By Jeff Zurschmeide
Most car people have looked around their garage or workshop at some point and decided that they need to get rid of about 90 percent
of the stuff they’ve collected. But several things stand in the way, the first and most obvious is
“how to get rid of it?” It’s tempting to think
that
you could catalog
everything
and make a mint
selling
it
on eBay,
but who has time to actually do that? The
much easier solution is to take
it all to a swap meet and sell it there.
But that’s where the other challenges come up
–
and here’s a secret: all
of
those challenges are inside your head.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, the
Portland Swap Meet
the first week
in April is
a
golden opportunity to get rid of stuff you’re never going to use,
and put a few (or
very many) dollars into your pockets.
To make the most of your swap meet booth,
here are
my top ten
tips.
You may not like all of them, but
over 20 years as a swap
meet buyer and seller, I’ve come to find
they’re true.
1)
Pack More Than You Really Want to Sell
–
You really need to think like
someone who’s
never seen all this stuff before when you evaluate what to
take to the swap,
and what to keep safely stashed away.
The basic rules of
cleaning
-
out apply: have you used this stuff in the last year? (OK,
I’ll allow
two years, but not
a day
more.) Do you have more than one copy of an item?
If you’re not
using it, sell it.
If you have more than one
item, keep the best
one
and sell the rest.
2)
Bring Food and Drinks
–
Murphy’s Law says that the
perfect
customer will
show up
at the exact time you’ve run off to get
a hot dog.
Everyone needs to
get away from
their booth, but by bringing snacks and a lunch, you can
increase the chances that you’re
present for
that
buyer
to
find the item “they
just have to have”
in your booth.
3)
Bring a Friend
–
You’ll
want to
walk
the meet
yourself,
so
bring a friend
both
to
share
the
time a
nd to
mind
the store.
One
important
point, though: You
need to
authorize
or empower
your
friend to make deals while you’re gone.
And no grousing if, while you’re out,
something sells for less than
you would
hope
--
because
no buyer is willing to
wait
around
while you’re
on
walkabout, and any
money made in your absence is a plus.
4)
Get a Good Spot
–
At
the time I wrote this, there still were
a few
indoor
spaces available at
the Portland meet, which is held indoors and outdoors.
And you don’t need to be on the end of an aisle or right by a door
with an
inside booth
–
particularly
when
a
squall drives buyers inside.
If you’re outside, a tent,
EZ
-
up,
or covered trailer
are
springtime swap
meet
essentials,
as is a space heater.
5)
Bring Tables
–
Buyers
don’t like to root through
piles or boxes of stuff.
Sure,
some will
take the trouble, but
far
more will
just
walk right by.
And those
hardy souls
who do dig from
the
pile won’t offer as much
for
the same part
as
when it’s
displayed nicely.
Shelves are good, and
EZ
-
Up tents
also allow you
to
hang important items at eye level.
6)
Use Signs
–
Let people know what they’re looking at.
If you have a bunch of
stuff from a particular car
model, write
it
out
in big bold letters on a piece
of
cardboard or a white board.
If you have more stuff at home, note that,
too.
7)
Have Change Handy
–
You can lose a sale by not having change.
Go to the
bank
before you head to the meet and
get a stack of
$1s and
$5s
--
you’ll
come home
from the meet
with a pocket full of
$20s
and
$50s, or better!
8)
Be Friendly
–
Nothing turns
a buyer
off faster than a grouch.
If
you decline a
buyer’s offer,
remember that
they’re
car
enthusiasts,
just like you.
By the
way,
everyone
nearby
–
buyers as well as
sellers
–
will notice
how you
interact with
buyers.
Will they want to do business with you?
Also,
buyers
are
more likely to come back
for a
second run at an item if
their previous
stop at your booth was enjoyable.
You’ll come home with more money in
your pockets if keep a smile on your face.
9)
Price Things Appropriately
–
This is where it gets tough.
No one wants to
leave money on the table.
But
you didn’t drag all this stuff
to the meet
just to
drag it all home again and repack it, right?
Absolutely not! You brought it
to
the meet to
move it down the road with another car enthusiast. Keep that in
mind
in setting
initial prices, and
holding to
those prices if things aren’t
selling.
10)
But
Don’t be Afraid to Say
“No”
–
Keeping in mind that you
really
do
want
to sell this stuff, don’t be shy about saying “no”
to low
-
ball offers.
If you
believe you can sell
it
for more before the
show
ends, it’s OK to say “No,
thanks” to low bids.
After all, the
buyer
may be testing
you, and he might
meet your price if you’re determined.
Or, he may return
with a better offer.
But a last word
on turning down offers
--
once
the item is
gone,
are
you really
going to
miss it?
I’ve
always had a
great time
as a swap meet vendor, and
I usually go home with an
empty truck and bulging pockets.
Clearing out the junk feels great
and
it opens my
workshop to the next great project.
Follow these easy guidelines and I’m guessing
you’ll have a great time, too.
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