The operative word in the title of this post is SELLING. What that means is that absolutely positively everything in your booth or space should be for sale – even that cool vintage display case and your antique French mannequin.

It’s not unusual for antique dealers – especially new dealers – to want to horde the good stuff. Obviously, if you’re in, or thinking of getting into, the vintique business means you probably love the stuff. That is not a crime. Neither is keeping things you really love. But, for Pete’s sake, if you don’t want to sell an item, don’t put it in your booth. It’s just that simple.

As dealers get more experience, see just how much stuff is out there in the world to buy and resell,  and the stuff piles up in storage units and garages, they’re usually more willing to sell their inventory. Selling the good stuff is also the point where a dealer’s business can really take off. I hope it isn’t news to you, but customers like the good stuff, too.

Make NFS (not for sale) tags and FDO (for display only) no-nos in your booth for a number of reasons: 1) Customers get a little pissed off when they can’t buy something they just fell in love with. They’ll leave and not buy anything from you. 2) You’re paying rent on the entire space. Make sure that the entire space can earn its keep. Wasting room on stuff that is NFS or FDO is just stupid business. I’m sorry if the truth hurts. Click here for a little primer on sales per square foot. Lamps, display cases, shelves, even dollar store decor you put up to dress your space for the holidays should all be for sale.

Will you regret selling some items? Oh yes you will. Even after years in the business, there are certain things that you will wish you never sold. It happens to the best of dealers. Sometimes the cash in your bank account makes up for it, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s just part of the business.

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Do you see anything wrong with this photo? See that floor lamp in the back right corner? The one with the milk glass shade that has a pretty scalloped edge? Yeah. I wanted to take a closer look at it, but I wasn’t about to climb over the blockade to get to it or move everything out of the way, either.

This dealer has beautiful things in her booth … and it is all going to stay in her booth, too. Who knows how many other potential customers walked away just like I did. This space looks like I just threw open the door on a storage unit. Albeit a gorgeous storage unit, but a storage unit nonetheless.

If this were my space, I would’ve placed that cream whatnot shelf and one of those dining chairs on top of the big dining table, using both as risers to display other merchandise. If that didn’t clear enough walking space, I’d simply remove some of the stuff.

OK, then. We’re agreed that there’s too much crap in this space. Do you see anything else wrong with this picture? Look carefully. Think it over. Anything? I’ll give you a hint: it has to do with that pretty lamp I was interested in. That’s right, it should have been plugged and lit up – as should the table lamp in the foreground. My camera flash and photo software brightened this picture quite a bit.  Being at the back of the shop, this space was pretty darn dark despite the creams and bling of silver and crystal.

Antique mall dealers take note. Stocking your booth isn’t about how much you can cram into the space. It’s about using that space to display your gorgeous merchandise so that shoppers can get close to it, touch it, fall in love with it and buy it. Make room for your customers and light the way for them all the way to the cash register.

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