Well, being Me, I knew it wouldn't be long before I might be tempted to bring up what could be a potentially Controversial Post & topic... just because that's how I roll! *Winks*
And so if the e-mails and comments start rolling in from those who share a different point of view about the topic, or really screws them into the ceiling because its a pet peeve... it's all good... because any opinion is after all totally subjective... and you could be right. So I'm not looking for an argument or to defend a position, truth be told I don't really care, but its great Blog Fodder. *LOL* Just agreeing to possibly disagree on something that I didn't even realize was a divisive topic, a controversy or could be a problem for some people, until I got my own Booth that is. *Smiles*
You see, I am very new at this Booth thing so I probably don't even know what I'm doing, I could be doing everything wrong and improper & breaking all the 'rules'... certainly I am no officionado... I don't even know if I spelled the word right actually *winks*... I'm a total novice... but I'm selling stuff all day long... that's all I know and care about... because after all... this is a Retail venture and that's supposed to be the point, right? Customers are Happily buying what they consider Treasures & coming back often because they totally dig the place & what it has to offer... everybody makes Money... me, the Landlord, all the other Renters of Booths... *Smiles* If that's NOT the point then I'm totally missing it??!!!
And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that where I happen to have my Booth has a very Eclectic diversified mix of Inventory for the Consumers... and for ME, because my Friends, Family & I will Shop there often too since it does. Because you know what, they're all totally digging it too and they're telling me so... OFTEN. It is a Joy when I'm foofing and a Customer comes up & tells me how much they Love my Space and how different it is and that they've made a purchase & will check back often... it means I'm doing something right & drawing Kindred Spirits into a little slice of my World. Now that's an unofficial survey of coarse, but it seems to be a fairly unanimous opinion that peeps get totally bored & disinterested if all that is offered is Purist or the same-o-same-o anyplace they want to go Treasure Hunting or Junquing... me included.
If a joint was too Purist I'd probably avoid it like the plague myself because it would be so predicatable that I doubt I'd stay interested in what they might offer for more than a minute and a half. One glance and scan of such a place would confirm that every Booth would hold the same stuff... and be too restrictive for the Vendors & thus the Buyers... and even if it was my 'thing' there would be little Joy, particularly in Group Junquing with Friends, in expecting to find something unique or different or that everyone might dig & be delighted by discovering... which is what is most Fun during the Thrill Of The Hunt.
Not every Friend or Family Member digs what I dig, certainly not every Customer does, and I defend their right to dig whatever excites them & shop for it. And be able to Hope to discover whatever it is that they're looking for, or stumble across and can't live without, during a Shopping Forray into a Booth Type Mall or Shop, where they're gravitating to because it does have a Flea Market type ambiance since the Sellers & their Tastes and Inventory are numerous & not as predictable as a Specialty Shop. Where various Vendors have set up their finds in Hopes that a Customer will appreciate it, be delighted to buy it and take it Happily out the door... and come back often because they've found your Space... because as an avid Junquer myself I totally get that Rush it imparts.
Now I myself am a Lover Of Old... but I have found that the vast majority of Shoppers trawling about such places aren't necessarily there because they are Antique or Collectible fanatics or even Lovers of all things Old. Many of them actually just want to discover stuff they think is Cool and they believe would look great... be it in their place... whether that place is a Home, Office, Shop or Yard... or be a great Gift for someone who enjoys unpredictable offerings. Peeps are Sourcing for a variety of reasons and if you won't provide what they're looking for, someone else will... that's just Retail Logic.
The most frequently asked question to date, especially from the Young People and non-Lovers of everything Old that I know, is if there is a variety of Cool Stuff at the new Mall... or is it just the usual Old Stuff? *Insert them wrinkling nose & making up their mind they won't even set foot inside the door if it's going to be the latter.* Thankfully it's the former and so they've all gone and each and every one has bought what they considered Found Treasure & said they'll be back!
But there are the Purists... apparently... in this Biz... and if they carry a certain Genre of product then it seems to drive them a bit crazy if not everyone else renting a space is a Purist too or carries like-minded wares. And they want Policing of Inventory so that forbidden stuff {by whose standards I'm not certain} can't infiltrate. And since I'm not a Purist then I really can't relate to how upsetting that must be. But if they're selling like mad and have a loyal following for their Inventory then I would suppose they might 'get' why someone else who is selling like mad, whatever their Inventory is, would continue to stock it? And if the Landlord is making mad money because everyone is selling like mad & Booth Rentals are full, then I don't know why they'd forbid it and risk losing Hot Vendors that the Customers Love? But maybe not...
