Niches...

Ive been going to flea markers for a couple weeks now and havent had much luck. Been making between 20-40 dollars basically enough to cover rent gas and meals. Granted economy sucks andnot much money flow where I am but it seems people with certain niches and business cards are making all the money. I was wondering if while doing storage auctions if having a certain niche at you booth like tools or guns or knives or something specific if that would help bring people in to buy so maybe I could make a profit. I was thinking the next couple marketsof trying tools and if it works then buying off ebay for the niche to support auctions.

Any advice on this subject.

Think it all depends on your area.  I know the two local flea markets are doing well some days since more and more people are going 2nd hand vs retail.  Other days some of the regulars out there see lots of traffic but little sales.

As with anything location is a key.  In a huge market do most of the people visit up front near parking and get tired and never visit the back lots?  The local flea here charges more for front spots, then back spots.  Half of the front spots are dedicated stores, the other have come and go spots.

As for niches that IMO is a hit or miss also.  Is there already a major tool, electronic or such vendor there.  I really wouldn't be buying from ebay to support a niche unless you have a very specific area and really start to make money.  I'd use estate auctions to fill like a tool niche market.

Personal note for when I hit the flea looking for coins.  I avoid the always there merchants.  For other then the coin shop the other shops don't have anything I know.  I look at all of the tables of the random people quickly.  I glance over each table to see if something catches my eye.  I don't check out the cloths, shoes, or piles of boxes.  The tables that look to be piled with nothing but crap everywhere I don't give a second glance.

I was thinking the next couple marketsof trying tools and if it works then buying off ebay for the niche to support auctions.

Any advice on this subject.

IMHO, this won't work. The people selling tools on eBay have gotten them cheap at flea markets and hoping to make more on them at eBay, not the other way around. You would be paying for item, paying for shipping...won't work...but again, just my opinion.

This is my 2 cents on the subject. The people at flea markets that have a certain niche do fairly well. When the customer comes up it does not look like a dis organized yard sale. You can always go there and expect to find something similiar to what you were looking for.

Plan of attack on this. Discover your niche, and the ramaining stuff sell to your neighbor vendors. Yes they will make more money than you would on it of course. Cause they are buying from you on the intention of making money. However do not soley use Flea Markets as your only source of revenue from your finds at auctions or other various places.

The tables that look to be piled with nothing but crap everywhere I don't give a second glance.

Yep~lay it all out so folks can see what you're offering.  Always a task to accomplish, but I too walk past a table that I would have to 'dig' through.

I don't quite understand 'niches' as a storage unit buyer has such wide variety of items.  We've never bought a unit that was all one category.  And as such we've never had a swap meet run with a 'theme'.  I can see a niche as a picker, but that's another show altogether~

We do however (try to) organize everything.  Housewares on one table, tools in another area, collectibles have their spot and so on and so forth.

We ALWAYS get a corner space.  Yes we pay a bit more, but you've got traffic from two directions plus 'elbow' room.  And the added benefit of not having to maneuver the truck when quitting time arrives.

We're actually going to head out tomorrow morning and if we can find a couple spaces together (becoming more difficult as other vendors have found out about our little 'junky' flea market) I'll set up with my antique/retro items.  I'm finding the antique fairs aren't proving all that profitable and since we're there anyway........

We do however (try to) organize everything.  Housewares on one table, tools in another area, collectibles have their spot and so on and so forth.

We ALWAYS get a corner space.  Yes we pay a bit more, but you've got traffic from two directions plus 'elbow' room.  And the added benefit of not having to maneuver the truck when quitting time arrives.

These two paragraphs (above) are the approach I take as well. If you occupy the SAME spot week in and out it helps too as the regular shoppers look for you (and will comment "Where were you last week?") if you miss a day.

Within the corner lot the organizing by item is good too. On my corner space the "round the bend" space might have seasonal stuff (camping, outdoors small furn, Christmas, etc). Hey if this approach works for Target it works for us.

When my market recently shifted locations by about 500 feet I researched the upcoming new spots and picked the corner I wanted. So far it's been great and customers have commented about the good and bad qualities of the market  promoters wisdom in making the change....usually, people don't like change, but it happens and you have to work with it (like more "buyers" at auctions..... ).

Well the niche market can work or not work, just like everything else.  One week I had a guy that has high-end knives on display.  He got a ton of people looking and chatting but no sales that day.  An older guy setup next to me back in Nov and had picture frames with various "old" items.  His frames were all themes.  He had a Babe Ruth, Elvis, KKK, etc.  Things in the frames would be pictures, reproduction baseball cards, driver license, record, etc.  No one item was collectible or worth a ton but added all up looked attractive.  He would get a ton of people looking and a few buyers.

So where I have a number of shoppers (and some regulars) and sell lots of cheap stuff to make 75-100 profit.  He just needs to sell 2-3 items to make the same profit.