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ers travel
long distances to set up in the fairs. But they are excellent places
to sell high quality art and crafts at good prices. And don't forget
the fast-selling items for a couple of dollars.
AT A SWAP MEET
Start with going to a swap meet, find out what sells and at what
prices. You can find them advertised in the newspapers. Check the
yellow pages or ask at a local store that sells used goods.
If you're going to buy something in particular, be sure to bring a
tape measure or rope if you need to tie something to the top of your
car. Check retail prices for what you're looking for so you'll have
an idea of what the objects are worth. And never give the price
asked. Always offer less.
Take a look at the type of people that are at the meet. Talk to
booth sellers and find out how much they sell. If others make a
profit, you can too. What things sell best?
THE ART OF BUYING
The most important aspect of buying and selling anything is the
price. KNOW YOUR PRICES. You might start with a certain type of
goods such as furniture or used appliances. Check with other stands
to see how much things sell for.
Look in the newspapers to see how the new items are priced. You can
respond to ads in the newspapers to see how much private parties
sell used objects for. Even pawn shops will give you a good estimate
on the selling value of things.
The best time to shop at a swap meet is early - just as it opens.
If you're the first sale of the day you'll get a better deal. Or,
just as the meet is closing is equally good. People are reloading
items to take back home; often any reasonable offer m ight be
accepted, especially if it's for a group of things.
Depending on what you want to buy, you have to know good
craftsmanship or whether or not something can be fixed. They key to
buying and selling is to buy cheap, and sell at a profit. So you
need to know what can be turned around into profit.
A genuine antique must be at least one hundred years old. But
period pieces can be very valuable if you know how to recognize
them. Get to know what things are worth. You have to be able to tell
the difference between value and junk.
Sometimes appliances such as vacuum cleaners, toasters, or small
hand tools can be easily fixed, cleaned up and resold at a profit to
you. But you have to know if you can fix it. Always bid low. Often
you can pick up something for fifty cents, a dolla r, or two
dollars, that you can turn around and sell for ten. You should be
able to judge the seller. Has that person been a longtime regular at
the swap meet? Then you may not get far. Usually, new people who are
just unloading old things will be hap py to make a few dollars and
get rid of those things.
If the seller won't accept your low bid and you're not willing to
pay more, go ahead and leave you name and phone number. You'd be
surprised how many will call back because they couldn't get the
price they wanted.
BUYING IN LOTS
Go to your local manufacturers. They always have scraps, leftovers,
and closeouts that you can pick up for a good price - even for free.
You may be able to recycle scraps into something else. For example,
fabric scraps can be made into quilts or pillo ws. Leather scraps
can be made into clothing, bags and belts.
Sometimes a manufacturer may have produced a bad run of some item
that can be sold to you at rock-botto
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