| Looking for a way to make extra money, meet lots of | | | | meet. The cost for renting space at a Swap Meet |
| interesting people, spend quality time with your family, | | | | varies widely, from a few dollars a day to much more, |
| enjoy the great outdoors ... and do it all without missing | | | | depending on the meet. Try to begin at an inexpensive |
| a day of work? Or maybe your goal is to make two | | | | yet well-attended meet, so you can keep your initial |
| or three-day weekends the only working days of the | | | | cash outlay as low as possible. |
| week. You may be able to do all of that and more as | | | | 4. Select your merchandise. FAR HORIZONS' |
| a Swap Meet/Flea Market marketer! | | | | Business Coaching staff generally recommends you |
| You can find regularly scheduled Swap Meets and | | | | begin with $450-$750 worth of merchandise (meaning |
| Flea Markets in cities and towns of all sizes across the | | | | your actual cost). |
| nation, each attracting many hundreds, even thousands | | | | 5. Get your other supplies ready. |
| of bargain hunters. They may be held at the local | | | | Depending on the meet, you may need to bring all or |
| drive-in theatre, in large parking lots, warehouses, parks, | | | | some of the following: |
| and community centers - just about anywhere there's | | | | 1. At least one folding table. |
| enough room to put up some booths and bring in a | | | | 2. A cash box, with some small bills and change. |
| crowd. The majority of the time these meets are held | | | | 3. Folding chairs. |
| on weekends, although in some locations you can find | | | | 4. A clean tablecloth. |
| them starting on Thursdays and running four | | | | 5. A large umbrella, tarp, or other type of canopy to |
| consecutive days. Swap meets and flea markets are | | | | protect your customers (and you) from the sun. |
| fun, profitable, and can be a great launching pad for | | | | 6. Some clear plastic to protect your merchandise if it |
| your business. Many people who began with Swap | | | | rains (obviously, this applies to outdoor meets). |
| Meet sales have gone on to open Gift Shops, or run | | | | 7. Plenty of business cards. |
| sizeable Mail Order businesses. | | | | 8. Some catalogs, brochures, New Arrivals fliers, or |
| A SWAP MEET BY ANY OTHER NAME... | | | | other giveaways to help promote further sales. |
| According to our FAR HORIZONS Business Coaching | | | | 9. Your Yellow Price List, so you know your bottom |
| staff, there are actually three distinct types of Swap | | | | line when it's time to haggle. |
| Meets. | | | | 10. An order book, so you can write receipts and |
| Note: (In the interest of simplicity, from here on in when | | | | capture names, addresses, and phone numbers of all |
| we say "Swap Meets," we're also referring to flea | | | | your customers. |
| markets, craft fairs, and similar events as noted | | | | 11. A calculator. |
| below). | | | | 12. A rubber stamp for endorsing checks. |
| 1.Outdoor Swap Meets | | | | IMPORTANT |
| These usually run the gamut in terms of merchandise. | | | | Do everything you can to capture as much information |
| Here, you can find anything from high end stereo | | | | about each customer as possible. Along with the |
| systems to fashion jewelry to families clearing out | | | | name, address and phone, try to get an email address, |
| Auntie Emma's garage of old tools, toys, and various | | | | (if you have email capability), a fax number, or even |
| parts and pieces from who-knows-what. Ordinarily | | | | (especially) a credit card number, assuming you have a |
| these events attract folks looking for some bigtime | | | | merchant account |
| discounts and bargains. | | | | THE BIG DAY ARRIVES ... |
| 2.Indoor "Malls" | | | | If you're well prepared, the day of the meet should go |
| These usually attract a more professional class of | | | | pretty smoothly. Sure, you'll have some work to do, but |
| marketer. The displays tend to be more organized in | | | | it'll be a lot of fun, too - especially when you start |
| appearance, and the merchandise is generally of a | | | | making some sales and putting some cash in your |
| consistently higher quality throughout the meet. Rather | | | | pocket! |
| than tables there may be booths, and each marketer | | | | Here's what you have to do on your first swap meet |
| tends to specialize in specific product categories. | | | | day: |
| 3.Craft Fairs | | | | 1. Turn off the alarm, get up, shower and get going |
