Antique and Flea Market Information

By Melanie Marten

One problem with being a seller at an outdoor flea market is avoiding thieves. Not only will some untrustworthy folks attempt to steal objects from your table or booth, others will go straight for the hard cash you have directly. Learning how to take care of the money at an outdoor flea market will make your day both more profitable and less taxing.

Tips for Taking Customer’s Money Safely at the Flea Market

One vital thing for a flea market merchant to do is to take the customer’s money for the stuff they want to buy. While the majority will hand you the cash or change openly, some buyers rather to count their funds out flat onto the table. Persuade shoppers to deposit the funds directly into your hand. The easiest way to do this is by sticking your hand out as they reach into a pocket or purse to get the money out. Still, some shoppers will ignore your hand. Do not be insensitive to some people’s aversion to touching someone else.

However, an important thing is to be precisely in front of the consumer when the money is passed to you or placed on the table. Having a friend at the outdoor flea market can help take care of numerous interested people at the same time. Otherwise, you must insist shoppers wait their turn.

Tips for Making Change Safely

A lot of outdoor flea market shoppers do not have correct change. It is your charge as a business owner to speedily make and give change to people who buy something. The most secure way to do this is to have different denominations of money in a pocket or bag. Put the large bill away immediately before taking out the change for the shopper. A vendor’s apron or fanny pack can be beneficial for holding a supply of change on hand.

Tips to Store Cash Safely at the Flea Market

The safest way to save money is to keep it on your person. The aforementioned pocketed apron or fanny pack can be useful. However, if you do a considerable amount of business during the flea market day it may become too full or hard to control. Bills with large denominations that are not handy for making change can be hidden out of sight inside your vehicle, if it is parked close by, or exactly under the table in a locked box or bag. Be aware that some thieves at an outdoor flea market may try to creep under the table to steal currency.

Signs of Potential Thieves at the Flea Market

One unfortunate part of an outdoor flea market vendor’s job is watching out for thieves. Various of the warning signs that a person may try to steal something from you are: undue browsing without showing attraction in any particular piece of merchandise, lack of response to your inquiries, looking peering around to see if anyone is looking, and the practice of laying leaning hands or bags on your booth.

About the Author: Cash in on the bad economy by starting your own flea market business. http://www.fleamarketmama.com – Flea Market Mama – will show you how to find products, set up for maximum sales and how to make more money every week at flea markets and swap meets.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=385095&ca=Business

By Gary Ruplinger

If you’ve never been to a live auction, then you may not have ever heard of the term “collusion.” Not all auctioneers mention it, so even if you have been to an auction or two, you may never have heard of the term.

Collusion can be defined as “The unlawful practice whereby two or more people agree not to bid against one another so as to deflate value or when the auctioneer accepts a fictitious bid on behalf of the seller so as to manipulate or inflate the price of the property.”

Despite the fact that it’s illegal, it’s still a pretty common event live auctions.

Here’s a typical scenario. You’re at an auction and let’s say you’re looking at a pallet of computers. You see a lot of items on there that you could use and say to yourself that you’ll be bidding on that. You notice there are some printers on the pallet that you don’t need, but will still bid on the pallet when the time comes. Now, while you’re looking at this pallet of computers, another bidder has noticed your interest and approaches you. He asks you if you’re interested in the computers or the printers. You tell him you’re only interested in the computers. He says he’s only interested in the printers and wants to make an agreement with you. He says he wants to bid on the pallet, but will not bid if you agree to sell him the printers for half the bid price. Now if you agree, that’s collusion.

It may sound tempting, but as enticing as it may be, don’t do it. It hurts the seller at the auction because now there’s less competition than there should be for the items and makes it likely that the item will sell for less than it would have.

Some auctioneers have even been known to plant people to try to get people to agree to collusion, and if you do…well, it’s not good.

Now let’s look at collusion from the other side where the seller uses it to his advantage. In this case, the seller would plant a person to bid on an auction in order to artificially run up the price on the auction. This person has no interest in buying the item. They just want to make you pay more than you would have had to.

Next time you’re at an auction, just keep in mind what collusion is and avoid it. Keep the game fair. An auction is already a place where you can get a great deal.

About the Author: Gary Ruplinger is a former eBay Powerseller and shares his tips to getting up to 420% more for your eBay items in his free report – eBay Conversion Secrets. To get this free report, visit AuctionConversionSecrets.com.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=101591&ca=Business

By Ryan Ginster

eBay is a great source of collectibles. There are so many unique objects that you cannot find anywhere else, making collecting these items one of the most enjoyable things to do on eBay. This articles lists a few tips to help you start buying these collectibles.

1. Find your category

Decide what type of collectibles do you want to be looking at. From Star Wars paraphernalia to antique vases, it is likely that all the items you are looking for are listed in the same category. Adding this category to your favourites on your internet browser allows you to come back and dive straight into purchasing items which you are interested in, rather than sifting through all the other items available.

