How to fight shoplifters

Every retailer grapples with losses from shoplifting. According to Troy Price, host of the Flea Market Money Maker Show podcast, theft is a fact of life for a vendor. “It’s going to happen,” he says on a recent episode. “It’s a fact. There are ways to mitigate it, though.” For one thing, make sure that there are human eyes on your merchandise as much as possible, says Price. “Cut your booth in half with a long table and stand behind it,” he says, “so you can see everything that is going on with your items that are displayed.” Melanie... 

How to cope with hagglers

If you are a shopper and you want advice on how to bargain with vendors at flea markets and swap meets, there are a ton of Web sites with advice for you. To highlight just a few, I. Do. Mean. There. Are. A. TON. Of. Sites. But what about the other side of the selling table? How should vendors handle shoppers who want to bargain, or more to the point, who are too pushy, persistent, or downright pestiferous about it? FleaMarketZone asked four experienced vendors for perspective and advice on how to cope with hagglers. Cree McCree is a journalist,... 

How to get on TV

Getting your flea market’s story on a local TV newscast is a great way to attract new shoppers, get publicity, and increase awareness in the community. But it takes an increasingly media savvy public relations plan to do the job right. Here are some tips that will help you get on television. If you are in a smaller news market, or if you reach the right person in big city on a slow news day, you may be lucky. According to Andy Funk, of Fox5 Atlanta, “There seem to be only two ‘speeds’ in local television newsrooms — too slow and too fast.... 

How to spot fake cash

The Feds released the details on its new $100 bill on April 21, featuring some sophisticated safeguards to stop counterfeiters. But what about all that old-style currency, both legit and fake, still in circulation? How can you tell if someone tries to pass you bogus bills? Flea market and swap meet vendors handle a lot of cash, so they are particularly vulnerable to this danger, for reasons both obvious and less so. Here is some advice from around the Web. The Secret Service has a mandate to fight counterfeiters, and the agency has tips on how to... 

How to open a flea market

In a recession economy, people are looking for bargains, and flea markets are doing well. Some folks hear that and want to open a booth. Other entrepreneurs think bigger, and want to open an entire flea market. Here’s a round-up of links and advice from around the Web for people who dream that if they build it, vendors and shoppers will come. Three articles on advice Web site eHow have step-by-step instructions for opening a flea market. Marlene Affeld focuses on the planning stage. Look for good traffic. Make a business plan. Pick a catchy name.... 

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