Budget for Advertising

Whether you are in the Flea Market just to make a couple of bucks for the weekend or if it is your primary means of earning an income, you might want to consider allotting some time and money to advertising.


I walk around the market every weekend, but I rarely see any vendors taking advantage of all the eyes and foot traffic that might come across their booth. How is someone going to know what you are selling if you don't put up a sign?

Advertising does not have to be some Super-Bowl type of production. It can be as simple as a piece of cardboard with your price on it. I can also be just a vinyl banner with the name of your company or what you are selling. Flea Market advertising does not have to be complicated, just honest. As a vendor, you have to bare in mind that shoppers are in the market looking for something. It is your job to make sure they know you are there. So as you go about planning how to maintain your ground in this sliding economy, please remember to budget for advertising.

Approach advertising as part of the costs of doing business. Sure it is not on the scale of what you see in the magazines or on television, but letting you potential customers know you exist is just as important. You do not need to employ some 5th avenue calculation in to figuring out how much to spend on advertising. Just figure out what you can honestly afford.

Here are five cost effective ways to advertise in the flea market.

1) Print business cards (about $30 for 1000) and hand them to potential customers.
- Be sure to include the name of your business, what you sell, location in the market, and contact information

2) Make a sign that is visible from at least 8 feet so potential customers know what you have without having to come all the way to your booth or table.
- A sheet of oak tag and some permanent makers should do the trick. Get it laminated or encase the edges in clear tape so it
lasts longer.

3) If the market offers some kind of public announcement system, try to get into the rotation of ads, by offering a weekly special.

4) Make a simple flyer listing what you sell, your location in the market, and contact information that you can hand out to potential customers and past customers alike.

5) Use any or all of the free online advertising sites to let potential customers know what you sell and what market to find you.
- Try www.craigslist.com or www.kijiji.com

Again, advertising doesn't have to be overly complex, just budget it into your other expense and use the most cost effective choice for your particular item.

Happy vending.

-FMN