I'm back from my loonngg weekend (last weekend) as a vendor at Scott's! I'll tell you upfront that I made ZERO DOLLARS, but my overall experience was still really positive. I'm happy that, by doing this, I was able to check off a goal that's long been on my list, and the experience definitely helped me get clearer about what I want to do. I won't go as far as to rule it out, but don't count on me doing it again soon either! Here are a few things I learned during my time as a vendor this past weekend...
- Markets like these aren't for the faint of heart. Scott's has a lot of permanent vendors and these are people who pretty much work the antique market "circuit" as a living. For them, it's not about making a killing (so to speak) over one weekend as much as it is about meeting a monthly goal. Translation? Don't set up a booth and expect to go home with empty hands and fat pockets 4 days later--that probably ain't gonna happen! For me, I think the process is a bit too tedious & time-consuming to do as a side hustle. Believe me when I say that setting up and breaking down your booth is no fun. I had grand ideas about doing this elaborate setup, but once I saw all that it took to get those beautiful display booths together, that plan was quickly scrapped.
- The vendors are all really nice and extremely helpful. I had no clue how things ran out there, but my neighbors all went out of their way to fill me in on all the details only a regular would know, like Friday's start late so there's no sense in showing up early (as I did at 9am!). I definitely would've been lost without them!
- Here's a tip on Selling 101--don't hold anything, EVER. Often times you only have 1 time to make a sale, so make it when you can. I, unfortunately, had to learn this the hard way.
