need to apply several coats to give the wood a good colour.  Again, polishes can be found in many shades as well as clear wax.  At the moment, painted furniture is popular, so stripping is less in favour. However, if an item is covered in gloss paint, stripping may be necessary to prepare the piece for painting.

If your piece of furniture is already painted and the paint is old and original, perhaps distressed or chipped, then it may well be best to leave it as it is.  People pay good money for this shabby chic look - and there is a great charm in these old, chipped and faded pieces.   If the painting is not attractive - for example a bright gloss paint in a horrible colour - then sripping or sanding down and painting over is a good way of improving something.  There are a number of options.  If you like a traditional finish, Farrow & Ball http://www.farrow-ball.com/  Dulux http://dulux.trade-decorating.co.uk/colours/ranges/heritage/index.jsp and Crown http://www.crownpaint.co.uk/all have heritage paint ranges.  For a successful finish, it is important to have a clean, well prepared surface.  So, cleaning with sugar soap to remove grease and dirt, light sanding and making any repairs are important steps prior to painting.  Removing old nails or tacks, gluing back together loose joints, sanding down rough splintered panels will help to create a good finish.  If repairs are beyond your skills, then try to find a local handyman or joiner who can do them for you but remember this will add cost to your item.  If using traditional emulusion or eggshell paint, you will need to prime, undercoat and then topcoat your item.  For a good finish, you may need two coats of your paint.  Remove handles so that you can paint underneath rather than painting over the handle and then having to clean it off.  This is a time-consuming process but worth the effort.  You may decide to give your finished item a coat of clear wax to protect the paint - a good way of protecting the paint from chips and scratches.  An old, tired piece can be totally transformed by a stylish paint job.

If all this sounds too labour intensive, the new chalk paints popularised by Annie Sloan http://www.anniesloan.com/ are your answer.  Very little preparation is needed, just a clean surface is fine.  Chalk paint goes on easily and dries quickly, with a slightly streaky finish.  Depending on your desired effect, you may add another coat or even a different top coat.  You can then either wax for a good finish, or do a bit of clever distressing with sand paper to get the aged look.  There are several books on paint techniques, many workshops and classes and numerous tutorials online to follow.   This is the easy way of upgrading furniture if you like a quick result. Other chalk based paint ranges include Autentico http://www.autentico-chalk-paint.co.uk/ with a superb range of colours.

A word of caution about painting furniture.  If you have a really good piece of antique furniture, or something with inlay, marquetry or decoration do get expert advice before painting.  You could be destroying the value of the item - personally, I would only paint items that were mass produced or modern pieces from high street or chain stores.

I have discovered a fantastic new product which can be used for updating items with very little effort.  The product is called Plasti-kote and comes in many colours, finishes and suitable for indoor or outside furniture and garden ornaments etc.  I have sprayed a wicker chair, a small shelf, a cupboard with great results - a much faster way of covering a fiddly item.  The products come in a lot of bright colours and can be bought on Amazon or via a DIY store.  Fun to use and a funky result. http://www.plasti-kote.co.uk/Inspire

Books and paper items are often marked - pencil marks, crayons or the dreaded felt pen often mar the illustrations or pages in old books.  Felt pen is pretty much irreversible, but pencil marks can be removed gently.  Using an artist's soft rubber or even a piece of white doughy bread kneaded into a ball, you can gently rub the marks away.  Be very careful - if you rub too hard you will take off the paper's surface or even rub through.  Go gently.  There are products available for removing biro and ink marks from paper; I have not used these and would not suggest using them on old books or papers.  Old inscriptions and personalised dedications can often add value.  Consult a specialist book seller or conservationist if you are unsure about how to treat damage. A hardback book with a broken spine can be rebound, but this can be costly but worth considering if the book is very valuable.  If the book is too far gone, but has pretty prints or plates, it is known as a "breaker".  Whilst I would not advocate breaking a book up for its plates if in good condition, if the book is in poor shape and beyond repair, using the plates is a good idea.  These can be removed carefully, mounted and even framed for attractive prints.  Nowadays, the unused pages are used by crafters for decoupage projects or for making paper roses or ornaments.  Bookish http://www.bookishengland.co.uk/ have turned books into all kinds of items from bunting to brooches.

