Make Your Antique Booth Stand Out [Thru the Seasons]

Not too long ago I wrote a blog post all about how to start selling in an antique booth and make money. In it, I have an entire section on how to set up and decorate your booth. But one issue I didn’t mention is whether (and when) to decorate for seasons and holidays, and whether to save up related merchandise for that time period.

So today we’re going to chat about how to make your antique booth stand out seasonally and around the holidays. The question came up in a survey I took of members of my Facebook group (Your Vintage Headquarters) and members of my email list (you can subscribe HERE).

I asked everyone to list up to three questions they’d like answers to related to their vintage and antique business (or their future “dream” business). One of the most asked questions was about how to decorate an antique booth.

Why Decorate Your Antique Booth Seasonally

So the answer to the question: “Should you decorate your antique booth for the seasons?” is yes! You should absolutely decorate your booth for seasons and holidays. Here are a number of reasons why:

Establish Difference

Tastefully decorating your booth and providing seasonally relevant merchandise will make your booth STAND OUT!! Many vintage sellers do NOT pay attention to their booths in this way and so yours will offer a noticeable difference.

Demonstrate Relevance

Your booth, and therefore your business, immediately becomes more relevant when you decorate for the appropriate seasons. When you don’t, it gives the impression that you don’t care about your customers and may in fact give the appearance that you’ve more-or-less abandoned your booth(!).

Create Attraction

Decorating makes your space much more inviting when you embellish it with seasonal accents. You can set a warm and inviting tone or perhaps a cheerful or playful tone, depending upon which direction you decide to go.

Increase Profitability

You will increase your chances of making more profits since many shoppers look for seasonal items in the weeks leading up to it.

Check out the video I shot in my Facebook group discussing some of the issues related to seasonal decorating. I’d love a thumbs up and/or a subscription 🙂 

What Seasonal Decorations Should You Place in Your Booth?

In general, I think wreaths and signs are very inviting, so I frequently utilize them in my booth. Green wreaths for spring or summer, colorful faux leaves or berry wreaths for fall, and pine wreaths (decorated or not) for winter/Christmas.

I usually have a large wreath hanging as part of the “focal point” in my booth, i.e., the part of the booth that people see first. It should have a “wow” factor that draws shoppers in. I buy wreaths in all sizes and add them to smaller vignettes around my booth as well.

Signs, whether antique, new-on-old-wood, or vintage-style, make excellent seasonal additions. “Market” signs are good for spring and summer, while “Gather” signs are perfect for Thanksgiving. 

Smaller accessories, like faux lemons, pine cones, and eggs add character to the baskets, glass apothecary jars, and mixing bowls in your booth.

And strawberries in canning jars, faux plants in planters, and a Valentine banner do as well.

Related Article

• How to Make a Valentine Bunting + Free Printable Vintage Valentines

Other decorations to consider include white lights (I have mine up year round), garlands (pine, floral, berry, etc.), faux flowers, and even bunting.

One fall I hung the bunting I made from an old quilt (above center) and it was not only inviting but it quickly sold.

Related Article

• How to Make a Farmhouse Bunting.

Last Christmas I added a homemade “gaudy” wreath to my booth for the first time and while it didn’t sell, I liked the way it looked. I may make one using vintage ornaments this year to see how it does (test, test, test!).

The newer silver tinsel tree (above), filled with ornaments, made a nice addition to my booth. The ornaments, as well as the Santa ceramics underneath, all sold well for me.

A Word of Caution: If your antique mall or shop is like mine, in that it sticks to selling primarily antiques, then don’t over-do it with newer decorations! In fact, one or two well-placed newer accessories may be all you need. 

Related Article

• How to Make Gaudy Christmas Wreaths

Should You Sell Merchandise Seasonally?

While many collectors scour shops all year long to enlarge their antique collections, an almost equal number of people, who buy for decorative rather than collecting reasons, look closer to the seasons and holidays.

So I believe the answer to the question, “Should you sell merchandise seasonally?” is also yes. How much you accumulate throughout the year and whether you sell some items off-season, however, can only be answered by you, with input from other dealers in your shop or local area.

What do I mean by that? In some areas and/or some shops you will find that you have greater or lesser success selling at certain times of the year. You are simply going to have to test things out.

Unfortunately, there are very few “rules” for successfully selling vintage and antiques. I can only provide some guidelines and then it’s up to you to test it out in your own business and make adjustments as necessary.

Here’s a look at my former booth decorated for summer and 4th of July with a vintage flag draped over the cupboard door, a cherry watercolor speaking of summertime, and a Market sign pointing to summer markets.

Related Articles

• How to Frame Flags
• 13 Farmhouse Style Signs

A few years ago, for spring I decorated with a watering can, hand rake, small urn, and gardening guides. For Easter, I included Easter baskets and a rabbit figurine. 

Related Articles

• Garden Collectibles

When Should  You Decorate & Stock for the Seasons & Holidays?

As a general rule, I like to decorate seasonally and for holidays about a month prior to the start of that “event.” So here we are in August, that means it’s time to start thinking about both Fall and the beginning of school.

Above is a collection of vintage and antique school-related supplies that I offered for sale in my booth last August. I added a couple of globes and a farm animal chart as well to create a pleasing display.

Related Article

• Vintage School Supplies

How About Online Vintage Sales?

My experience has shown me that seasonal and holiday merchandise pretty much sell year-round on both eBay and Etsy. That said, I do believe that you may make quicker sales at slightly higher prices when selling these items in the month leading up to the specfic holiday or season.

It’s one of those things that you simply must test out and see how sales go for you. Many factors affect online sales (and sales in general), including trends and the economy, so your marketing strategies have to remain flexible and open to ever-changing circumstances (like a global pandemic). I wish it wasn’t so, but it simply is.

How to Remember When to Stock Seasonal Decorations & Merchandise 

I’ve taken all the mystery out of the “how to remember” by creating a FREE PRINTABLE: a Seasonal Plan for Antique Booths. It identifies each season and major holiday and lists it under the month you should start selling specific items or types of items. 

In other words, under the month of January, I’ve listed Valentine’s Day because by January 14th, you’ll want to have decorated your booth and added merchandise for this holiday.

Under each month, I’ve also included a short list of suggested merchandise and decorative items to include, along with links to vintage DIY projects on this website that go along with that month’s theme(s).

If you’re a subscriber, and you want help knowing what to sell and when, look for this freebie in my Member Library under “Vintage Business Help.”

To become a subscriber and get access to this and other freebies, like price guides, project tutorials, vintage printables, and more, click below:

Bye for now,

I’d love it if you’d pin me to your favorite board 🙂