Bloody hell!! where did the days go?
Here I sit with a business that has changed hands and semi retirement looming. The approach of each day now gives me a small nudge. I need to begin to arrange the future rather than turning into a couch potato.
At this time I have managed to visit Belfast and pass on some of my collection to a fellow gatherer. I will be visiting a fair in Kent this coming weekend, I have bought a few oddities that are always a topic for conversation when displayed in the correct manner. Usually this entails placing a very big price tag on it !!
You would be amazed at how many strollers ask me "Why is that so expensive?" I then look a little baffled grab the price tag and say, "Oops! too many zeros...." then strike up a bit of sales chat. Reel em in.
Here is a simple tip that I have seen work well. Obtain a tatty box, preferably cardboard and old. Fill it with some items that are either damaged, missing parts, fell out of the boot or have sat on the stall for eons. Throw in some old clothe things like socks, towels and maybe the odd boot. Place a big sign on it that reads something like...."Everything £5.00" Then stand back and be amazed.
Some odd human conditioning kicks in. The thought that there could be something in the box that is worth more than a fiver gets the punters blood up. Woo!! they swarm around have a rummage and think they have found treasure. Even then they try to knock the price down. I have sold small bits of my collection that have sat around for years within a few minutes of the doors opening.
The other method I use is to visit a few charity shops and grab some hardbacks. The ones with lots of illustrations go down well, they can be on any subject but as I trade Militaria I aim for that subject matter. Do not arrange them neatly on a stand. Simply scribble a price (In pencil, so you change it) on the inside cover and throw them to the floor on an old table cloth. There is no greater pass time for the punter than to rummage in a squat position, the elder patrons tend not to spend too much time at ground level but once again you will be taken aback at how much you sell.
Of course this gets them chatting and as they stand there you can introduce them to the more exotic and expensive items on your table. You must never sit down, always look relaxed, try not to talk on the mobile, smile a lot, strike up a conversation when ever you can, try to keep people at your table with general chit chat and the odd offering of a biscuit or a free pen (They are cheap enough) and most important of all present your items in the best possible condition and light.
I am off now to have a few beers, tomorrow is Tuesday and I will be playing live at an open mic venue near Epping forest. Be safe and may your god go with you.
