display.....

we got mentioned on a neat retail blog..she liked one of our displays..the demdaco canvas art .....one figured out by jon and i, using old dog eared fence and a bench.........see here http://www.swirlmarketing.com/blog/retaildetails/

when we started our business we had really great stuff coming in weekly... and sold it from our truck in the driveway or on the dirt floor of our old Quonset building or in our 700 sq ft shop......really great antiques... with no display at all....our antique buyers definitely looked look at the thing not the presentation.... so for about the first 10 yrs or so display was nothing....

we were in the trends of course....country living set the tone for our business and we supplied all kinds of antique furniture and smalls to the dealers who did the shows and sold to the public...we were about 90% wholesale back then..................................

NOW we are about 70% retail and display is crucial....SO IM ALL ABOUT DISPLAY NOW.....AND THE BETTER WE DO THE BETTER IT SELLS...altho our customers do still like a big pile out in the driveway ...just off the truck....

SO, THINKING ABOUT DISPLAY , HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I GO ON....

...FIRST GOAL.....the wow ....... meaning having the area when you first come in be great....thats where we put all our best most expensive furniture....the harvest tables and the big 2000$ cabinets...and we try not to trash it up with smalls....

....birds of a feather flock together.......here we have several categories and give them their own space and color pallet.......country, foo foo,the black section, key west/lake... white frenchy, good antiques, garden ...etc etc....that way if you hate painted furniture you dont even go into that section...

garden iron inside....we use big garden arbors./arches in several places.....they work so well and are very versatile.... and they always make a focal point, they are so nice and big....you can walk thru them or put a table under them and use the sides top and middle....we do one with garland and wreaths with a table under and country signs on it....the back side is more signs...the other one we use is full of hanging chimes and matching garden stakes...., its against a wall...often we have used one for an entrance to another section....

another great garden thing are the big wire trees...they are about 6 ft tall and 5 ft wide at the top.with lots of branches... we sell them for gardens for about 200$ retail.....great for anything that hangs, but they take major room....

recycle recycle recycle.....we use all kinds of doors and windows and farm junk to make our displays.... i really hate commercial plastic or particle board units....they just look cheesy..... we dont want to look like walmart or hallmark...im so jealous of old navy...who can manage a full size junky antique truck for their displays... we make displays too...out of big old doors and windows... kind of like giant potting benches..we make and use salvaged counters/islands/cash wraps a lot too... .. these big architectural displays are in several famous places and in the gift shows belonging to our wholesale customers......but without credit...ha ha...i dont care tho...if youve been to the store you recognize them for sure...

also i think a lot about eye level.and like to have the best things right there.....and realize hardly anything will sell below knee level.... i also consider how easy it is to grab something...you cant expect your customers to dismantle a display to get something....

i love displaying and dont mind at all when something big sells...it gives us a chance to mix things us and make something new and fresh...

now for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT....

THE QUESTION WAS , WHAT IN YOUR NORMAL DAY? im on a business forum and here was my answer...

i cant talk before coffee....i need it strong and have to have it quiet for about an hour, mostly on the computer...then the garden or back porch..small huddle with dh....then out to it....coffee all day and on my feet all day...no sitting ever.... im out there 10 to 5.... music is a compromise...i like it fast and perky...no dreary female vocals ... which dh likes.....and hes the only one who can change the machine.... also i like it loud but we dont do that either.... i would put marching music and polkas on for the fun of it ..or who let the dogs out.... i talk all day and get interrupted all day..by people, workers and phone calls.... for relief i go back into the workroom and paint...basically i roam around all day and get my priorities going in all the parts of the store....and hear all the efforts and problems....we are in the middle of an annual event right now..and should have about 2 or 300 people thru today....7 people working....i had a real job for a few months back in the 70s...lol....
http://www.small-business-forum.net/ this is a good business forum, very good for computer and web info..lots of good discussions......
THE OTHER SIDE OF DISPLAY........IF IM AT A BIG FLEA MARKET TO BUY.... and i see a booth all prettied up and looking great with well dressed civilized folks in charge and a booth with a disheveled guy and a big messy pile of good stuff....like he just came from an auction....uh, guess where i would go first?
and my customers do like to dig out in the rougher parts....the rough room, under the awning, the real junk out past the dock, and the big packed antique prim room...

but on the retail side , selling the new stuff, i think working hard on display skills is really important....