| These may be held indoors or outside; you'll find them | | | | (well, we told you this was a step-by-step guide, right?) |
| in parks, or as part of a local carnival, fund-raiser, | | | | 2. When you arrive at the meet, find your space and |
| county fair, or other similar event. Usually the | | | | set up. Rehearse your set-up at home, so you can |
| marketers show their wares from booths, and the | | | | plan the most attractive display before you're actually |
| offerings can vary from homemade to high-ticket, (or | | | | at the meet. Your program video offers some |
| homemade and high-ticket) depending on the location. | | | | examples of display do's and don'ts. |
| WHEN YOU PACK FOR THE SWAP MEET, DON'T | | | | 3. Decide on your "bottom line;" that is, the lowest price |
| FORGET THIS | | | | you'll accept for each item. Our Business Coaching |
| We've heard from scores of successful Swap Meet | | | | staff recommends one & a half times your cost |
| sellers over the years, and they tell us that the two | | | | as a good guideline. |
| most important things you can bring with you are: | | | | 4. Be prepared to take checks. Many of your |
| 1. A friendly, upbeat attitude. | | | | customers will prefer to pay this way, and sellers |
| 2. Willingness to barter and "play the game." | | | | report only a very small incidence of "bad" checks. |
| As one member puts it, "People come to shop at | | | | Verify that the address and phone number is current, |
| Swap Meets looking for a bargain, and they come | | | | and it helps to write a driver's license or ID number on |
| because it's fun. So I keep a smile on my face and I'm | | | | the check. |
| always ready to enter into the bargaining game. I have | | | | 5. Remember to record the name, address, phone |
| my 'bottom line' price in mind, and I don't go below it - | | | | number, fax number, and email (as many of these as |
| but I'm always willing to give a little on the original asking | | | | possible) of every customer. |
| price. That way my customer feels good about the | | | | 6. You might want a partner along to help manage the |
| purchase, and I still make a nice profit. We both come | | | | cashbox while you handle the sales. |
| out winners." | | | | HAVE FUN! |
| Whatever type of Swap Meet you choose to begin | | | | WHILE YOU'RE COUNTING YOUR MONEY ... |
| with, there are some simple, basic steps you'll need to | | | | There are a couple of important things to do after one |
| take before the event, during the event, and after the | | | | Swap Meet ends, and before another begins. |
| event. | | | | 1. Build your mailing list - Add all the customer names |
| Let's start with ... well, the beginning! | | | | you collected to your customer mailing list. Over time, |
| A FEW THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU CAN | | | | these will be an important part of your follow-up |
| START | | | | marketing efforts. |
| 1. First, find out where the local Swap Meets are, if you | | | | 2. Plan/Implement mailings - Depending on the size of |
| don't already know. This shouldn't be too hard; they | | | | your list, you'll want to start sending your customers |
| normally advertise in local newspapers, and in | | | | some follow-up mailings. |
| giveaway magazines you can find in convenience | | | | That pretty much covers the basics of Swap Meet |
| store racks. Smaller meets may not advertise, but if | | | | Marketing. But the main thing is, have a good time. |
| you check with the local drive-ins, or let your fingers do | | | | Many sellers like to involve the family, (including the |
| some walking through the phone directory, you should | | | | kids!) and turn weekends into quality time, with |
| find some. | | | | everyone working together toward a common cause. |
| 2. Next, scout the meet yourself. Take a look around, | | | | Swap Meet marketing is enjoyable, highly profitable, |
| observing the tables and booths with a marketer's eye. | | | | and can be done successfully by devoting just a few |
| What are the vendors carrying? More importantly, | | | | hours a week. A number of sellers combine business |
| what aren't they carrying? What are they charging? | | | | with pleasure, and travel the country from Swap Meet |
| 3. Reserve a table (or booth, as the case may be). Do | | | | to Swap Meet. They use the revenues from each |
| this by contacting the meet manager, who will provide | | | | weekend to pay for their trip, and for more |
| you with pricing, along with a list of rules and | | | | merchandise to sell at the next meet! |
| regulations you must follow when marketing at the | | | | |