Tips and Tricks Tuesday #9 - How to Get the Best Deals from Market Vendors

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE DETAILS FOR ALL THREE NEW LINKY PARTIES HERE AT THE COTTAGE!

Welcome to the nineth Tips & Tricks Tuesday linky party here at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Have you had the chance to visit our participants from last week's party yet?  If not, don't miss out on those fabulous tips and tricks!

Karly @ Jellybean Junkyard gave us two terrific tips that will keep us fashionable on the cheap.

  One was for the cutest little clutch purse made from a vintage coat...

 

and the other for a nifty necklace knockoff.

And if you're like me, you need all the helpful tips you can get for painting your walls. 

It's not that I don't know how, it's just a task I always dread.  But, Rachael @ Lovely. Crafty. Home. gave us a quick tutorial showing us how to make that mundane chore a little more bearable.

And now, here's this week's Brambleberry Cottage tip.

I know you're accustomed to getting DIY how-tos on Tuesday nights, but tonight, I thought I would share some common mistakes being made at markets, fairs, festivals, and shows that could actually keep you from getting goods at the very best prices you could. 

I know, because I witness it everywhere I sell.

You want the absolute best deals possible, right? So, here are some dos and don'ts for dealing with vendors–at flea markets, antique shows, etc.–that will help you accomplish that.

The first thing you need to understand is that vendors have a number of costs associated with selling their wares–regardless of the venue.

 

These will most always include: space or booth rent, gas to get to the location where the sale takes place, the initial investment costs of the goods being sold, and taxes that have to be paid once those goods are sold.

There are also quite a few other incidental costs that may or may not apply for a particular event:  fees for city permits, food and lodging–when the sale site is far from home, and costs for supplies necessary for cleaning and/or repairing items for sale. 

And these are just a few of the extra expenses incurred as a seller.

So, why am I telling you all of this? 

Because one of the most common mistakes made by buyers is the assumption that a huge profit is built in to an item being sold.  That is often not the case–once all of the above costs are factored in. 

The seller may, or may not, have the ability to come down on the price of an item. 

Only he, or she, knows if it's possible to do so and still make a profit–which is the goal of every business.

So, how does one navigate this whole

price–negotiation deal? 

 Do politely ask the seller if the price tagged, or quoted, is the best price he or she can give.  Respect and kindness go a long way in the negotiation of any transaction. 

And, by all means, if you are told it is, accept it.  Don't try to tell the seller why he could, or should, give you a better price. 

Some items being sold may not have any markup attached–the reasons for this would take a whole separate post to explain.

Do not, I repeat, do not tell the seller you will "give" him, or her, a certain price–set by you–for the item.  Every dealer I know finds that tactic presumptuous and rude.

Do, however, tell him if there is a certain price you can afford to pay–should that be the case.  It may, or may not, make a difference.

Don't behave rudely or impolitely if the seller cannot meet your price expectation.  

Whether you get the goods or not–at the price you want–be kind and courteous.  After all, isn't that the way you would want to be treated?

There's a lot of hard work involved for most sellers in this line of business–packing and unpacking goods, loading and unloading trucks, enduring all sorts of weather conditions, being away from home and loved ones, and on and on...over and over again. 

Few people I know work this hard at a "hobby".  It is a business–for most everyone who does it. 

So, the way to get the best deal is to make it a win-win situation for you–the buyer–and the seller.  ; )