.. and test your display....did it sell anything?

THE WAY TO SUCCESS

usually i have pretty LOW OPINIONS about marketing gurus...as you might have figured out!!! especially ones who think your ego needs cuddled and pumped up....

.but this one sounds just RIGHT!!! http://www.country-business.com/growyourbiz/marketing_promotions/article.aspx?id=10000 . its from the magazine country business....

in fact this kind of business view sometimes sounds mean and harsh compared to the diva kind ...the rose colored glasses, go girl, build it and they will come, you re great it will work kind of advice....

this sounds like john shallert as someone said on our retailershoptalk forum.. www.retailersshoptalk.com .. it reflects the real world we are in out there when we face our store and our market and our possible customers.....the one I'm in anyway.... i got to hear john shallert once and it was great.......

the diva view is good for building a great blog or being a trendsetter or a magazine publisher....and we all love gorgeous magazines!!!! but IMHO....DONT LOOK TO THEM FOR BUSINESS ADVICE....i always ask DO THEY HAVE A VIABLE STORE? or any retail experience that actually paid them well? arent they just talking to talented artistic women who love decorating? and making things? so my view is watch out if the advice is aimed at just women and is full of things that would gag your dh or landlord...... .... the diva view isnt good for meeting with bankers, getting you above minimum wage,,,getting customers in your town to buy from you enough to pay for you and your store... all those real world things ...

ive learned lots from other stores, face to face and even more in the retail forums ...people out there facing the same market and trends and buyers im facing....

i think our store has to aim at upscale at a mid scale price....just because of our local economy and besides it has worked for us for a long time....theres nothing better than a customer thinking they got a good deal from you...

if i were in palm beach it might be lots different!!!! probably no room for our little metal 3$ kotex boxes tho..or our 1$ old claypots...

.i think the go girl build it they will come did work for a few...a very few but wow...look at nell hill or tracy porter...they did make it happen..but probably with very good , hard nosed , business practices..plus tons of talent that fit the market....

self employment

....im hearing a lot about how hard running a store is..

..i could make a point that having any job is stressful IF it isnt working out.... ....say you were in charge of a big project for a company...and it didnt work and lost the company money....hey....if you got the same bad results the next time you would probably be fired...say you are in charge of a school and the grades go down down down....would they keep you? if you are in charge of tires for a trucking company and they start having a huge spike in flat tires on your watch is that a failure on your part? the boss would probably say yes and you are fired...

...if you have to work for a living, well, its going to be a hassle.....the market or some boss will be out there judging your efforts....and if they dont meet expectations you will have some bad results..

..my point is running a store is hard, but working is hard.

..being responsible for anything is hard....the hardness isnt the point ...making it work is the point...at least being self employed,, we are the boss and are out there taking a shot at making something work on OUR TERMS.. that means a lot to me.....but i totally respect the market....i have to....

....when i go into the foo foo room to fluff it up..or put in something brand new i get a thrill and hope my customers respond the way i planned...THEN i try to react appropriately.... meaning keep it up and build on the idea that worked or drop something that fell like a lead balloon if it didnt.... i dont see the point of blaming the economy, saying stores dont work, or focusing on all the unfairness out there...is it unfair that i like red and the buyers dont? .or they didnt get my vision? well maybe...but i know nobody really cares .....were they supposed to? dang!!!..basically its just my tough luck...

.with a store...the market sends in its report on our efforts....i really believe that...and it scares me daily .... when things arent working...i look out at the market ..not in at my stress or my feelings... the stress to me is like getting hot when you are sick....its trying to report something is wrong...wrong with my decisions, my choices, my marketing....etc..no matter what the outside problems are, if i want to survive i better change my ways and fit into the outside/market situation im faced with....

......i rant about the advice women in business take...because i see so many facing impossible hurdles.. because they took it....we have to be realistic..

..i love my work and i do actually know a lot of happy shop owners and show dealers who are making their financial goals.

..thats my soapbox for today!!! we picked this job!!!!.

how to make money

im trying to learn so many different things on my computer....and its hard for me...who grew up with off and on switches and when things were so much simpler....i have a new set of fonts...including ransom note used here ..isnt it neat!!!! but im a tekk dud....and dh can only stand about 5 minutes a night for coaching.....

and i cant follow directions...apparantly...

