Discover Vintage America — January 2012
Mom’s suggestion box
by Rhiannon Ross
Moms like to
give advice. And I’m now old enough (ahem!) to not only welcome my Mom’s
advice, but I solicit it. Because I know I can learn some really cool things
from her.
On a recent
Sunday afternoon while chatting on the phone with my Mom, who lives a couple
hours south of me in Joplin, MO, she bemoaned how the weak economy was
continuing to take its toll on sales in her booths at Southside Antique Mall.
But my mother
is a creative thinker and a doer. She sees a problem and brainstorms a
solution. With the assistance of my sister-in-law, Toni, they decorated an
ordinary shoe box in festive wrapping paper with a bow, attached a pencil with note
pad, and a small sign that reads:
“If you’re looking for something and
can’t find it, please let me know what it is. I may have it and have not been
able to get it out yet. If you would like to leave your name and number and
what you are looking for, I will bring it to my booth.”
Like many
dealers, my Mom regularly rotates her merchandise to keep her booths fresh and more appealing, especially for regular
customers. And with nearly 30 years in the business, there’s no way she could
showcase all of her wares at one time.
Customers appear
to like the suggestion box. And the requests she’s received are proof that
folks collect just about everything, from antiques to vintage to modern goods. Here’s
a sample:
This simple
and inexpensive tool is one way my Mom can learn what her customers are
searching for, as well as potentially sell items that might otherwise be
collecting dust in storage.
Another
inexpensive but workable idea that my Mom shared with me is used at Connie’s
Antiques and Flea Market, also in Joplin. Customers write down items they’re
searching for, as well as their contact information, on a list maintained at
the front desk. Then, Connie’s compiles the list and disseminates copies to
dealers in the mall.
What creative
solutions have you tried at your antique malls and booths to help generate
business? Send your suggestions to editor@discoverypub.com or via snail mail to 1501 Burlington, Ste. 207, North Kansas City, MO 64116.
As always, we
look forward to hearing from you!