I will never forget my first visit to the flea market. I bought the jewelry vendors out and visited the ATM three times (until it ran out of money). I couldn't believe the fabulous prices compared to the auctions and other venues I had attended. Then without even asking they gave me a discount for buying so much. Imagine that! After going faithfully every Sunday these vendors have become my friends and mentors. Having witnessed the changes and trends over the last few decades, they don't need a computer to calculate value. They base their price strictly on what they paid and how fast the last one they had sold. Never assume they are out of touch. They attend auctions and talk to vendors at other markets or even ask their children to look it up online. There's no denying their selection and talk about turnover - their inventory is forever changing! Turns out whether on land or online all sellers operate by the same principles. Hopefully these tips that might help you at the market will also offer some insight into successful selling on Ruby Lane.

First, always be fair with your offers. For fear of insulting (or paying too much!) I always wait for the seller to make me an offer. I was once standing behind a woman who actually offered a meager $20 for what was obviously a D&E bracelet! Going for the best price possible is fine but remember that they too are sellers so if you go overboard you will usually go home without. When you lowball a piece you are disrespecting them as a seller - much like how we feel when a buyer submits an offer for 50% off on a newly listed item. Second, be upfront about being a seller. I thought if they knew I was a seller the prices would go up but instead the opposite happened. They began to value me as a repeat customer just as the sellers do here on RL with their best buyers. In fact, the only thing that increased was my discounts. I wasn't their competition and most have no desire to sell online. They are intrigued by the online world but really can't be bothered especially when they already enjoy what they have been doing for decades. I personally think the vendors are grateful for venues like RL since it brings them more business and better prices.

Flea market vendors have one major rule that all online vendors would do well to practice. They don't care what happens to the item when it leaves their booth nor do they care how much you will make on it. Their only purpose is to sell it and as long as there's a profit to be made in the here and now they will rarely wait around for the book value. They believe adding and clearing inventory are the singlemost important factors to a successful business. These sellers despise museums - they want stuff to move not sit. And they positively hate to dust just like we hate to store. Is anyone else running out of closet space? Yes, my shop wasn't supposed to get that big either ;)

You will learn from them what you can't learn from a book. They might not know the exact date of a piece (though they'll be pretty darn close!) but they will be able to tell you exactly how common it is and how quickly it sells - vital info to a seller. I take my time and stay and chat even if I'm not interested in anything. They share my passion for collectibles and no one else I know does. (Hubby thinks I'm certifiable.) The sellers are funny and happy to share their most memorable moments. As a bonus, once they have identified your buying patterns they will save items for you. How thrilling it is that no matter what time you arrive (and I am most certainly NOT a morning person) they will have a little box of goodies stashed away just for you. They will also be able to provide you access to their better priced appraisers and will know who can fix that bracelet or size that ring for half the cost. Also, they may be able to provide you with good leads on items too costly for them to buy to produce a profit. Here in Canada, Sherman is all the rage and I have purchased a few pieces this way.

I guess maybe it's because they are so pleased to see the next generation of sellers and they are happy they aren't a dying breed. We can learn so much from them and they prove that where ever you sell the basic rules never change. Who knows? Maybe one day when arthritis sets in I just may have a booth at the flea market. Oh my, I can just see me now...

Rita Zappitelli - Shop Owner
Falls Avenue Collectibles
www.rubylane.com/shops/fallsavenue