OTHER WORDS WE LIVE BY..or try to ..at our store...which has survived for 32 yrs!!! and last year was the hardest ever.... i have learned lots of these little ideas the hard way!!!!.

..under promise///over deliver....we say no a whole lot!!! we cant be like ll bean and offer a huge array of services........we like being a ' where is' 'as is' kind of place....where the buyers have to take their chances...and its cash and carry.... .

...freebies and laginappe....aka..throw the dog a bone..... like today a good customer brought a new customer in....i gave my old customer a bundle of pussywillows....and we always have coffee and cookies for everybody....we are out of the way and most anyone who comes really had to make an effort toget here......also if someone buys something ive had for a long time or i got real cheap ,well why not give a great deal once in a while.... .

....more is better....our customers love lots of stuff and they really appreciate suprises.....THE MORE WE HAVE THE MORE WE SELL.....

.........

HOWS IT GOING OUT there?

GREAT I HOPE...

WORD ON THE STREET

WORD ON THE STREET IS
THINGS ARE
GETTING BETTER


...IM HEARING FROM STORES, SHOW PEOPLE AND REPS THAT THINGS ARE IMPROVING A LOT!!! .


its feeling pretty good here in greenoak land.... we seem to be having lots of customers.... lots of buying....


i have a hard time figuring out why ...ive read so many books on business and lots say you have to track everything to tell whats happening....but DANG.... so many things happen in tandem.....i can never tell really how or why things are going up or down..


how do you judge ?


here i am figuring its because. ...of one or more of these items...lol
.the economy
better inventory choices at the show
new worker who does fabulous
facebook and internet presence
better displays
great word of mouth which has helped us bridge into a new generation of home owners.. our old customers have brought in their married daughters....
our GREAT crew of workers

see what i mean? its hard to really pick what the most important element is....


for advertizing its just as bad....heres what we usually do..
..email to our data base
website
facebook
handouts
selected newspaper ads
radio...
the expertS say track!!! as in track the ad by embedding an offer...then when the customers come and mention the offer you will know....this hasnt worked for us....they rarely respond to coupons or mention this and get this..... i know it works for others and we have tried it a lot with no results....


SO WE JUST KEEP ON MAKING WILD GUESSES AND HOPE WE DONT THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER!!!!

and now for some beautiful eye candy for you
http://thegatheringnest.blogspot.com/

wouldnt it be nice?

imho
..there sure is a big need out there for a new book...something for independant stores....with pictures and real examples....like big features on a single store... country business puts a feature like that in their mag once in a while....i always get something out of those....and believe they pick stores who are solvent.....

.to me talking to other stores and show people is the BEST...

..i had a customer last week who had a store in illinois...it was so good to talk to them...their path was so much like ours...the parts of the business that had fallen away, antiques, the parts that were keeping us going.SALVAGE, REHABBED , GIFTS.....it was interesting and very real world....

....i know jay...the one who helped curious SOFA, has a new book...but dang...he sells 300$ pillows.... thats just out of my circle....i want to read about how to reach my target audience better...and a maybe with a workbook with this display works this one doesnt....

..... i learn everywhere.. tho..except for the extreme girly naval gazing stuff...i dont need that kind of direction... i kind of have a big enough ego and desire already !!! and i rarely need pushing to get off my butt and start working..i like it! and it buys my groceries....

...but i love to read about good concrete facts and examples .. like whats actually working, as in money made, and how did they do it...but the gift world is different...the stars might be barely making minimum wage....and thats so misleading, imho...... i need money....
if you have a store and want to talk to other stores come join our brick and mortar forum http://www.retailersshoptalk.com/ its private and you have to show you have a store.... we are hoping it will be a good place to talk about store issues....

