I think the better question would be......can you afford not to?
If you can afford to sit on your product, continuing to buy more supplies, while you wait for your items to sell, then hey, more power to ya, and I so congratulate you! BUT, if you are like me....I need to be able to pay my light bill every month, and still buy supplies, so......I am not gonna sit on anything if I can help it at all.
First we should explore a few things.....quite a few things actually...........
SUPPLIES - Now...I know that a lot of people out there will be completely offended when I say....puh-leeze....there is always a better price for what you are buying......even the high grade stuff can be found at a better price. You just have to be willing to look for it. Spend some time, search, investigate, compare, if you are buying the first thing you see you like.....well...I am sorry, but it's a big mistake to do it that way. Let's be real here, if you are paying high dollar for supplies, and then expect to sell your items at an even higher dollar in this day and time, you WILL be disappointed......9 out of 10 people cannot afford to buy a high end piece of jewelry.....it's an impulse buy....not a necessity by any means.
YOUR TIME- What is your time worth today? Well......a deeper exploration of that would be: If a person is making say.....9.00 an hour at a real job......they make 72.00 a day.......now take away 5.00 for lunch, and at least 5.00 a day for gas....some spend waaaaay more than that driving to a job.......we are down to 62.00 a day. Then lets factor in that they are putting up with a boss, and co-workers on top of that, deadlines, and no leisure time...........they cant run to the grocery store, do errands, or anything, they are stuck at a job until their shift is finished, period. YOU however, do not have these bonds, you can do what you want, when you want really.......What your time is worth, bottom line, is up to you, but for me, I take in to account that I have the luxury of all of the extras in a day......that in itself is worth a great deal......
CREATIONS - Would I, at a flea market, put on the table a 100.00 piece of jewelry? Probably not. It has been my experience that, a 40.00 piece is stretching it just a bit. So, everything I actually put on the table is 40.00 or less.......not that I don't have everything with me, because I do. And on more than one occasion, I have had someone ask to see my higher end items, and sell them too....so.....But the object at a flea market is to make the prices within "reach", so to speak.
YOUR ATTITUDE GOING IN- So....you walk in to the flea market, expecting to sell ......what is your attitude like when you get there? Are you walking in with a chip on your shoulder...." I am only doing this to see if it works or not, my stuff is so much better than this".....OR....are you walking in thinking..."hey, if I make anything above and beyond my space rent, it's that much I did not walk in here today with". Your attitude says everything. When you walk in there you cannot expect to think you will sell everything, because you wont 90% of the time, If you expect that, then you are setting yourself up for a big let down, and your attitude will reflect that, trust me, everyone will be able to see it in everything you do or say. This is bad for you, and the image of the items you are selling. YES, you should believe in yourself, and your product, YES YOU SHOULD, but there is a line you cross between believing in yourself/product, and just being plain egotistical. Sorry, but it's a fact. Once you cross the line in to the ego side of things, you have gone to far, and people will not only not buy your items, they will shy away from you and your booth all together, every single time they see you. Better to be a bit humble, than to give the wrong impression.
WORD OF MOUTH- There is just no better advertisement in the world than word of mouth. I have had couples come back week after weekend bring their friends with them, to look at what I might have new, and they buy. Why? my prices are reasonable, within reach, and I am humble enough to know that I have a handmade product that will not appeal to every single person out there. I don't allow my "ego" to get in the way of the realities of the world. What better way is there to get the word out about your product, then to show it off, in person, hands on......even if they don't buy this week, they just might next week, so I don't allow it to bother me.
FINALLY- I have been asked if it's worth it, and if I find that people want to "haggle" or they ask for a cheaper price. Well, yeah, every once in awhile they do...but ya know what? This goes back to pricing.....You should have your prices set, so that you do not feel offended if they ask, and you can feel comfortable in giving them a break on something. DO NOT be offended, or take it personally, I assure you, they are not trying to attack you. Al tho there are a lot of people who think otherwise.....think about it, when you are buying supplies, don't YOU hunt for, and ask for the best deal you can get? That's really all they are doing too, looking for the best deal, not to offend you personally, but to help save their pocket books too......same thing, same concept. 90% of the world does not even think to offend someone by asking, it's not intentional, they are thinking....and i have been in retail for 25 years, so this I know, "man I like that, I reeeeeeally want it, but I only have 25 to spare...gotta pay...........wonder if she will take less?" And THAT is how they think......they don't walk up to your table thinking " I think I will just make her feel like crap and ask her if she will take 25 for that item" ....realistically, you cannot possibly think that's what they are doing.
Is it worth it? YES....I have had most weekend yield more than 200.00 in 1 single day, so yeah, I think it's worth it. Not to mention I get out of the house, see people, get to show off my newest stuff.....yeah it's worth it! ;)
One of my favorite sayings is this :
"there is a reason the poor stay poor, and the rich stay rich........it's because the poor spend more money than the rich do"
That being said......maybe we should target a little less on the high end of things? Be a little more willing to bend on our prices, not on everything and not too far, but enough that we can pay our bills each month?
Just a thought for ya.......
