The Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market is just around the corner! As we are all working around the clock to get ready, I have had vendors and shoppers ask some great questions, so I thought I would share them all here. There are some tips for vendors as well as buyers here. Sorry this is a very wordy post so hang in there with me. You might just learn a thing or two!

*A big one we get asked about all the time is, How do I price my items? I think pricing is very area specific, but here are some things to keep in mind when pricing.

1. The amount paid for an item, cost of supplies and man hours. Please don’t forget to take the last one into account. If you get a chair on the side of the road and use paint you already had lying around but put 10 hours into redoing the chair, take that into account! Make sure you are getting paid at least minimum wage!!

2. When pricing for a market, keep in mind you won’t get as much for it as you would in say a fancy store. People are there to find great stuff at a great price. In my experience, if you have a lot of items priced lower, you will make more than having a few very high priced items.

3. Ask yourself if you would pay that much for the item. It may sound silly but if you wouldn’t pay for it, who will?

4. Do you want to keep it? Let’s be honest, we all have those pieces that we really don’t want to sell but feel like we should. I always price those items a little higher, but still fair, knowing that I would be happy if it didn’t sell and I could keep it!

5. Leave room to bargain! People love to get a deal so if you have a firm price in mind, price it a few bucks higher and be willing to barter. The buyer will get a deal and you will still get what you want for the item.

*We also get asked a lot from buyers if it’s ok to barter.

I say YES! But there are some rules…

1. Keep in mind that these vendors do this for a living. We don’t ask you to work for free, so please don’t ask us to! Even if you know they got a really good deal on an item, you need to keep in mind the effort and time it took them to pick up the item, clean it up and/or redo the item, supplies, time to price and haul to the show.

2. A good question to ask is, “What’s the best you can do?”. It gives the vendor the opportunity to give you a discount but doesn’t insult them by asking them to take way less.

3. If you can’t agree on a price, say thank you and walk away. There is nothing worse than people telling you that something you poured your sweat, blood and tears into making great isn’t worth that much.

4. When in doubt, asking for 10% off is a great comprise that is not offensive and you still get a deal!

5. If you LOVE it and can afford it, just buy it. We all work really hard at pricing things just right and appreciate getting a good price for our hard work!

*What should I bring to the show to shop? Here are a few essentials…

1. Hat and sunscreen- we live in AZ and its hot

2. Water (there will also be drinks and food for sale). I have had many people tell me that they stayed at the show for hours making sure they saw everything and even a few that decorated their whole house in one day! You will be tired and thirsty!

3. A big bag or cart. The rolling carts are so nice an convenient, but a bag is great for small breakables.

4. Comfortable shoes

5. Cash -most vendors take cards but some do not. There will be an ATM there if you run out, which we hope you do!

6. A good friend- its always nice to have a second opinion when shopping!

We hope you are as excited as we are!

See you in two weeks!!

Coley