dire warnings

ive been thinking about shows and shops..... and how what works for shows might be real bad for a shop....... ........imho...
IF YOU ARE A SHOP and you copy whats working at shows you might be in for a big suprise..it probably wont work.....
A SHOP ISNT A SHOW....a shop has to make money every single day with the local area shoppers...... a show dealer can build a wonderful niche or deal in a wonderful FAD and see if it works......
the show dealers are in a enviable situation......they have a lot less on the line in time and overhead and can be a lot more flexible than shops....they can go for a fabulous niche and present it to thousands of buyers on one little time span....stores cant do that.... thats why shows are probably the smarter choice for lots of folks...
....and they are a great way to get a taste of retail without going into it whole hog...
. some areas i would be afraid to base a whole store on are......., . the trash to treasure recycled look, those girls want to get it at goodwill or make it themselves..they might pay someone famous for a candle holder made from a bedspring but i dont think they would pay me....or steampunk,too teeny of a group and mostly young and no money.... or even industrial , it sure sells for me but its not a big group, , or all handmade,i love it but i sell to the middle class families mostly and they are hooked on things that fit their budgets.. or the beautiful funky white booths we see all over the blog world,my favorite but i actually sell more black, or fairtrade,love it and have seen it work in key west.. or all folkart, ,most of it can be made in china for pennies... or all shabby, ...,love it and i know its still real strong .the founder is in bankruptcy and its in target..i still do it majorly but dont use the word anymore,
..,, imho not one of those things those things would support a whole shop in most situations...... ..... i guess thats the beauty and draw of doing shows and going to shows.... you can see the fringe things.......

ALSO BEWARE OF MAGAZINES!!! THEY PUSH THE NEATEST NEWEST FADS...that doesnt mean the current fad would support a full blown store in your town.... the shelter journalists go to the shows to see whats happening.......THE SHOWS SHOW THE NEW IDEAS FIRST.
..THATS WHY WE all love SHOWs ......and then they write about whats new and great... .... that can really give a local shop the wrong idea....making the shops think the show ideas are right for their locale...when maybe its not right at all....in other words....and a big dang.!!!. if we choose the store route we have to
BLOOM WHERE WE ARE PLANTED..
.pick a niche OR FAD that doesnt have enough followers, meaning willing customers, in your area......then it probably wont work..and you lose money..... you can become a destination maybe....but thats really hard....


my ideas are mainly about local midwestern shops....like where i am...now if you are in a super rich tourist town with heavy traffic or a big city you could make about any niche work....or have a chance anyway...
my concern is that the shows and the blog world and the women mag writers are the big influence today.. they are setting the style stage.......but i dont take their idea of whats popular as a sure thing for my store...... to me ,they arent business experts....i love seeing their beautiful layouts of course..... but they really arent in retail...

in a nutshell....look around , do your own research...... if you are ready to to invest big time / go for broke ,go into debt on the idea of opening a store, make sure its not based on some narrow niche or fad that wont fit your area.....
you dont want to be in a losing situation ...........

our store covers lots of niches and fads...we have the room to seperate them.......but basically its a place for adventurous homeowners to buy what they need in furniture and home stuff...
. we have fabulous steampunk signs and great big statement things ....but they arent paying our bills..our inventory choices are crucial....and the market decides how well we chose...its so cruel!!!...if we make the wrong choice, invest in the wrong style they will let us know....

i love gothic or castle looking furniture and handmade steampunk signs..and so many kinds of folk art and about anything on that wonderful site...ullabenulla...her fantasys are so beautiful..... but i sure wouldnt fill the whole store with them....
maybe later when im old and rich and need a beautiful thrilling hobby....
WHATS SELLING HERE....
we are seeing a lot of dealers and shop owners...finally!!! the word on the street is pretty darn good right now.... the ones still standing maybe are tougher and stronger and ready to get going again..... im selling lots of store props...like the iron dressforms for jewelry, other big iron for all kinds of inside display, arches, topiaries, wall units,,, our big counters, for heavy duty cashwraps, or islands... big funky outside the box display units and store fixtures... ....
big in our retail is ...light garden, signs still, natural floral stuff, all the garden stuff....and lots of fun women things..like our naughty magnets....and lots of parts and pieces, like barn relics, shutters, doors, old architectural parts...
the new young family customers are looking for tv stands, kids furniture ,
im glad to say our furniture is selling really well..... old and rehabbed furniture is such a bargain....and i think people are very open to it..i guess thats our main niche.....
this is a pet theme for me ....why.?...because i wholesale and know a lot of retail stories....and how hard it is out there for shops...also i can look back a few years and see how many stores are gone.....and i need more successful shops to sell to!!! i want everyone of my customers and potential customers to do better and better...
P.S. IM REARRANGING A SECTION IN THE STORETODAY AFTER SEEING A great idea on a favorite BLOG.... http://www.sassytrash.blogspot.com/ so im sure not against show people or the wonderful bloggers out there...
heres some more of the great show dealers i enjoy....even tho i dont get out to the shows enough their blogs give me a little taste..........
http://rhubarb-reign.blogspot.com/
http://www.iowajunkgypsies.blogspot.com/