I say demand fuels supply... if something wouldn't be selling like mad then that Vendor would simply go out of business rather promptly and thus the Consumer would dictate what is and isn't going to be offered... regardless of what any Seller might totally dig and feel is the appropriate thing to be hawking. *LOL* If you continue to stock what nobody is buying because now isn't it's "time" then it's probably not gonna work out real well for you, no matter how Cool or Antique the stuff might apparently be at the "right time".
Yes, though I might shake my head in disbelief at times too that certain things are flying off the shelves, if they are, I totally "High Five" the Seller & are Happy for their Success, good for them!!! I rejoice with you... fellow Seller of popular Junque... Mentor me please!!! *Smiles... and I'm totally serious about that... Success leaves Clues!* Lets all be prosperous and flourish in this crappy economy I say... find your Niche and hold firm, regardless what anyone else says or thinks about it! I know folks have shaken their heads in disbelief at the crap um... I mean Treasures that I've often salivated over & gleefully bought! One Man's Trash IS often another Man's Treasure! *Winks* But perhaps... and I'm just speculating here... it is those who aren't particularly flourishing that are perhaps "Hating" and a little green with envy & can't rejoice with you? I can't say for sure, only they know why it's particularly bothersome to them... because frankly I don't have time to worry or care about what someone else is hawking. And I "Get" that everyone thinks their Stuff is way Cool or they wouldn't be Selling it if they thought it was not. I get that those who have precious or rare Antiques in a Booth might be stunned or peeved that a Darth Vader Head Sold before it... and would prefer similar Genre of Products in the Booth beside them, that makes perfect sense... but why Hate the Star Wars Guy & run off his Customers from the Mall... just sayin'? But that's just me...
And whether something is an Antique or a Collectible is rather a moot point really... because people Collect all kinds of things... and if they Collect it and it's THEIR 'Thing' then it's a Collectible to them! *Winks* Whether you, I or anybody else is digging it, they really don't care, they're going to seek it out because it Calls to them like a Siren's Song and they are going to be on the Hunt for it. And if I see that Trend, I'll probably offer it because I want to make money, plain and simple. I don't have to dig it, ever have it in my Home... but if it has a surge of popularity or a loyal Customer asks me to find it and offer it... I'm all over it! *Winks*
And as for what constitutes an "Antique"... well, though there is a textbook answer for that question... it really depends on which Country you're in {Here in America what is considered the Antique is much newer than say by European Standards}... and who you're talking to.
Most Teens I've talked to would consider a 20 year old Comic Book an Antique and totally dig it... my G-Kids think anything no longer being produced is "Old School" and an Antique... likewise they all think The Man and I are Antiques as well... just sayin'! *LOL* I've found that "Vintage" and "Antique" are subjective terms for most Consumers and Sellers... sometimes it makes the Man and I Smile or laugh out loud! And as long as someone isn't intentionally misleading a buyer and risking a lawsuit for falsifying their products, I'm not arguing what they consider their product to be.
I try to get along with everyone and I've already made some wonderful Friends who are fellow Vendors where I'm at and the vibe is positive and uplifting... I don't know that I'd want to be a part of a group of Sellers that are at each other's throats and causing strife, unneccessary Drama or complaining all of the time & backstabbing... that type of negative energy, questionable character, well, it is just not a vibe I want to be a part of... ever... And I've known peeps who said they closed out Booths in places that got that way because it does affect and infect the reputation of a place... that's a shame. I've even shopped in places where when I hear Dealers & Employees bitchin' and being unprofessional... I am uncomfortable enough to want to get out of there & never want to shop there again... even if its got good stuff.
I avoid 'Black Cloud' People in fact... I feel badly for them, but that type of attitude contaminates and brings people down... Life is too short to be dragged down by negative vibes and people struggling to be lovely and thus are labeled and known to be unlovely & present themselves as tortured Souls. If you find yourself in that condition too often, its just not healthy, get to the root of it and cut it out of your Life, you'll be the better for it.
And the stuff that some Vendors might want to 'ban' might be just the stuff Buyers want or are looking for so why try to deny them that? I LIKE when I find some cute Treasure tucked in amongst the Old Stuff that really calls out to me too... such as this sweet Button Art... LOVE IT... and will definitely be buying some to tuck amongst my Vignettes at Home! This Vendor has all kinds of Cool Antiques and Collectibles too... but I dig that she also carries some killer Folk Art pieces that might have been made recently, I dunno and I don't care... I just know that I'm Loving it all and so are many of the other Customers.
