Once you have found a booth and have an adequate amount of stock to begin
your business, you’ll need to build or purchase display shelves. Smaller items
can also be displayed on larger items, such as a vase on an antique dresser.
Most dealers have a lockable display case for valuable items that are small
enough to be slipped into a pocket or purse.
The mall may have requirements for what the price tags must look like. Tags
usually include your booth number, a brief description of the antique or
vintage collectible, an inventory number that you assign and the price of the
item.
After the booth is open, try to add new merchandise every week. Antique
malls tend to see many repeat customers who are attracted to items they haven’t
seen before. Also, be sure to rearrange the old inventory periodically. Simply
moving a pretty teacup from a hidden corner of a shelf to the top of an antique
nightstand where it can be easily noticed can lead to a sale.
Whether you use a computer accounting program or a spiral notebook, it is
important to keep careful financial records of your transactions. The mall
should provide you with an accounting of items sold, fees incurred and sales
tax collected. Keep track of each item you purchase for the booth, how much it
cost, how much you’re charging for it, when it was placed in the booth and when
it sold. Record the amount spent on supplies for your business, such as price
tags and silver tarnish remover; keep track of mileage when using your car for
your antiques booth business. You will be happy you did at tax time.