http://vandaff.blogspot.com/..
http://ullam.typepad.com/ullabenulla/

happy days

wow, we got some cyber press http://featheryournestnews.blogspot.com/2010/03/where-do-shopkeepers-shop.html well it was from a long time buddy , as well as customer, and i sure appreciate her comments.... if you are a store and want to talk to her,and other experienced store keepers, even some guys,,, ... join our forum...for stores only http://www.retailersshoptalk.blogspot.com/

you know our things have gotten in the magazines / national press a bit but usually with no credit....which is OK...too...you might have seen one of our counters in gina gavins work room!!! in where women create...

i love wholesale....and wish all my customers make lots of money on our stuff....altho i know its not that easy...

BIG SNAFU.... gee there are a lot of ways to mess up..for example.....we got some rejects in an order and did all the work to return them..called, arranged, packed up....the box was behind the counter waiting for the call tag...dh got the call tag and didnt tell us....time passed..dh found the call tag and told us.....BUT the box was gone.... someone threw the box away @#%$$&* ....

so glad its spring....the store really feels different.... lots of furniture is selling... the customers seem to be liking our chicago choices.... so even tho im a virgo and can find the bad side of about anything.....im feeling very optimistic...

especially happy with dropping quite a bit of the country stuff and adding the MAN CAVE... and a big new section of black and white and tuscan ...

kind of over for us....clocks, sticheries, lots of the rose stuff....

up and coming for us...kelly rae roberts, lake merchandise, our counter/cash wraps/bars

naughty magnets and aprons...

the best hint ive pickedup so far this year.....in answer to my query ???what do women want? walla the answer... booze,friends,men and pms...so weve added naughty magnets and notes and some fun bar stuff.... its working very well.... about every age of women is having fun looking at our magnet rack...

speaking of age....the store is full of babies these days..... im so thankful for our new young customers.....the 30 somethings........ even tho i dont understand what they are like... .

I LOVE MARCH

all the spring inventory is coming in....the weather is breaking and we are finally getting some sun.....the customers are venturing out more....the robins are back...

..........ITS SPRING..almost

on the money side its a hard month because so much is coming in..big loads of garden iron, the orders from chicago , everything we need for spring and summer.....but it feels good...we are fat and full ..

im hearing some good reports from some of the show people i know...they are reporting great sales and lots of people.... so im taking that as a good sign for all of us ..

the forum for stores is taking off.... if you have a store and want some brick and mortar shop talk come on over and check it out... http://www.retailersshoptalk.com/

using the internet...

as a tekkno dud, im kind of thrilled and shocked that i can use the Internet....so far i have 2 blogs , a website, I'm on 3 forums......including one that we administer..... http://www.retailersshoptalk.com/ its for brick and mortar stores...so if you have a store come on over!!!

my latest internet thing is FACEBOOK!!!! what a game changer!!....I'm really trying to learn the ways of facebook....we have a fan page.... and i think my main buyers use facebook a lot, for fun ...and almost replacing email . i want to learn more about facebook connect....i want to get better and better content on....and i want to get my photo skills up.... the learning curve is real hard for me....as i grew up with a 2 dial radio and a world where things said on and off and you took your film to the drugstore...my daughter in law and web mistress helps me thru some of the hard parts...

i love blogging and connecting with other bloggers and seeing all the wonderful blogs out there....im happy to be in that wonderful kind of national and very cyber world.... i love the exploring....

but facebook is different.. for us anyway, its way more local, more close to home with lots of customers and people who can actually come to the store easily....i guess thats because when someone does become a fan their friends see our green oak page....

i was lucky to be able to start with a good core of people... having my daughter and daughter in law, both mentioned our page, and who both have tons of friends, many who were already customers and glad to sign up........and then we got seen by their friends.....