With the vogue for craft and upcycling, even broken items can be re-purposed.  Broken china pieces can be used for mosaics on small items of furniture or walls.  Textile scraps can be used for decoupage, patchwork, lavender bags, make up purses, laptop covers and many more items.  Bunting is often made from old textiles and looks very effective.  Old maps, prints, magazines and printed ephemera can used for decoupage and lining old suitcases, crates or shelves.  Individual cups and saucers can be re-purposed as holders for candles - candle making equipment is available on line. The list of projects is endless and craft courses abound to teach basic and advanced crafting skills.

If you fancy something more ambitious, upholstery classes can teach you how to renovate chairs and sofas with your own choice of fabric and trimmings.  Start off with a small project, as it can take a long time to upholster an armchair.  China restoration courses teach the art of repairing chips, cracks or even gluing together broken items - a very handy skill to have if you love buying up lots of china at auctions or boot sales.

It can be very satisfying bringing back to life an old and neglected treasure.  However, if in doubt about the value of the piece, please check it out before you start any work.  I have often seen lovely things ruined by amateur restoration.  

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.

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.

Secrets of successful selling....

Selling at antiques and vintage markets is great fun, sharing your passion and enthusiasm with other people and making money, too.  There is an art to successful selling and it takes time to find your feet and gain confidence.  A hard sell approach rarely works as most people avoid overtly "salesy" traders and a hard sell does not sit well in the environment of a vintage market.  There are some really simple things that I find make it easier to communicate with customers which is the key to good selling.

Firstly, I find that standing up behind or beside your stall rather than sitting down and tucked away, gives you a much better contact with the public. It's much easier to start a conversation and to see what people are looking at or picking up if you are at the same level and thus more engaged with them.  If you do prefer to sit down, do stop reading or chatting on your phone when you have people at your stall. Be attentive without being over-pushy, but don't hover over people as this can be very off-putting.  If you are selling with a friend, moderate the chit-chatty conversation you might be having - sometimes people feel awkward about interrupting to ask a question or price.  It's easy to start the ball rolling with a cheerful hello or good morning to people stopping by your stall.  If they move on, nothing is lost and if they do stay to browse, the conversational ice is broken.  A friend who sells very successfully at a big trade fair told me that her tip is to make someone smile or laugh, which breaks the ice.  She also advised not to talk too much; offer help and a bit of information, but don't overwhelm with conversation. 

Everyone is different and you will learn by experience how much interaction somebody wants to have with you. Some people are uncomfortable with any conversation other than a quick hello.  Body language is the key to understanding how to handle a customer. If they avoid eye contact, glance at items without picking them up or are deep in conversation with a companion whilst walking by, they are unlikely to be serious buyers.  You will find that the dealers who are out to buy new stock are business-like and generally quick to assess what they wantat your stall, before moving to the next. That's not to say that they won't give something a careful examination if interested, but they won't dally and dither for fear of missing other great buys.

If people linger and seem to be undecided about something, it might be timely to give a bit more information about the item of interest.  Its age, history, rarity and purpose are all good talking points, which is where your background research comes in useful.  Sometimes, buyers just need reassurance that the item is the right buy for them.  It could be a gift for someone else, something for their collection or just a whimsical purchase.   By listening to their requirements, you might be able to suggest other suitable pieces, even things that you could bring along next time.  This helps to build a rapport with customers, particularly if they attend the fair regularly.  

Browsers, picker-uppers and reminiscencers are drawn to vintage fairs like iron filings to magnets.  A lot of people who enjoy going to fairs have no intention of buying anything.  I hear all the time  "Oh, I'm downsizing, I don't need any more stuff!".  Then, there are the people who will pick up all your fragile pieces, peer into every book, open and close drawers and doors on furniture, fiddle with jewellery and not buy a thing. Well-worn phrases include "we had one of those" "I gave it to the jumble" "my granny had that jug/vase/picture".  It's all pretty harmless although it can be a bit  irritating if you are having a slow day and just want to make a sale!  Being more positive, you will also hear wonderful stories and learn all sorts of useful information.  You can get caught up in long conversations with time-wasters when you have other potential buyers at your stall; find a graceful way to extricate yourself so you can serve someone else.  Treat everyone with courtesy and with a smile.  Don't judge people by appearance - someone shabbily dressed could be your best customer of the day.  Not everyone chooses to wear their wealth outwardly.
 