And if you have Teens, Kids or G-Kids you really appreciate your Favorite Haunts that also carry some Treasures that will appeal to other Generations of Treasure Hunters. Because if they've got to be dragged along to such places while WE seek out our loot... well, they're wanting to 'score' some Cool Treasures too that appeal to them! And I Love it when I can find a few trinkets to allow them to 'score' and we all leave as Happy as Clams at High Tide! *Winks*
And The Man definitely doesn't want all of the Treasures to be Girly Stuff that only appeals to me...
He delights in the Mantiques... the Man Cave Treasures... Taxidermy, whether its Old or not... and other things that pique his interest and are his particular aesthetic and Style.
Most of the Guys I see accompanying their Female counterparts whilst Junquing aren't typically interested in whether something is Labeled Vintage, Antique, Collectible or whatever... if they think its way Cool they'll probably spring on it... I'm not sayin' there are no Guy Purists... there probably are...
But they tend to be a lot more visual... and so if something visually strikes their fancy they will probably buy it and not care about the Provenance unless they are a True & Serious Collector of whatever it is.
I like it when a place offers such an array that the Guys & Kids in my Inner Circle enjoy going Junquing with me too and the experience is pleasurable for them as well.
It would be a lot more difficult for me to work a Booth properly that was anywhere they abhored going or thought was totally lame.
As well as Location, that was one of the concerns I had about stepping out and doing this actually.
And I appreciate here in the Land of Blog all of the input I've gotten... and encouragement... from those of you who told me to go for it and rejoice in me stepping out of my comfort zone and giving it a try.
I must say I am totally enjoying the experience thus far and doing well... far exceeding my initial expectations and that's fantastic!
But it is also here in the Land of Blog, where many Vendors congregate, that I have heard the downside of the Biz... and the complaints... not all of which I share the opinion of... but at least I now know that it exists... and so, I wanted to address it from my own perspective... just so that you know there is another perspective in case nobody else to date has wanted to express it for fear of Controversy or retaliation? *LOL*
But being the very opinionated and strong willed person that I am *winks*, there aren't many topics I'll shy away from regardless of potential Controversy and difference of opinion. I have never had the need to be right nor want to sway someone to my way of thinking or agree with my humble opinion... but I do think it's important at times to realize that different people think and believe differently and that's okay... agreeing to disagree is not a bad thing.
Thinking outside of the box and stepping to the beat of a different Drummer is also not a bad thing... be who you are and do what you Love and have Passion for and you'll find your Purpose, Contentment & Joy of Life.
If you want to Debate an issue, do so respectfully and without judgment and condemnation is my own personal Mantra.
And if by chance you happen to see something in my Booth or some other Dear Vendor's Booth that chaps your hide and you personally think shouldn't be there... but is selling like mad... expect that we'll likely continue to offer it so long as the Customer is totally digging it and we're all making money. *Smiles* You don't have to like it, "get it" or buy it... so just walk on by. I'd like my Space to remain a Drama Free area that only uplifts everyone who enters and feels inviting and serene.
Because I'm not catering to you... it's not all about you... and I'd rather not be coerced into only carrying what you dig... and I'm fairly certain most other Sellers probably feel the same way... whether they're saying so or not... *Winks*
I personally think its Cool that everyone is doing their own thing... and that the response by the Buyer has been so Positive in regards to the variety, the diversity, the positive atmosphere... at least where we are...
So don't spoil that positive energy and vibe... try real hard if you're tempted to, okay?
Because I like the Flying Ducks, and I'm not going to ask for their Birth Certificate to ensure they meet the criteria or standard for being an Antique or Vintage Collectible. *LOL*
If someone is totally digging Flying Ducks they are likely to be absolutely delighted when they 'score' this pair in fact... I know The Man was most definitely enchanted by them and he could care less if they were stuffed a hundred years ago or yesterday... *Winks*
And yes for the Purist at Heart there are always those awesome True Antiques and Collectibles that meet every criteria under the Sun and you're also going to be absolutely thrilled to discover and Feather your awesome Nest with too! And that's what is so great about it...
That its ALL being offered under one roof so that you don't have to drive all over the place to numerous locations to discover it while trawling for your Found Treasures... you can save time and money and energy by finding it all in one location!!!
And I'm sure with Gas being almost over four bucks a gallon now here in the Valley that is most definitely a consideration for your budget and possible constraints... less $$$ spent seeking means more $$$ for the 'score'!!! *Winks*
And who among us doesn't totally dig that?!? As more dollars are freed up you can get those "Special" purchases that are at the upper end of your spectrum & List of Dream Finds.
Happy Hunting my Friends... Always keeping it Real... Dawn... The Bohemian