anyway im a big facebook fan and hope to get better at it..here's our page.....http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rochester-IN/Green-Oak-Antiques/128260302593?ref=share

i go to lots of blogs for just enjoying the beautiful projects and ideas and hearing from people i feel like i know.... thats great...and i definitely appreciate the viewers i have on my 2 blogs.... it would be even better if i had something to sell them!!lol..but mine are more for the fun of it......most bloggers have lots more to sell online than we do...im not interested in online selling so far...

heres a cyber friend with some great tips on blogging....and more... http://outdoorbloggerssummit.com/

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

THIS IS ON THE TOP OF MY JOBS NEXT WEEK.....ANY HELP OR FREE ADVICE APPRECIATED....well, its big for me....we have tons of money in garden iron, and the best selection around.... its such a good product and should appeal to lots of new customers.... if i can reach them... i have to get a marketing plot going......and i have so much else to do i cant seem to focus on it..... i hate that sometimes that i put the crucial thing down into the pile and do the easier more relaxing thing.......im out there painting when i should be making this marketing plan......my staff and family is great but no good at brainstorming....or i dont give them a chance....or they just want to agree with me....so im looking at my cyber think tank...YOU.... I NEED some ideas towards A COHESIVE PLOT OR PLAN...we have available...tv, site, fb, email list, classifieds in newspapers, radio, display ads, ...trouble with display ads is that there are too many papers...i plan on spending money on this but i need an overall plan or ideas..to get me going on this.........even a halfbaked off the top of your head plan!! any general outline or guidelines for me....? how do you approach a marketing idea? i hate this part of the job...and im not very good at it....and i know it is so important...we have about $$$20,000 of garden iron inventory...i need to get on this soon........ sometime...lol

THATS MY DILEMMA FOR THE DAY....i need to do a good job on this...

THE BLAHS

WELL its the dreariest time of year and lots of my store buddies are feeling really down....and me too..a lot of dark thoughts are going around....like why am i doing this.... is it ever going to work etc etc..... we all know its a tough economy.... some are even considering closing.... sometimes thats the smartest thing to do.... NOT ME THO!!!!

we are hanging in there and thinking we can still make it work , even tho the last couple of weeks have been horrid. i really like my work.... no doubts there!!!

but i hate thinking about money....and its a big cloud over us now....we have bought and bought for spring....spending like mad....and the store is packed ....and the parking lot is full of garden iron....its here and paid for and waiting. .

..its kind of the worst time of year to have slow days....it happens every year about this time.....

... but its no fun....one day last week we had 5 workers and 6 sales....thats just so wrong!!!! we did get lots of work done tho...

BUT TODAY WAS LOTS BETTER!!!! lots of customers and they even dug around outside....

a little sunshine seemed to make a lot of difference today. ..

we have used the last couple of slow weeks to really revamp the store.... so much new product has come in we have had to really look at the areas and how best to use them.....

im so pleased with the new lines we picked out in chicago....and really think our customers will like what we bought!!!

we are discussing the blahs a bit on the new forum.... http://www.retailersshoptalk.com/ did you join? sorry its for brick and mortar store owners only...but if you have a store come on over...

did you see the new magazine? flea market style? its really neat and started by ki ....the woman who has the fun http://www.junkrevolution.com/

heres something else that i enjoyed http://www.regretsy.com/ fun crafty etsy ideas that didnt quite work out....

PET PEEVES OF THE WEEK.... almost every order came in with some mistakes...one over charged us by about 400$ , luckily i caught it.... we were supposed to get a big discount that wasnt on the bill... ...many orders included things not ordered...i try to return but if its just a 12 $ item or group i kind of just dont bother.and sometimes i think they substitute on purpose....just a guess tho.......we did make one big return, after opening 2 out of 24 and they were both damaged i figured just send them back....it was big lighted paper balls from burton...

.

i really like having a good rep....then if things go wrong with an order or a company you have someone to step in and do the right thing...i like my reps a lot.... ...

well GOOD LUCK OUT THERE....AND GET READY FOR BETTER DAYS!!!!

easy display

this was such an easy idea and i think it will help sell a lot of plaques.....
we had these fence pieces
and they were already white....so jon just nailed them to the wall.... and then we put a bench below....and a shutter shelf on the side....
it just really worked and the new line of plaques stand out so well...this is just very different...