You will also get the "know-all" who will give a lecture about something on your stall but not always with the right information.  A dealer friend of mine had an old boot scraper for sale - a relatively common item.  A "know-all" came to their stall and insisted that the boot scraper was in fact an Aztec dagger of great rarity.  This was most amusing and we often chuckle about the Aztec dagger.  Of course, you may also learn something new and interesting about what you are selling from a bona fide expert.  It can be quite fun to have a "mystery" object on your stall just to hear people's suggestions about what it is.

A lot of people say,  "I'll think about it and come back" - and you may be really excited thinking you are going to make a sale later in the day.  What that usually means is they are too polite or embarrassed to say they are not interested in buying, even though they may quite like the piece.  On the rare occasion the come back, they usually want to buy it at a knockdown price. The theory being that as you still have the item it can't be worth the selling price. It's up to you if you want to drop your price and make the sale or if you think they are just trying it on having watched too many TV shows!

In my experience if someone really loves a piece, they won't risk it being sold whilst they browse around the other stalls.  If people are wavering after a few minutes of indecision, I usually offer a slight reduction on price if I want the sale.  Just offering a few pounds off the price can often be the tipping point.  A lot of people feel guilty about buying something they don't need, so if they think they have got a bargain, it makes all the difference.

Sometimes, people will ask you to reserve an item if they need to ask someone else about buying it - particularly big items like furniture.  Or they might even need to go and get some cash.  You can get caught out if you end up holding back an item for the phantom buyer who then vanishes into thin air. And a missed opportunity to sell to other buyers.  To avoid this, agree a time with them by which they need to return  - perhaps within 30 minutes.  If they need to get cash to buy it,  I try to get a deposit as security whilst they find a cash machine. If someone leaves a deposit, do make a note of the amount and the price agreed - if you are busy it's easy to forget and you could make a costly mistake. And give them a receipt for their deposit.  Some buyers like to have a receipt, particularly props buyers and international buyers - it is sensible to keep a receipt book for this purpose.  You can buy these from stationery shops - the customer gets a receipt and you keep a copy. It is also a good way of keeping tabs on what you have sold.

Buyers often ask to leave fragile, heavy or bulky paid-for items with you as they continue to shop. This also gives you time to package the item properly for them to transport.  Do make sure to tell them when you plan to leave by and take their mobile number as a back-up if they don't come back.  You may have to call them to remind them to pick up items.  On more than one occasion, I have had buyers who have forgotten to collect things or have not been able to find my stall again.  It's a pain if you have sold something, have to take it home and then cart it back the next time in the hope the buyer will turn up. Keep these items securely under your table, in your car/van or where you can see them - it has been known for items to be stolen at fairs.

Haggling over price is part and parcel of the antiques and vintage business.  Other traders who buy from you will always want a better price to cut their costs and increase their margins.  "What's your best on this" "What's the death on this" or "Will £x amount buy it" all being ways to ask for a discount.  Members of the public are quite likely to haggle, having seen popular TV shows where prices seem to drop by 75% on occasion. In reality, most traders can't afford to discount that much - 10% on an item is the norm.    I price to allow for a 10-20% reduction, with a trade and public price in mind.  You can even code your labels with the retail price and your trade price - you can use a code letter to make it less obvious.

You can handle negotiations in a variety of ways.  If someone is dithering about a purchase, a small reduction may close the sale.  It can be a straightforward to and fro process swiftly concluded, but do keep the bottom line price in mind and don't start your opening offer too low.  Make sure you leave room in your pricing to get a profit.  Some buyers can be very persistent, even rude.  You are under no obligation to sell - if it gets difficult, just say politely that you are selling it for someone else and that you cannot agree a lower price.  Even if this isn't true, it provides you with a get out clause. I rarely discount on small value items of under £10 unless someone is buying several items or I want to move items on.

I find that selling to couples can be quite a challenge.  Quite frequently a woman may have fallen in love with something on your stall and you think the sale is in the bag  But then the man arrives and pours cold water on the situation. "What do you want it for", "Where will you put it" or "Do we really need it?" - are lines I have heard from the menfolk!  By contrast, women shopping together will often egg each other on to buy things "oh, that's so lovely, you should treat yourself".  Men who come to fairs tend to be avid collectors and will usually spare no expense in securing something they want. You can't always generalise, but the male/female attitude to buying does seem to differ.

