In the past year, the Frolicking Llama has moved in and out of many differnt antique malls. Not because we were unhappy in our spaces (or were evicted, hehe), but we just didnt' have enough room and kept moving to bigger booths. Thus, I have set up my fair share of booths recently, and here is what I've learned.
1. Time. Unless you have super powers, you're going to have to set up your space which, shockingly, takes time! I spent a good month preparing to move into my newest space, and we're going on 16 days of setting up the booth and we're still not quite done. Just be prepared to spend the time to do it right. No one expects you to be all moved in on the first day. Plus, most people who frequent antique stores like to watch your booth come to life!
2. Build up. I know this doesn't apply to real estate in the valley, but in other cities when they run out of space they build up. This same philosphy is great for an antique booth. When you run out of floor space start stacking items. Now don't go and build a sky scraper that will collapse and bury shoppers, but there's no reason to have only one table when you can fit three!
3. Curb Appeal. You know how they say "never judge a book by its cover." Well, it's not necessarily true when it comes to antique store booths. I've watched so many people walk right by a booth that doesnt offer any intrigue or have an appealing set up. I know I'm guilty of walking right by a booth that I'm sure had several treasures, just because I didn't like the way it looked. Spend the time to make your booth appealing. It doesn't have to appeal to everyone, but junk thrown on shelves never made anyone happy.
4. Human Traffic. Before you move into a space, consider this: Does the store get enough traffic? You never want to spend the time and money moving into a store that doesn't really get any business. The whole point is to make money, right?
5. Audience. Who shops at the store? If the antique store is located in a trendy, younder location, your grannys handmade cross-stich is going to be a harder sell. Talk to the other vendors and the people who work at the store. Most of the time other antique junkies are very friendly and happy to share their knowledge. It never hurts to ask!
If you're thinking of moving into an antique store, I say GO FOR IT! I've loved my experience and I learn new things every time I open a new booth. Sometimes it doesn't always work out as well as I had hoped, but I'm glad I decided to give it a go.
