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The Marketplace => Selling Venues => Flea Markets => Topic started by: Alias on February 08, 2012, 10:53:09 AM

Title: Question: selling to sellers
Post by: Alias on February 08, 2012, 10:53:09 AM
Love going to fleas and swaps. I pick, don't sell.
But I do sell a lot to the vendors. I usually go a few times, talk to the sellers, see what they always have then if I come across something I'll go to them. But it's always a bit uneasy.

Question to all you that sell at markets. Is it bad form to just walk up and say I got this, you interested?

Cause when ever I do it that way they kinda blow me off or offer just nothing.
Like this weekend I had an end table. Guy had like pieces so I offered it to him for $15. He didn't look and just said no. Stall next to him offers $5.

I sold it on CL for $60.

For certain items I'd rather take less. Move it fast and not have the hassle of ad, calls, meeting....

Am I breaking some unwritten rule of flea marketers? I've done it fir years, works well but always catch attitude.....
Title: Re: Question: selling to sellers
Post by: money4nothing on February 08, 2012, 11:48:47 AM
Love going to fleas and swaps. I pick, don't sell.
But I do sell a lot to the vendors. I usually go a few times, talk to the sellers, see what they always have then if I come across something I'll go to them. But it's always a bit uneasy.

Question to all you that sell at markets. Is it bad form to just walk up and say I got this, you interested?

Cause when ever I do it that way they kinda blow me off or offer just nothing.
Like this weekend I had an end table. Guy had like pieces so I offered it to him for $15. He didn't look and just said no. Stall next to him offers $5.



As a seller (part time). Offering a piece of furniture to a vendor for more than $5, will never work. We passed on a real nice wooden trunk for $20, because we did not have room to take it home.

If you found a vendor with a permanent spot and they sell furniture maybe but still will offer little.

Maybe the attitude you get is for your price.  ;). Trying to make a profit of the vendors usually does not work. If someone offered me something to buy it would have to be dirt cheap. Just for the hassle of figuring out how to get it home if it did not sell.

I have seen lots of things for sale for flea market or thrift store on CL. In my opinion they want to much for a tub of knick knacks.

Maybe you should be a seller once or twice then you could see the vendors side. Loading unloading ect.
Could take everything you want to sell to vendors and set up a booth. They will come to you. Then no uneasy feelings they are customers.  ;D
Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Question: selling to sellers
Post by: Alias on February 08, 2012, 01:20:57 PM
Thanks. That makes sense.
Just wanted to make sure I wasn't breaking some "code" and insulting people.

Never really thought about them having to lug it away.
Title: Re: Question: selling to sellers
Post by: money4nothing on February 08, 2012, 03:56:07 PM
Welcome.

That is the hard part of the Flea the lugging.  ;D

No secret codes just sore muscles... LOL
Title: Re: Question: selling to sellers
Post by: VinceRN on March 15, 2012, 10:54:23 PM
I've had this happen a couple times, doesn't bother me.  I've also had offers from one time sellers, like "all my stuff for $X".  Bought a tangles mess of fishing poles from a guy that was selling (or failing to sell) for just one weekend for $15 and turned it into $70.  Unless I see that kind of profit in it I won;t buy stuff from folks.
Title: Re: Question: selling to sellers
Post by: craiglstauction on March 16, 2012, 07:51:55 AM
Let the vendors come to you, specially if you are just trying to get rid of stuff.  Market the prices like you would for anyone.  They may try and get you to come down on it or not. 

I do this each time I go to the flea.  Your first customers before you even get setup are "vendors" looking for clueless people.  They sometimes wipe me out of CDs/DVDs/Games since I always underprice them by a $1 from what the vendor sells them for.  It's like my cloths rack that I had last weekend.  Vendor wanted it and I told him $50 at start of morning.  He came back later that day and asked again.  We hemmed and hawwed back and forth.  I finally sold it to him for $30.  Since I got them for free was pure profit and I still have one.  Hate selling cloths so wasn't a loss for me and we both walked away happy.