10 Steps to Sell From an Antique Booth & Make Money

I frequently get asked questions about how to sell in an antique booth, so I thought today I’d share how to start selling in an antique booth and make money. It’s not as hard or complicated as you might think.

If you’re a vintage lover (I know you are!), and you’re looking to make a bit of extra cash, opening a booth might be the perfect fit for you. This article contains the advice you need to get started!

My Story: How I Started Selling in an Antique Booth

A dear friend lured me into the antiques business back in 1994 by taking me with her to three antique shows with the few boxes of antiques that I had acquired through a death in the family. I was hooked.

After acquiring my sales tax ID, I began to sell via antique shows on my own for the next few months. And then I got pregnant. After doing one show while pregnant, I realized that I was in a new phase of life that would NOT accommodate antique shows.

As a result, I contacted the only dealer antique shop within 20 minutes of my home and spoke with the owner. “Did they have any spaces available?”

She said no, but she would put me on her waiting list. A few months later, when I was quite pregnant(!), she called to say she had a large, open shelving unit available for $50/month, plus 10% commission on my sales. Did I want it? Yes!

And that’s how I got my start in the business. 

My Antique Booth at the Gristmill Antique Center (Troy, NY)

I shot a video of my antique booth not too long ago that you can watch on YouTube 🙂 I would appreciate it SO much if you would pop over to check it out, subscribe to my channel, and give the video a thumbs up. It means that more people will see my videos and it will help my channel to grow. Thank you!

(1) Research Local Antique Malls

If you’re considering selling vintage via an antique booth, I recommend visiting every antique mall (called “dealer shops” in my neck of the woods) in your area. 

What exactly is an antique mall? Antique malls have separate booths or areas, each rented to a different dealer. You’ll find one central check-out for buyers to make purchases, negating the necessity of your being there.

Visit the malls to see which one offers the best fit for you and your stock. For example, if a shop has a strong focus on Mid-century Modern and you sell primarily farmhouse-style goods, they aren’t a good fit for you, right? If you’re brand new at selling and the rents at a shop are super high, you might want to pass on that one, too.

As with real estate you want to seriously consider the location of the mall. Ideally you want to open a booth in a shop that gets good traffic. Are they on a main road, in the center of town, out in the boondocks?

During your visit, look for dealers restocking their booths. Take the opportunity to talk with them about their experience renting in that mall. Ask:

• How do you like being in the mall?
• How are your sales?
• Have you experienced seasonal fluctuations?
• Would you recommend the shop to other dealers?
• What kinds of vintage and antiques do best in the mall? 

(2) Talk with the Owner (or Manager)

Before you leave, approach the checkout when there’s a quiet moment and ask, does the shop have any openings for new dealers?

At that point whoever’s manning the front desk will reveal themselves to be the owner/manager/cashier. If it’s a manager or cashier, they may tell you you need to speak with the owner. If so, get the owner’s name and the days s/he works.

Whenever you get the chance to speak with the owner ask him/her:

• What space, if any is available?
• If they only have a locked case, I would explain that you’re not interested in a case (see reasons below).
• If there’s a space, ask what the rent is and whether there’s a commission and how much. How often is the rent raised?
• Ask how long the “lease” is for (should be month to month).
• Do you have to put in hours? If so how many and what’s the pay/value ($ off rent, etc.).
• How much advertising do they do?

Of course you want to know how business is doing in the shop, but unfortunately, whether business is good or bad, the owner is going to put things in the most positive light possible. Your best bet is to try and get some inside scoop from other dealers renting space in the shop.

It’s also why I highly recommend going to the shop a few times to get a feel for the vibe and to [hopefully] get to talk to other dealers.

Some other considerations: I personally prefer a booth with a window and plenty of wall space (for hanging artwork), but they are not always available. Natural light illuminating your booth, even if it’s not directly in your real estate, would be a second choice. Note: At the moment mine has none and I’m not happy with it.

(3) Be Prepared for Antique Mall Owner Questions

Very likely the owner of a shop will have a few questions for you. They may include:

• How long have you been selling vintage?
• Have you ever had an antique booth before? If yes, how was your business?
• What kinds of antiques do you sell.

To answer the last question, it’s a good idea to have some photos on your phone of some of the antiques you plan to sell. Even better if you have them on display as you would in a booth to give the impression that you know what you’re doing(!)

(4) Research Legal Requirements for an Antique Booth

Laws regarding retail sales vary from state to state, so you will have to research your questions online and or speak with an accountant and/or lawyer. Common issues for discussion include sales tax collection and “Doing Business As” (DBA) documentation.

In New York, you must apply for and receive a “sales tax number,” which then allows you to sell in the state. You do not need a DBA.

A sales tax number is required in New York when you sell from any venue, be it an antique shop/show/mall, craft show, vintage market, or gift shop. You are required to collect and remit sales tax unless someone is collecting it on your behalf, as with most antique malls. [Note: Even in the latter case, you will need your own sales tax number.]

(5) Consider the Rent/Commission Charged

When first starting out, I recommend beginning small if you can. Learning how much stock you need to buy, the time it takes to clean and price it, and the time it takes to maintain a space are all part of the learning curve you need to give yourself time to experience.

By small I mean, an open shelf, if available, with rent from $50-75, depending upon the exact size. Some places don’t charge commission, others charge upwards of 15%. However, 5-10% is more the norm.

In addition, some shops charge 3% for credit card purchases of any of your merchandise (to cover credit card company fees).

