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Post by davejs on Feb 12, 2010 13:16:16 GMT -5
Thanks for the warm welcome Looks like we are thinking alike Dave. We are already registered for the Bok Kai. Being new sometimes I try to check out an event first, did this with Bok Kai last year (must have seen you there). This weekend Feb 14 we will be scouting Mardi Gras in Nevada City for a possible next year. The weekend following Bok Kai we are registered for Yuba City Home & Garden. Will also be trying some rodeos this year, after watching bull riding on ESPN I thought those guys could use some liniment. Thinking about one in Pleasanton but there are a couple up here first, so will see how they go. Might even try De Anza in March one of my customers up here told me about them. Hope to be able to contribute more info about events as the year gets started. Just another starving vendor trying to find the end of the rainbow. Haven't sent in my Bok Kai yet, but expect to do so shortly. DeAnza is one of the better flea markets in the area. I do it occasionally but probably will not do March. You can read my 'review' of Bok Kai from last year. I have some pictures of my booth. Maybe you might recall dropping by? www.starvingvendors.com/Events_Bok_Kai_Festival.html
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Post by exgame on Feb 26, 2010 20:11:51 GMT -5
Hi everyone. Patti here i live in central cal.do the local shows from ridgecrest to morrow bay bakersfield to fresno. My husband and i do dog and cat stuff and having fun doing it
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Post by davejs on Feb 26, 2010 20:36:59 GMT -5
Hi everyone. Patti here i live in central cal.do the local shows from ridgecrest to morrow bay bakersfield to fresno. My husband and i do dog and cat stuff and having fun doing it Hi Patti. Welcome to our Forum. We have some really wonderful people here who have a lot of information to share. Have you done any events lately?
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Post by susien on Feb 26, 2010 20:39:42 GMT -5
Patti, Welcome to the board. I am in Central California. What shows have you been doing?
Susie
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Post by bigdog on Feb 28, 2010 23:52:05 GMT -5
I thought I'd talk a bit about my experiences so far in attending estate sales. I've been going to them for several months in the Sacramento area and east to Fairfield. Most sales have worked out Ok but I've learned some news the hard way. Not all items at estate sales belong to the people whose stuff is for sale. These estate organizers bring their own wares. I bought about 200 LP vinyl albums from one sale then I noticed the ones I passed up at another a week later. I'm really learning as I go but I'm starting to decide what to buy a lot more selectively. I also tend not to arrive the first day. prices are to high. Most organizers cut prices 50% the second day. So maybe the selection is not as good but anything you find will be priced much better. Many CA estate sale organizers are starting to charge sales tax, especially the first day. Overall, you can decide which sales to attend because the pictures are all at the web sites of the estate sale organizers. One last thing. Not all sales are for people that have died. Some are for people leaving the area and not wanting to pay the big expense of moving things across country. Lastly, Whatever you sell. You will find it at an estate sale sooner or later and normally at a price you can bargain down.
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Post by davejs on Mar 1, 2010 0:37:28 GMT -5
These estate sales sound pretty interesting and I might check one out sometime. How do you find out about them? I'd be interested in the Bay Area to start with. There was a time when I went to the storage auctions and picked up some pretty good stuff. That was around 7-8 year's ago and sometime's it was a lot of work cleaning out the entire storage space. I quit because there were 20-30 people constantly hitting the auction's and you had clowns who would purposely bid things up. Also, I ran out of room in my house and garage to store the stuff. Of course, I stayed away from mattresses, tires, reefers, etc. I think estate sales would be better for me because I wouldn't have to haul away the 'junk' and just be able to purchase what I actually wanted.
I guess my best 'find' at the auctions were around 100 assorted cookbooks which were from a chef who lost his storage space and had assorted personal problems. I had many of them that I sold on EBay for $60-100 each. I've heard all kinds of stories from people who went to these auctions.
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Post by bigdog on Mar 1, 2010 23:21:35 GMT -5
Craig's list is the place to start. Once you see an estate sale listed if an organizer of estates sales is running the sale there will be a link to that companies web site. Then you sign up for emails to get on their priority list and they will send you the info and link to pictures of what's for sale. Some have special dates and times for their email lists to visit first before other non-registered customers ( prices are higher at these pre-sales but you have the first crack at anything available). Other operators just let you know without you having to search Craig's list. All use links to pictures to show what is available. Please send me an email at Georgestep1@yahoo.com and I'll send you the links to several estate sales organizers I get email from. I live in Fairfield and tend to stay out this way. Really you can look for sales in your twenty mile radius so that the wear and tear on your car is less or you can look for the items you are really interested in by looking at the pictures of what's available these organizers all have on the web. For instance there is one in Sacramento tomorrow morning that has stuff I'm interested in. I hope this helps..
