Most antique dealers stick to the booth they already have. @AllPutTogether, a vintage seller who already rents a booth at Curiosity’s Antique Mall in downtown Tigard, decided to rent a second space for a single month and see what would happen.
The mall has a special area where dealers can take over a spot just for the month and try something outside of their usual style. She had been shopping for it for months.
Her usual stock is eclectic and colorful, she says, and she sources “all over the place.” For this one, she picked a set color palette and a cozy, seasonal theme, with a lot of brass, Halloween and fall pieces.
She Opened A Suitcase From The Bins And Found The Original Keys Deep In A Pocket
Setup day started at her storage unit, where she grabbed fixtures. There were two black metal IKEA shelves with glass tops, easels, books for styling and a spindle magazine rack she loves.
She even uses plate dividers meant for a kitchen drawer to display small art. It is the kind of cheap trick any seller can copy.
Then came the surprise. While she was shaking out and vacuuming a suitcase she had bought at the bins, she discovered the original keys tucked deep inside a pocket that she missed the first time she opened it.
Both locks work, and she says having a fully functioning vintage suitcase is “really cool.” That little discovery would matter later.
A Free Cabinet From Goodwill, A Family Heirloom And A Back Curtain That Changed Everything
She turned a piece she got for free into a display, taking the doors off so she could fill it with art. A table from one of her grandparents’ workshops, patina and all, sits in the space as a fixture only, and she says it is not for sale.
Her mom, who shares a booth with her at the mall, lent a piece too. They used it as a riser, though her mom may end up selling it.
The biggest upgrade was cheap. She hung white drapery behind the glass cases using Velcro, and she says it made a huge difference because the backs of the cases looked awful and the pieces blended into the background.
Her favorites included two little mushroom corals, a giant peg rack and a “very strange paper mache cat” she hoped someone would buy. She also admitted she fell for a lamp, which surprised her because she never buys lamps. She thinks she brought it home because she was “deliriously hungry” at the thrift store.
$708 In The First Week, Led By A Buttery Yellow Suitcase With A Santa Suit Inside
She spent the day after setup taking photos of furniture and higher-end pieces for Facebook Marketplace, which she calls one of the best ways to market a business locally.
At the one-week mark, she had brought in $708. The biggest sale was a buttery yellow vintage suitcase that went for $145. She had found it at the bins with a Santa suit inside, and she says the buyer was so excited about it that she was thrilled to sell it to her.
A mid-century green cabinet sold for $65, and a small jewelry cabinet sold for $75. She says she priced the cabinet reasonably because she hates having furniture linger.
Everything else went for under $100, and a lot of it landed in the $20 to $28 range.
“The Pop-Up Was A Success,” Plus The 51 Items That Sold By Move-Out Day
On move-out day, the space looked like she had sold nothing, and she did that on purpose. She kept it full to the last minute so she could maximize every chance to sell.
By the numbers, she sold 51 items, not counting her mom’s inventory, which she says is her mom’s business. After paying for the booth space and the mall’s commission, her total came to $1,266.50.
She calls it a great success and definitely worthwhile. She also knows some sellers with booths that move a staggering amount of money may find that figure small, while others may find it impressive, and she says she was excited and grateful for it either way.
Items priced under $30 moved best. She explains that the new impulse purchase threshold is “30 and under,” because shoppers do not have to think about it.
Picture frames sold “like hotcakes,” and vintage bug specimens sold out quickly. Animal pieces, especially cats and birds, were popular too, which still amazes her.
Her Leftover Inventory Sold Elsewhere, And Then She Grabbed A $10 Table
Most sales came in the first week, which was Labor Day weekend, thanks to her promotion. After that, it was a trickle until a big shopping event at the mall brought in more buyers.
She also says the pop-up did not steal from her regular booth. People who came for the pop-up shopped both spaces, and she says the pop-up lifted the established booth.
Anything unsold went to her other booth or to Etsy, and she says it started selling there. Her advice: if something is stuck, move it. “The good dealers who make the most sales are usually swapping things between their spaces all the time.”
Now she has booked another pop-up at Curiosity’s for November. The space is smaller after a build-out, and the mall let her move in two weeks early.
She and her mom scrambled to set up, and she grabbed a table at Value Village for only $10 that goes well with her bench. She picked her months on purpose, choosing ones with holidays or mall events, because November and December are usually the biggest months for an antique booth.
What Antique Sellers Can Borrow From Her Playbook
- Pick a theme and a color palette so a small space feels curated.
- Hang a plain curtain behind glass cases so items pop.
- Price furniture reasonably so it does not sit.
- Stock plenty under $30 for impulse buyers.
- Move slow sellers between booths or online.
- Time your rental around holidays and mall events.
Look through every suitcase and bag you buy, too. A hidden pocket gave her a set of working keys and a better item to sell.
More Stories You May Like
- Mom Lines Up 40 Minutes Early At A Phoenix Estate Sale, Walks Out With A $60 Oil Painting And Vintage Storybooks, Then Admits Estate Sales Stress Her Out
- 12 Kitchen Items Worth Buying At A Restaurant Supply Store And A Few Worth Skipping
- 9 Things Retirees Are Advised Not To Sell, Even When Downsizing Makes Cash Look Tempting
