Our Outdoor Market Experience as Vendors

For nearly a decade, Derek put together (with partners) the World of Motorcycles Expo in London, ON. When we signed up for the Sunset Vintage Market on Sunday, we knew a bit about what we were in for. But boy, we had a lot to learn! We had attended it several times as browsers and really enjoyed it. Now it was time to take part.

Lisa’s Pieces was the name we chose for Derek’s and my furniture repurposing sideline when we lived in London. We revived the name for his latest projects which include funky one-of-a-kind lamps and wooden pieces. Besides, we still had the sign! Derek built a display stand out of wood that was lying around. It is easy to put up and dismantle, almost Ikea-style. We had a tent and a long portable table. And more than twenty lamps we were selling as pieces of art that came with lightbulbs, along with other odds and ends.

We did a test run and set everything up in the garage the weekend before the sale to avoid surprises on market day. We figured out where things would go for optimum visibility, so we thought. With the trailer packed, all we needed to do on Sunday morning was drive ten minutes to the market site.

Vintage Items, Modern Pizza

Elgin Harvest Wood-Fired Pizza has a huge parking lot and that’s where the market was held. It’s just outside of St. Thomas and highly visible. Market maven Mickey booked a live performer on site. People sat and had pizza after they shopped. A tent was available for everyone’s customers to try on clothing. There were more than twenty vendors packed with everything from antiques to clothes to – you name it. If it was vintage, it was there. Derek uses vintage items for his creations, and he incorporates pieces of old timber salvaged from century homes.

We set everything up including our two comfy chairs at the back of our tent. But something felt off after about half an hour or so. I took note of Kathy at the booth next door. She’s been doing this for years. Her chair was positioned at the front of her booth and she was rarely in it. She tended to stand about ten feet from the front and just be available if needed. I whispered to Derek that we should make a change. We moved the tall lamps to the back of the booth and put our chairs up front, one off to each side. We also angled the display stand so it was more visible from the front.

It was almost like flipping a switch. (Lighting pun intended!) Suddenly people were wandering deep into the booth. More of them were taking their time and looking at everything. Not having to walk toward the proprietors, us, made all the difference. No one likes being watched closely as they browse.

Learning While Shopping

I went for a stroll to check out the other booths where I ended up buying a T-shirt and a little piggy bank for the laundry room. I also noticed that everyone who was at the back of their booth sat behind a table full of merchandise. Noted. We need another table for next time.

Whether it’s Mexico – mainly Playa del Carmen – or some of the other tropical locales, it’s annoying to be hounded for a sale. I understand that it’s difficult for them to mask desperation. But sometimes it’s just a sales technique. You learn very quickly to never take anything a merchant tries to hand you because somehow, it’s as good as sold.

We decided that as vendors, we would play it cool. It was all an experiment, after all. We had zero expectations. Derek’s stuff, while original and very creative, isn’t for everyone. It was a busy day with thousands of people coming through. A couple of times we plugged in lamps to show that they worked. Otherwise, we let them be. Our attitude was, if someone wanted it, they’d let us know.

And they sure did let us know. We sold ten lamps which was beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. And many who didn’t make a purchase took the time to tell Derek how much they loved his work. We met some wonderful people and the Detroit-style pizza was amazing, too.

Lisa Needs More Pieces

We are considering skipping the June market and going into the one in July. Derek needs time to replenish his inventory! He also had a couple of people ask him to repair their unusual lamps. Plus, we have an idea for a fun item he’s going to try to make.

Taking part in the market is almost like being in a little circus. We all came, set up, did our magic tricks and then packed up and moved on. We both had fun and the atmosphere was collaborative and helpful. It’s something we’ll definitely do again. It’s great to know that the market is as fun and happy on the inside as it is to shop on the outside.