Make Money Off Vintage Sales Parties

A friend I've known since pre-school asked me full of excitement to go to a vintage sale. I declined. I don't like old smelly clothes. But some people do. Such as my good ole friend Amy. She went and came back with some vintage finds - two pairs of shoes and a dress. "How much did you pay for these shoes?" I asked and followed shortly with, "Forty dollars!" Amy paid $40 for a pair of shoes, $35 for the other pair, and another $40 something for a dress. Keep in mind these are old things. They might be in decent condition, but they look old. Her justifying reply? "They're vintage! They're one of a kind, you won't find these anywhere!" She's right. You probably won't find these duds in your local shopping mall. That's why a lot of fashionistas love shopping vintage and there's the whole flea market business to back it up.

Amy didn't even go to a flea market or a store. She went to a restaurant. Yes, a restaurant. Here's how it worked:

1. Two college gals started buying vintage clothes, shoes, bags, accessories from flea markets for cheap.
2. When they had a good amount of goods to sell, they set up a date, time, and location. They chose a restaurant, but your living room/den/garage, apartment lobby, will work too.
3. They emailed their friends, family, acquaintances to come to their vintage sale and asked everyone to spread the word out. You can create an event announcement Facebook, MySpace, or send out an Evite.
4. On the big day, arrange everything like a boutique with clothes according to size or color. Lay the jewelry out on cloth, etc. Bring out some refreshments such as water and cookies.
5. Get ready for a small but incoming crowd. As the crowd gathers, curious passersby will wonder what the commotion is and swing by for a peek. Welcome these unexpected newcomers. They might just be your next big customer!

I'm not sure what the profit is, but if you're a smart flea market shopper, I'm sure you can find things for $10 and under and sell them for $30-$100 each, depending on how unique and desirable the items are.