Helping people to visualise how they use an item is another great way to sell  - this is where your creative "out of the box" thinking comes into play.  For example, a lovely old trunk or suitcase makes great storage in a bedroom for winter clothes or bedding; a fun place to store toys and games; a coffee table; somewhere to put DVDs.  It could be painted, decoupaged or just left as it is. By offering these options, you create a picture in the buyer's mind of a use and place for an object that they like.  Multi-purpose and functional objects are popular at the moment.  Old crates that can be used for shelving and storage; pieces of furniture that are adaptable - an old tea trolley that can be painted and used as a TV stand; a pretty washstand that could be used as a desk or dressing table; vintage suitcases stacked up for storing clothes.  Interior magazines are styled with lots of great ideas for using vintage and antique items.  You can even use these articles as part of your display - people like to recreate looks they have seen.  Versatility and practicality particularly for those on limited budgets are great selling points.  Recessions force people to think more carefully about spending money so items that are useful and beautiful, score highly.

Payment at fairs is usually in cash and cash is still King in the antiques and vintage business, unlike many others.  You will be amazed at the rolls of £50 notes that appear from pockets and wallets!  Sometimes people will offer you a cheque, but these are no longer guaranteed with a cheque card. So, it is purely down to your judgement and trust in a buyer, if you decide to accept this form of payment.   Most people do not carry large wads of cash around to pay for big items.  When I take a cheque, I ask for their address and telephone number on the back of the cheque in case there is a problem.  You should look at the cheque carefully, particularly check the signature against another form of ID.

There are now free apps available for I-pads and I-phones and possibly other smartphones, that facilitate credit/debit card payments.  If you sell expensive items, or don't like handling large amounts of cash, it might be worth investigating this as an alternative.  Bear in mind you will probably pay a commission of a few % on each transaction.  But it does look professional at the bigger fairs and festivals to be able to take a card payment.  You can hire chip and pin terminals, usually on a contract basis but it might be costly to do so.  It would be unusual at a local fair for anyone to expect to pay by card.  Make sure you have plenty of change available - it looks very amateurish if you cannot change notes or offer change.

One final thing, occasionally someone will come back and want to return an item.  If the item is not as described, then you are obliged to refund their money.  This is why it is important to point out any damage on labels (A/F is the trade term for items that are As Found ie have a fault). Trade markets tend to work a bit differently - very much the buyer beware!  If someone is just not happy with an item or has had a change of heart, it is tricky.  For the sake of goodwill, I would refund them and take the item back, however annoying that might be, unless the item has been damaged or spoilt by them.

I hope that these tips and techniques will help you to build up a confident sales style and approach.  In my next chapter, I will talk about how you might expand and upscale your business.

Pricing your treasures....

Pricing new stock is something of a dark art - there are no strict rules or easy formulas to share.  Some popular collectables, such as Beswick or Royal Doulton figurines can be priced in line with the relevant price guides. But putting a price on something unusual, a one-off or something that is showing a bit of wear and tear but retains a faded beauty and charm is far harder, as it is often down to the arbitrary matter of taste.  As you become more experienced, you will automatically start to think about what you can sell items for as you buy them.  There is no point paying too much and then being stuck with an expensive white elephant. And once the trading bug bites, you will never want to pay the asking price for anything again - bargaining will become second nature.  I even negotiate when I buy things like TVs or white goods - I haven't tried haggling in supermarkets yet though, but give it time!

If you are going to trade on a regular basis, I am assuming that you are doing it as a money-making venture.  Ideally, you will be recouping your outlay on each stock item and making a profit margin on top.  Your return can then be reinvested in new stock and possibly provide a small income.  Everyone has different reasons for trading but in this current recession, many people need extra ways to generate money.

To clarify, the profit margin is the difference beween what you pay for and then sell an item.  Don't forget though, that your total sales at any event is not your profit, but your turnover.  Your net profit is the turnover,  minus the purchase price of sold stock and any expenses incurred ie stall fee, travel costs, refreshments, materials for repairs and car parking.  Most people don't cost in their time - I suspect if we did, most of us would be working at a loss. 