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Post by jdean on Mar 22, 2010 23:05:00 GMT -5
Hi everyone. My name is Jeanine and I live in Modesto, Ca. My daughter and I started doing craft fairs a little less then a year ago. We make soy candles in my daughters garage. It has been alot of fun and brought us closer together. We are still doing trial and error with the craft fairs. We try to stay within 150 miles of home. We have had our share of bad ones and good ones. It will be nice to have somewhere to visit with other vendors. We went to the Jackson Dandelion festival this last weekend. Pretty much broke even. Lots of people but not a lot of money being spent. Alot of vendors were packed up way before the 5 o'clock closing which didn't do much for all of us up in the B of A parking lot. The weather was perfect and the people Vendors, customers and the lions club were all fantastic. Thank you to the young lady that was there Saturday morning to help carry all of our stuff to our spot. Weekend before that we were at the St Patrick's day festival in San Francisco. It was differently different. Did not even come close to covering our booth cost. The only ones that were making money were the booths that were selling St Patrick's day trinkets. Will go back as a customer but not as a vendor. Lots and lots of drinking going on.
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Post by susien on Mar 22, 2010 23:26:14 GMT -5
Welcome to the board Jeanine! I live south of you in Bakersfield. Good luck on the shows and keep us posted on what you are doing and where you are going to be. If you have a question someone here will know the answer... I have learned a lot from this board and count many of them as good friends!
Susie
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Post by davejs on Mar 23, 2010 5:24:11 GMT -5
I did Jackson last year and the weather was pretty much okay also. My booth was located along the creek about 5-6 spaces from the end. Not much room there. I've been in the BofA parking lot 3 times. From what I am hearing, this was not a good show for most of the vendor's and I am glad that I passed on it. Too many booths. Lot's of people out for a social gathering. The best thing about it were the Italian Sausages (with pepper's and onions) that one of the businesses were selling on the main street. They were cooking right on the sidewalk and I just could not resist. Smelled delicious. Gosh, it reminded me of a few years ago when I went back East and we had some Italian's just outside Fenway Park in Boston. Booth fees were only $90. Now you know why. The weather can get downright ugly. I have come back on Sunday morning before to find foot-long icicles hanging from my canopy and the water from the rain on top of the canopy had turned to ice also. It gets cold there. One time when I was in the BofA lot, it was raining quite hard and the water was flowing through our booth since the lot is sloped. Another time there was a guy across from me and he had a bunch of cardboard boxes on the ground and the rain just soaked right through them, ruining a lot of his merchandise. ALWAYS, get your stuff up off the ground if you even think it is going to rain. And believe me, I know about rain (and wind). Please check out my gallery of pictures from Tyson Wells earlier this year. Awesome. www.starvingvendors.com/tyson_wells_disaster.html
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Post by jdean on Mar 24, 2010 0:21:34 GMT -5
I heard lots of stories about the weather the last few years in Jackson. This last weekend was perfect which I am very thankful for. We went ahead and signed up for next year so we could request to be out on main street, not that, that will help sales but we wanted to give the show another chance. By the way they upped the price to $100 next year.
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Post by davejs on Mar 24, 2010 11:19:46 GMT -5
I heard lots of stories about the weather the last few years in Jackson. This last weekend was perfect which I am very thankful for. We went ahead and signed up for next year so we could request to be out on main street, not that, that will help sales but we wanted to give the show another chance. By the way they upped the price to $100 next year. I do believe that being up on the main street is better. The 'visitors' tend to stand around socializing more down on the flatlands and there is much more congestion. I would believe that loading in and out is much easier up on the main drag. Booth fees held at $90 for several years.
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Post by traveler on Apr 3, 2010 17:31:53 GMT -5
Hi. I'm Colleen. My husband and I don't really make items, (we do have a shirt press, & do some craft items that way) but we mainly sell licensed items like signs and home decor (John Deere etc) items. I began my life as a carney working the Orange County Market place when I was 1 year old with my parents. After years of working myself to death to make someone else rich, I decided to go back to the basics and what I grew up around. I love to people watch and talk to people. I am glad I found a forum that we all can talk and share our experiences. Blessings! Colleen
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Post by traveler on Apr 3, 2010 20:50:57 GMT -5
Hi Paula. Thanks!!! I have a winter home (when I am not traveling or doing shows) in 29 Palms Ca. Right now... I am in NORTH DAKOTA. we bought a seasonal campground up here in 2007 and moved & when the weather goes bad, I turn into a migrant snow birder and take off for the good weather. I also get to promote the park and get to sit and wait for 50 below zero to pass. I am originally from Hacienda Heights Ca. (LA County). SO, me + -50 just doesn't get along. I am building the show circuit still. Not too many venues to do in the winter months. Or ones that I am confident that I can get my RV into and not get stuck. Thanks again!!
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laptoo
Weekend Warrior
Posts: 79
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Post by laptoo on Apr 15, 2010 10:10:56 GMT -5
Hello to everyone. I'm Laptoo (Laura) and live in San Francisco. I make jewelry and sell it at shows and at an art gallery in the East Bay. However, 2009 was a lousy year for sales at shows and I haven't signed up for many shows for 2010. I enjoy reading all of the posts, and think that Dave is a hoot! Good luck and good sales to us all. Laura
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