What Makes a Good Antique Booth?

I haven't posted any booths pics here in a while so I thought I'd show you what it looks like these days. I sold the big beautiful mantle (see in this post) last weekend and had to get creative this week to find enough to fill the space before this weekend. I have a couple of large pieces in the barn that I'd planned to have ready but real life isn't allowing much time for projects lately. At any rate, this is it....

Pictures always highlight the gaps I need to fill! 

This is the quick fix for the void the mantle left...the metal tool bin is ready to hang with predrilled holes...
If I were to keep it I'd probably let it sit out in the weather and rust a little, then spray it white and let the rust  do it's thing...put it in the kitchen and put all of my little salt and pepper shakers in the cubby holes...

I've never liked this wall for some reason, but the beds work as well here as anything I've had here....so maybe they will sell soon and I'll be back to square one with...an awkward area!

Ugh! Big hole...needs something with a WOW! factor.

I took the doors out of the back corner for the other booth...now I see my neighbors drop cords coming in from 3 other booths...I am looking for more doors!

I am liking this little area and so are my customers...it's becoming  my magic table . When I move  something here that I've had for a while it magically sells!

The other booth doesn't get quite the attention from me that the Ranch Dressing Booth does...and it shows! I'm almost embarrassed to be seen working in it! If you're a reader of this blog, you'll remember it was intended to be a children's specialty booth with antique and vintage toys, furniture and such...the reason for the color scheme.

This was it during the Christmas season...

Dec. 2011...We did rather well...considering!

In January, I called my booth partner Cheryl and asked if she'd mind if I painted it out solid turquoise and get rid of the beige...we'd joked around the day we painted it saying that empty, it looked like a cantina. Well, it just never got any better with stuff in it! We also decided to let it be an everything booth after all.

This is it this week...Feb 2012

It still is plain Jane and I am NOT happy with it. There are some really great treasures in there but if I were the buyer I'd pass this one by in favor of the many, many other well thought out and creatively designed booths. Ours looks like something we threw together on the fly!...oh, well! We DID!

I know that it all takes time to evolve...and time is something I feel very slighted with these days! I do have some ideas..finally, for this one. Ideally, I'd love to have the booth directly behind my Ranch Dressing Booth to take advantage of our rough cut board wall that's already in existence but until it comes available again, we will make this one do.

Having a booth that is successful takes an incredible amount of work. I had no idea when I started!  I thought this would free up my time to work in my studio more by not having to keep my shop open myself. Now, I'm having to plan every little detail before making the hour long trip down there, where as in my shop here I can make changes anytime I need to. 

Booths not only need to look great, show creativity, and be stocked with great finds...they have to be straightened up weekly, cleaned twice a month and rearranged at the very least once every month...and then when you are fortunate enough to sell out you have to be ready to restock ASAP...which usually requires rearranging again! I have realized quickly that when I put a lot of effort into my booth I get a nice reward! It's becoming part of our lifestyle. Fortunately, it's fun and I'm enjoying it.

Yesterday after I had reworked the Ranch Dressing Booth a man came in while I was snapping pictures and complimented my efforts telling me it was "decorated attractively". YES! I left a happy woman. 

We have a lot of competition at our mall, The Depot, but we also feel like family there among the other 500+ booths...another of the benefits of working your booth regularly. It's nice to be known by your name by the staff in such a large place and be able to network with real people!

How is your booth doing? Got any tips you'd like to share? Leave a comment for all to benefit from.

Until next time,

Angie