Pricing is often subjective and based on what you think someone might be willing to pay for an piece that is stylish, unusual or or has the "look".  You might be able to gauge a sale price by comparing similar items on other stalls, magazines or on-line.    "On trend" items at will achieve higher prices - interior and fashion design has a big influence on what is desirable.     A few years ago, French enamel ware was popular and sets of kitchen canisters sold for very high prices to fans of shabby French chic - then enamel fell out of favour partly because the prices soared. Mid-century (C20) furniture is now in vogue with buyers in their 20s to 30s, and there are even specialist fairs that just focus on this period.  Yet 25 years ago, most people turned their noses up at 60s style preferring the chintzy, faux-Victorian style popularised by Laura Ashley.  You might find you hit the trends on the button and get great prices for your things for a while; then the fashion changes and you may be stuck with things or have to reduce prices.

Pricing based on fashion and trends is quite tricky, because it is not based on a definitive price guide.  You can take a bit of a chance and price boldy if you feel you have a special piece.  After all, it takes time to source these show-stoppers, so don't let these go for a song. 

Pricing can be flexible, and you can always start high and then reduce your asking price, if you want to do a deal and move something on.  Stock does become stale and ties up your cash, so it is good to shift those items that are sticking and sometimes a price drop is the answer. That's why many dealers at trade fairs don't label their stock, preferring to offer a price verbally and then negotiate. All traders end up with "old friends" - those pieces that hang around and come out at every fair.  Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and just let them go at little more than you paid.  But at least you have released the cash to invest more wisely in other stock.

Whatever you buy, do some basic research on your items or by mistake you might sell something good at a giveaway price.  After a while, pricing becomes easier as you learn more about what you are selling and about your customers interests and requirements. Research has become incredibly easy with access to millions of references on the Internet.  Before the Internet was widely available, most traders gleaned their knowledge from books, particularly annual price guides such as Millers and also collectors' clubs and specialist magazines like Collect it!.  There are also collectors' clubs for pretty much everything from egg cups to cruet sets, Sylvac to Moorcroft pottery.  Collectors' clubs can be a great source of information particularly on rare or unusual pieces and be a ready market for buying such items. 

Nowadays, the Internet is an incredible resource to research the background and history of items, as well as their value.  Hard copy annual price guides usually take/highest a high price achieved at auction in the preceding year or two on each illustrated item.  So, it is not real time information and from my experience, the given price is rarely achieved at fairs and markets. But it is a starting point and an upper guideline on price.

Online auctions give you real time information on recently traded items, giving you a really good insight into potential price.  If something interests you but you don't want to buy it, you can "watch" the item and see its selling price.  Of course, selling in your local vintage market does not give you access to a global audience,  so the online price might be a lot higher than you can achieve at your stall.  Do consider when using the internet auction sites or price guides that the item's condition, backstamp or maker's mark, colourway or pattern can make big differences to price.  Your item might look the same, but even a small difference in design or colour can affect its value to a collector.

Other seller's sites on the Internet will give you a feel for style and pricing - Facebook features a plethora of amazing vintage and antiques businesses here in the UK.  I follow a number and if they have a website, take a look at those as well.  Some of my favourite pages are Goose Home and Garden (www.facebook.com/goosehomeandgarden)  and Winter's Moon (www.wintersmoon.co.uk).

There are numerous specialist books and guides out there covering silver, pottery, glass, costume and precious jewellery, toys, books, furniture and textiles.  Start to build up your own reference library of books which will help you identify and value your stock. Many books focus on the history, design and production of items - pricing is not always mentioned.  Background reading gives richness and depth to your knowledge and develops your eye for beautiful pieces.  Anyone who loves vintage and antiques is sure to be interested in the history and provenance of your best pieces.   Some sellers give a flavour of this by putting some description and history on their price labels - this is a great idea, if you have the time to do it.  If there is any original paperwork or packaging with any piece on your stall, do keep this with the item - such as the original box for a toy or the original sales receipt with a vintage dress.  This is valuable social history and adds to the value of the piece.