I THINK IT WILL WORK GREAT

i really tend to end up with cupboard after cupboard....and THIS SEEMS like a good contrast...

all ready and FORUMS

all ready for the big sale....and hoping the customers are too!!! last year our feb sale was in the middle of a severe snow watch.... and it just ruined it....there is no way to really makeup for a disaster like that....

they can come later but its jut not the same....

im getting spam n my comments....they come in as anonymous and are for totally unrelated to anything im interested in...like trying to sell me electronics or marketing tools etc etc....i might have to put some kind of screening or reading the letters in...not sure...im getting about 2 a day...

if you signed up for the new retail store forum...THANK YOU... sorry its just for brick and mortar stores.... http://www.retailersshoptalk.com/

other forums i like are http://www.junkrevolution.com/

lots of good junk talk and some show dealers

its open to everybody..

and also for stores and all kinds of retail. . http://www.giftshopmag.com/ theres a good magazine on there too...

also im on giftbeat...they charge..but lots of good talk on there for stores mostly...

i love forums....they have been so valuable to me in going down the rocky road of retail during the last few years.... i really dont have faith in many experts....really now, do they even have stores? i dont think most do....the people i like to hear from and learn from are the ones down in the trenches like i am...facing this economy this month...

i know there is some good expert advice out there, but give me a good FORUM DISCUSSION ANY DAY...on a forum its easy for several conversations to go on at once ..

if you are a store please join us on this new one...the retailers shoptalk...link above...

marketing and events

we are days away from our big february sale....one of our 4 annual events....

heres our newspapaer ad....dh made it on the computer....we have used the deer image for years and just change the words....the theory that they will recognize our ad at a glance.....

nowdays i do less newspaper .. we do so much email and now facebook..

..but the main thing is snail mail to our 3500 person maililng list...

i find marketing so much guesswork... .

ideas

its hard to tell the difference between fleeting ideas and ideas that help you survive......
i get so many ideas its kind of confusing...



..my main one this year seems to be about 30 yr olds.....they are really saving us!!!! they are our new customers....unfortunately i barely know them....lots of them came to our store as little kids......and now they still come with their moms.....they are definitely our main customer group... our old customer base is filled up and they dont need us as much....the whole idea of collecting like we used to is about gone!!! i still collect for sure....but like my comrades, who have collected for years, im pretty full and it has to be really good for me to want it....so my age isnt my target customer anymore....
our greatest group right now is this new homeowner. in her 30s, maybe 40s.SHE NEEDS US.....she still has a house to fill or upgrade..... shes fun and adventurous AND USUALLY ON A BUDGET... ......she is eclectic and very willing to improvise or use things in different ways....she likes up cycling and vintage if it fits her needs, she likes our old parts parts for her own projects.... ..... she likes our paint ideas and likes the ideas of good wood, recycling, having something totally eclectic and even odd..


.the down side is she doesnt want a lot of extras and she has kids so she is probably on a bu dget....she really doesnt care about all the great old stuff i always dealt with....the idea of a 100$ pitcher or pot just isnt interesting to her...
so thats my big idea for the year...im trying to learn her ways... what does she read? i dont watch any daytime tv....but i hear her talk about hgtv... I WANT TO BE HER PLACE TO SHOP...





SOME OF MY IDEAS THIS YEAR..

..ROBOT SHIRTS
MAN CAVE
PRINCESS ROOM
DEEPER INTO MAGNETS AND FUN WOMEN STUFF....
MORE FACEBOOK
BETTER GARDEN ADS
TV....MAYBE
LOTS OF FABULOUS EXPENSIVE STUFF ,
A LITTLE MORE CUSTOM WORK, thru jon
go to more auctions





IDEAS I WISH SOMEONE WOULD TAKE AND RUN WITH..
.. vintage indiana, on facebook....i loved the idea , and we even set up a page, then deserted it....a place for all the stores and shows in the vintage,antique, recycled, upcycling world....neat idea!!!

girls day out....this would be so GREAT.... A FACEBOOK PAGE ALL ABOUT GIRLS DAY OUT....COVERING A 100 MILE CIRCLE AROUND ME.... .... so much of our selling is around women out having fun and shopping.... taking a break...it would list all the neat shops, the malls, cool restaurants, neat spots....kind of a tourist thing for our kind of shoppers....
a container from indiana..... i love ths one...you would call the store and walk around with a worker and a camera and buy a huge truck load and we would send a big truck load you...this one died on the vine a long time ago...