2. Look for mistakes

Being a collector, you probably know a lot about the item, possibly even more than the seller. This can prove to be a golden opportunity for you. Sometimes, the seller does not even realise that they are in possession of a rare item. Email the seller to ask a few questions to confirm your suspicions. You might just be able to obtain an extremely rare item cheaply, either for resale or for collection.

3. Don’t trust the descriptions

Most sellers call their items ‘rare’. Just because an item is labelled as ‘rare’ on the description doesn’t mean it actually is. Don’t bid on an item unless you’re absolutely sure you know what you are buying.

4. Follow other users

When collecting something, you will notice that you are constantly buying from the same sellers, or bidding against the few same buyers. Add their user pages to your Favourites. Checking back on them often will allow you to search for items that interest you far more efficiently.

5. Be prepared to walk away

There are so many items being listed everyday on eBay that even if you lose a single auction, chances are that it will reappear in no time. If you cannot walk away from an auction, expect to pay a premium. Rather than being caught in a bidding war on an expensive item, go and bid on a lower-priced auction. There is virtually nothing that is so rare that another seller won’t be able to sell.

6. Be aware of shipping

Collecting many small items of low value might result in the postage costing as much as the item itself. You should always be aware of shipping costs as they can slowly add up to significant amounts. A good strategy to use is to always buy a couple of items from the same seller. This can result in them offering a discount on postage. Even if they do not, it is good to build a reputation with a certain buyer as they may offer you discounts on further purchases.

Some auctions go slower than others, perhaps even several days before they receive a new bid. In the next article, I will explain how you can take advantage of these ’slow’ auctions to make a profit, or to grab a bargain.

About the Author: Learn how to successfully sell your stuff for a profit on Ebay at: Free Ebay Articles Find more articles like this at: Free Online Content

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=245885&ca=Business

By Benedict Smythe

An antique is an object which belongs to a past era valued for its artistry, craftsmanship, rarity and age. The term originates from the Latin word “antiquus” which means “old” or “ancient”.

Antique experts and collectors have different factors in considering or defining antique, but a common denominator is the age of the items. An object has to be made from an earlier period than the present. Moreover, an object has to be at least 100 years old to qualify as antique.

Other antique experts and collectors regard a hundred year old object not antique enough compared to an item that is at least 300 years old. An antique item in one country may not be considered antique in another country at all. Thus, defining what antique also varies from person to person or from place to place.

Aside from the age of a piece, some antique experts would only describe an object as antique if it is made of the highest quality and features a striking ors one-of-a-kind design.

Antiquing Defined

Antiquing is the art of antique collection. It involves the process of shopping, identifying, negotiating, bargaining and buying so called antique items. Antiques may range from pieces of furniture such as a table, chair, desk, or dresser among others; a piece of jewellery; kitchen pieces such as tableware, dinner sets or pots; sculptures; paintings; maps; coins; stamps; books; other home pieces such as clocks; and carpets as well. Antique furniture is one of the most commonly collected items because of its practical uses.

Antiques can be made of varied materials such as fabric, wood, porcelain, ivory or glass. Antiques are sold in antique shops all over the world. The internet is also a rich source of information for antique collectors. Several websites pertain to antiques which are useful for antique collectors, both old and new.

Antique collection depends on the interests and preferences of antique collectors. Some antique collectors prefer to collect antiques of a specific period only. Mostly, devoted antique collectors spend considerable time and money to acquire a piece to add in the collection.

Antiquing is indeed an expensive hobby but other antique collectors purchase antiques for potential resale and antiquing also refers to the process of making an object appear antique.

Antiques and its Purpose

Antiques are significant artefacts of the past which help historians and archaeologists from understanding the earlier period of human history. All antiques are valuable because these objects represent the past. However, some are considered priceless because they are vital in the recognition and education of the history of a specific place in a specific time so these antiques are placed in museums. Other antiques can be bought in various antique shops for the satisfaction of antique collectors. Antiques are also considered heirlooms hence, also priceless.

Monetary Value of Antiques

The value of antique depends on the number of items available in the market, the condition of the item, and the amount that collectors would pay for it.

Antique appraisal, or the process of determining the value of antiques, is essential to every antique collector. Finding a qualified antique appraiser requires meticulous research. Antique appraisers have different specialization on antiques. An appraiser whose forte is on antique ceramics may not be able to provide valuable details on antique jewellery.

It is also important to note that some pieces of antiques are recommended for antique restoration while others are more valuable as they appear to be. A professional antique restorer provides expert help in determining what needs to undergo essential restoration to add more value to the antique and restore it to its original appearance and function.

About the Author: Driscolls Antiques is a leading supplier of quality antiques and antique furniture. Benedict Yossarian is a freelance Internet Marketing Consultant that can help maximize your exposure online.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=286501&ca=Arts+and+Crafts