I've been agonizing over this for a while, and I am at a stalemate with myself. Any input is welcome.
I have various items that I would like to put up for sale locally. Some painted pots, some furniture, some reclaimed window pieces. I would like to rent a booth in a local antique mall, but it's too expensive. The only booths they had were a 10'x10' for $120 a month, or 8'x8' for $90-ish. Plus they charge a 10% commission. Not only is that too much $$ for me to put up front, that's too much booth space. I don't have the goods to fill up the space. What I really want is a booth half that size, for half the money. They do have some small booths but they are already rented. So, I have to wait for one to open up, and who knows when that will be.
So, my other option is to consign them. I called around to local consignment shops and the going rate is 40%. If I am going to sell any quantity of items, I can't be doing it at a 40% loss. But, I'm not selling *anything* right now, and at least if they were in a consignment shop, they could potentially earn me some money and/or reputation, both of which are things I could use, instead of pots and furniture cluttering up the place and collecting dust.
However, if I start selling things through consignment, I am depleting my potential stock for the antique mall. I still really want to do the mall. I think if the stuff sells, I'll make the best money there. But, I need some money now, and I can't do the mall now.
Not only do I welcome input on this problem, I also want to hear about your experiences selling goods in various ways, if you are willing to share your story. Thanks so much!
I have various items that I would like to put up for sale locally. Some painted pots, some furniture, some reclaimed window pieces. I would like to rent a booth in a local antique mall, but it's too expensive. The only booths they had were a 10'x10' for $120 a month, or 8'x8' for $90-ish. Plus they charge a 10% commission. Not only is that too much $$ for me to put up front, that's too much booth space. I don't have the goods to fill up the space. What I really want is a booth half that size, for half the money. They do have some small booths but they are already rented. So, I have to wait for one to open up, and who knows when that will be.
So, my other option is to consign them. I called around to local consignment shops and the going rate is 40%. If I am going to sell any quantity of items, I can't be doing it at a 40% loss. But, I'm not selling *anything* right now, and at least if they were in a consignment shop, they could potentially earn me some money and/or reputation, both of which are things I could use, instead of pots and furniture cluttering up the place and collecting dust.
However, if I start selling things through consignment, I am depleting my potential stock for the antique mall. I still really want to do the mall. I think if the stuff sells, I'll make the best money there. But, I need some money now, and I can't do the mall now.
Not only do I welcome input on this problem, I also want to hear about your experiences selling goods in various ways, if you are willing to share your story. Thanks so much!