DO YOU HAVE A BRICK AND MORTAR SHOP? email me for info about a new forum just for stores.... or take a look... www.retailersshoptalk.com its just for stores..and private....your customers couldnt get on....

now heres another great idea.... a forum for show and mall booth dealers...wouldnt it be great? why dont you start one? i would gladly join, i have 2 mall booths....... forums are so nice for good discussion...with several different topics going at once....anyone want to try it? its a good baby/orphan idea imho ...

the classy middle...

HOW TO PRICE what you make....
we rack our brain on this all the time......if its a fun hobby it doesnt really matter but if you need the project to support itself you have to really work on price and hope you get one that will work.... the filter i have to put it thru at the very start is ;;;; can the product warrant 10$ an hour to make it plus materials and then the store profit????... ..

....i never see pricing higher meaning more sales..who buys like that? ...i always think my well heeled customers are pretty smart and can see the product as it is and like my nice medium nice price..

...sadly i have seen many artists flop and go back to hated jobs because they wanted the high prices right from the start and couldnt get their thing off the ground..why do artists need 50$ an hour? ive worked for 6$ at the start..
what i cant understand is online selling and packing a 3$ item, how can you make money there? if you count your time at all.......or keeping a thing going, like a store or a booth, if you arent making money...we do need to do the math........ i price medium to low to keep on making a living...and feel like my presentation tells them it isnt cheap...my theory is to make money and sell a lot....the bad thing is when you establish a price and its too low to make any profit ...been there too...there is a lot of money to be made in the classy middle range...imho if something isnt selling i usually figure its the wrong thing ...

I POSTED THIS OVER ON JUNK REVOLUTION forum....ITS A GREAT place FOR ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE IN THE JUNK WORLD... http://www.junkrevolution.com/ and started by the fun and famous ki nassauer

there are some good junk artists on there too....and lots of good links...I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HER BIG JUNK SHOW IN MINNESOTA IN SEPTEMBER....

imho....junk is a big and growing category....at least here and at the shows...

whats worked for us is aiming OUR PRICES TOWARDS THE CLASSY MIDDLE...LOOKING GOOD AND WORTH IT AND NOT OVERPRICED BUT NOT CHEAP....a price where we are happy and the buyers are happy and WILLING TO BUY.....

I REALLY DONT GET THE IDEA THAT RAISING MY PRICES WOULD MAKE THINGS SELL BETTER....IF THAT WERE TRUE...WOW WE WOULD BE HAPPY CAMPERS!!!!

more display

this was a beautiful store in florida...she had so much in there and left holiday up all year.... totally packed but still dramatic...lotsof tall , trees or racks, in many places...

many small sections featuring one theme....and were in cubby holes and framed beautifully....

the pictures dont do it justice...

display

here is one of the most georgous booths we saw in chicago......PEACOCK PARK...

she has a wonderful eye and is so adventurous.....

you can see her stuff i n our store...you might have seen the big clock or the fun french dancing girls.......

does this look familiar? one of our big cabinets in her booth....doesnt it look cool !!!.....she likes my grungy paint job rather than the perfect job by my good painter...its exciting to me to know someone whos breaking ionto the national scene....

her displalys are known in the retail world and now with her wonderful spread in the mag...WHERE WOMEN CREATE... the blog world and the magazine world can enjoy her too...

you can see her blog here.

http://www.peacockparkdesign.blogspot.com/

display

love this one...with the tin roof.... maybe in the key west room.WE SAW SO MANY GREAT DISPLAys IN CHICAGO AT THE BIG SHOW.....
i want to build these!!! so easy and so basic.....we have the parts........
.doors, screens, porch posts, and old tin and willing workers....WE CAN DO THIS...

.AND JUST LOOK HOW MUCH THEY HOLD...
im thinking of making an x out of doors...like in this booth , you can walk all around it and it would hold so much....