Maybe for our 3rd one I can post blog pictures of it BEFORE instead of AFTER!
Here's to getting more organized!
Our July weekend (the first one) was better than we hoped. We were so excited by a line on Friday morning! The rest of that Friday was much slower. Saturday was slow, but steady, and we were happy with the turnout, with it being the first one.
August? Longer line on Friday, then the afternoon slowed considerably.
Since the July Saturday had been slow, George made other plans and didn't go to the shop with me.
Big mistake.
We had another short line on Saturday, then it slowed for just a bit. But around 11, folks started coming. And coming. And coming. For a couple hours, we were quite packed. I texted George a HELP! plea, and he came. It stayed busy most of the day.
WHEW! It looks like our leap of faith is going to work out! We are humbled and thankful.
Our theme for August was Old School, and we had 2 small classrooms set up.
From the time we made the decision to switch to occasional, I knew the August theme would be Old School. What a fun way to feature old school desks! Unfortunately, we only sold one desk. We plan to take the rest to an Antiques Fair. It's funny, I used to sell school desks easily, but the last few years, they have been a tough sell. But that's ok, they made for a fun theme.
Also fun was the outhouse display. That outhouse was a big hit! Maybe too big!
It taught a valuable lesson... if you want to buy something that is too big to bring to the counter, PULL THE TAG! We had a few people wanting it all at the same time. I won't go into the details, but the lesson is clear, pull the tag, so it's spoken for if you are sure you want something.
The funny thing about the outhouse is that we bought it a few years ago with the intent of using it as a pattern to make more. We put it beside our garden and kept garden tools in it, and never did get around to making more. The tree that was beside it was crowding it out, so I suggested we go ahead and sell it, and George agreed. Since so many customers wanted the outhouse, (I was still getting messages about it that evening), George took several pics of it, along with measurements. Looks like we will be making more after all! We hope to have a few made before the September open weekend.
We weren't sure whether to put out the clay pots we picked up recently or not, but since several customers showed an interest in them when I asked, we did put them out. The remaining ones will now be stored in the back until spring.
Crocks! Enough said. Love crocks!
The chicken wire front cabinet was one of the first items sold.
Vintage kitchenware always brings back memories.
We decided to sell these white cupboards for $10 per piece. Yep, they all sold.
Both the wagon wheels went home with the same customer. They found a great new home!
Another hit was the $2 clearance corner. I got rid of lots of smalls that I no longer wanted. Obviously we can't do that every month (some of those items retailed at up to $20. or so), but we may do it again sometime at some dollar level. For September, I'm planning a jar sale, which will include the old blue ones, as well as jars I have upcycled into various craft projects.
Another lesson learned is that we need to put the things we want to display outside out there BEFORE we open at 10. In July, we were putting stuff out as the line was coming in. That didn't work very well. This time, I had it all out well ahead of time.
Starting today, I will be tearing down the Old School set up, and starting on the next one. The basic theme will be Fall Is In The Air. The main features will be vintage treasures (as always), and lots of fall decor. We are kicking around some ideas for some fun displays and we will try our hardest to make it worth your while to come again in September on the 14th and 15th.
Several customers told us with big grins on their faces that they are loving our new occasional shop status, because of how much new stuff we have every month. (We are loving it too!) We can't begin to tell you how much we appreciate the support. This could have failed miserably, but thanks to our great customers, it is going much better than we could have imagined. You all rock!!!
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