I don’t recommend renting a glass case with locked doors unless you have a massive amount of smalls, like jewelry, that are highly desirable and worth $10/item and up. Most such cases cost $150-200/month, which is a rather large investment for a beginner.

Most antique malls require you sign a vendor agreement of some sort that indicates the amount of rent, due date, etc. Usually the agreement is valid on a monthly basis, but sometimes vendors must agree to a 6 month or even a 12 month commitment. 

(6) How Much Money You Should Try to Make 

My friend who started me in the business recommended to me early on that I should at a minimum aim to three times my rent. So if your rent is $150/month, then aim to gross $450.

I have no idea where she pulled this figure from, but it has always made sense to me and felt right, so I’ve stuck with it. Though I have to say that over the past year or so, I’m closer to merely doubling my rent. I’m hoping that changes soon.

For arguments sake, let’s say you make $450. After you deduct for your $150 rent, that leaves you with $300. After you deduct your cost of goods sold (hypothetically $50-100), that leaves you with a profit of $200-$250, which isn’t bad. That’s what I call spending money. You can go out into the “wild” buy more antiques, keeping some and selling others.

In my strong opinion, if you want to make a significant income in the vintage and antiques field you need to diversify, that is, sell in more than one place. Two at least and three is even better.

Alternatively, if you are able to buy higher quality and higher valued items repeatedly, then it’s possible to make a decent income using only one platform (booth, shop, eBay, or Etsy). My business hasn’t played out that way, although I’m always learning and trying to make better buying decisions!

(7) What Antiques Should You Be Selling from an Antique Booth

Ha ha! This is the million dollar question right?? Wish I could give you the formula: Buy XYZ and make your million! The antique selling market since 9/ll has suffered tremendously. Items, like china and glassware, past mainstays of the business, have crashed and the bottom of many other collecting areas has also dropped out.

One way to determine some good sellers from antique booths is to read my “What’s Selling” blog posts that I’ve been writing for a few years now. In each post, I list what I sold in the previous month from my booth, from my Vintage Blog Shop, and via Etsy and eBay. Check out those posts and you’ll get some invaluable info.

Of course those posts don’t take into account regional differences, which of course directly impact antique booth sales. I live in Upstate New York, so those living in Southern California will encounter some differences in what sells and what doesn’t. But, it’s a good place to start.

Another resource that I have is my eBook: 50 of My Bestselling Vintage & Antiques. Almost every single one of the items I list is a bestseller from my antique booth.

(8) How Many Antiques Should You Have Before Renting?

For an 8″ x  8″ sized space, I would recommend at least 6-7 banana boxes filled with smalls and medium-sized goods, along with a few pieces of furniture, for example a farm table, corner cupboard, and some side tables, to start out. Have a number of crates in stock as well to supplement. 

You don’t want to spend $150/month on rent with a half-filled booth, right?!!

A general “formula” that I like to follow is 20% large items (like furniture), 30% medium (like bird cages, lamps, and large vases), and 50% smalls (like knickknacks of any kind).  

(9) How to Set Up Your Antique Booth

I’m going to give you a few of my own personal tips for setting up a booth, but rather than completely re-creating the wheel, I’m also going to recommend that you join a high quality Facebook group that covers successful booth decorating extremely well: Curate Hive.

Create a Cohesive Look

It’s important for your booth to convey a feeling or vibe to potential customers. Most people enjoy shopping in attractive places, so make sure yours is.

This can also be done through color, as exemplified by some farmhouse-style dealers who keep their color palette to mostly whites, with black and maybe one other color as highlights.

Arrange Items in Threes

It’s commonly understood that arranging smalls in combinations of three appeals to people visually. Our brain enjoys this composition. To achieve this you want to select three items of varying heights with some sort of visual connection, like color or style.

Arrange them with the tallest in the back and then the smallest and middle-sized items in the front. Some call this the “pyramid rule.” You could select three angels, three Art Deco smalls, or three red pieces, for example.

Create a Focal Point

Wherever your eyes go first when you first see your booth (from the most common direction) is where you want to create an outstanding focal point that will draw customers into your space.

Display Upwards

It’s important to take advantage of all the space you have available in your booth. This means you should stack pieces on top of each other to both look attractive visually and maximize your rented space. And don’t forget to hang items from the ceiling if it’s low enough–think light fixtures and baskets.

A booth with merchandise at every level, especially eye-level, makes a much better impression, so stack a side table atop a farm table, a couple of crates atop a commode, or a chair atop a cupboard, that sort of thing.

When you subscribe to my email newsletter, you get access to my Member Library. Inside you can find a “cheat sheet,” How to Style Your Antique Booth & Make More Money (under “Vintage Business Resources”).

(10) Should You Work in Your Shop?

If you have the opportunity to work a day every now and again in your shop, and it fits into your schedule, I highly recommend it, especially if you are just starting out buying and selling vintage.

Working reduces your rent, which is nice, and teaches you SO much about the business. You’ll learn what buyers are interested in, which will help you with your buying. In addition, you’ll likely notice what people are NOT buying, also.

You’ll have great learning conversations with both customers and other dealers, whether they’re working along side you, shopping, or fluffing their own booths. And finally, during down times you’ll have the chance to reorganize and add to your own booth. It’s a win, win, win opportunity.

I hope you enjoyed learning more about renting space in an antique mall. If you rent an antique booth, I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments, and if you’re thinking about opening a booth but have more questions–ask away!

Bye for now,

 

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