There are some simple ways of working out pricing if you want to take a more systemised approach. I have a simple rule of thumb and try to at least double the asking price on what I paid for something. But often the multiples are much higher - even an item purchased for a £1 and sold for £10 is a great return on investment.  Bigger items can bring you great profit margins - an old table bought for £20 and then painted and waxed might sell for £120.  There is scope to do very well on furniture, if you are able to restore and update old pieces. With the current trend for painted furniture, I know several traders who buy up very ordinary looking brown furniture and work magic with paint and wax to create a very desirable interior piece.   For inspiration take a look at Harriet's Attic (www.facebook.com/harriets.attic)

You will need a large vehicle to transport furniture, storage and a workshop space to make the transformations - not ideal, if you live in a flat!  Bear in mind the costs incurred for materials and time involved in doing any work on pieces.  This will cut into your profits - sometimes it is easier to leave something unrestored and let someone else have the fun of doing it up. 


Some traders are quite happy to sell a lot of items with a small profit margin - this relies on two things.  Firstly, being able to buy a stream of items at a good price that will sell quickly; secondly, to trade at enough events to generate the sales and to keep trading costs such as stall fees low. This involves a lot of leg-work  to keep stock replenished,  but it is a lower risk strategy than having all your money tied up in a few expensive pieces if you are just starting out.    I try to have a range of stock across a wide price range to appeal to all pockets.  In the current economic climate, even affluent people are thinking twice about what they spend and many people limit themselves to a budget when they go to fairs.  If you do have very expensive pieces, be prepared to have them for a while.  If you can afford to do this and wait to get your price, then no problem.  Upgrading to better pieces that command higher prices is a good aim to have, as you learn more and find the fairs attracting the specialist or high-spending customers. 

You will begin to develop a gut feel for pricing - this will come from a combination of seeing other traders' prices, Internet and offline research, price guides and information in magazines such as BBC Homes and Antiques.  Homes and Antiques is a fantastic magazine - great for highlighting trends and fashions in interiors and with useful price guide, collectors features, places to visit and buy antiques,  reviews of fairs, even a Sale and Wanted column. (www.homesandantiques.com)  

Other inspirational magazines and where you can get a feel for prices are Country Living (www.countryliving.com) and Country Homes and Interiors (www.housetohome.co.uk/countryhomesand interiors).  Both have superbly-photographed features about decorating with vintage and antique items - good for getting your eye in on current trends and pricing information.  I have stacks of these magazines and constantly use them for reference and inspiration.  There are a lot of new magazines picking up on the vintage trend including Pretty Nostalgic (www.prettynostalgic.co.uk), Vintage Life (www.facebook.com/vintagelifemag) and several others. 

Auction houses are another source of intelligence on pricing.  Auction houses have valuation desks where you can take in items to get an idea of auction value. If this is for insurance purposes, auction houses will charge for this service.  But if you are considering selling the item at auction, you may be able to get a free valuation and some basic background information.  Bear in mind that the auction is the equivalent of buying wholesale so the auction price may not be what you sell the item on for.  Normally, you would hope to achieve a better price.  The BBC TV show, Bargain Hunt, is rather confusing on this aspect.  Here people buy items at fairs and sell at auction, with the aim of generating a profit.  This rarely happens, proving the point that auctions tend to generate lower priced items than fairs.  There are exceptions, but watch the show and see how it works.


Pricing is often about trial and error.  We all make mistakes - the item that flew off your stall with dealers competing to buy it, is quite possibly an example of something that was priced too cheap.  A while back I sold a beautiful pressed glass dish with sea creatures on it for a few pounds at a little local fair - the same dish turned up in a local antiques shop for £90.  Ultimately, it might not have sold for that price, but they got a great buy from me, all the same.

If you sell to the trade, you have to accept that they will sell on and make a further profit.  This is the antiques and vintage "circle of life".  Many traders are happy to make their profit on something, knowing that the trader who bought it will also make a profit.  Some will even buy at a fair from you and then put the item on their stall at a higher price straight away.  On Ebay this is known as "flipping" - and can bring a nice quick return.  I have friends who regularly buy at a boot sale and by the time they go home, have "flipped" most of their bargain purchases!    Traders love to sell to each other - hence the old joke about two traders on a desert island selling the same thing back and forth between them.  Things can pass through many hands before ending up in a private home.  Most fairs bring a mixture of trade and private customers - you will soon learn the difference. 

Like most things in the antique and vintage business, pricing is trial and error and you will learn by experience and making a few mistakes.  In the next chapter, I will talk about selling and about "knowing your customer".