Are you a vintage or antique booth business owner looking for ideas for sourcing? Welcome! Here are several resources to help you find inventory for an antique booth or vintage booth!
Finding the perfect inventory and merchandise for your booth is one of the top concerns vintage booth owners find. So, where do you find all of those antiques and vintage items?
How to Find Inventory for Your Antique Booth
Navigating the diverse and expansive world of antiques and vintage items to stock your booth can be both thrilling and daunting.
Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned collector or a novice entering the realm of vintage treasures, the hunt for unique and appealing items is a constant adventure.
This article is designed to be your compass in the vast sea of possibilities, guiding you through a curated list of resources that promise to unveil hidden gems and rare finds. Whether you’re looking to replenish your stock with items that tell a story or seeking that one statement piece that will draw crowds, our guide is tailored to help you enrich your antique booth with finds that resonate with history, craftsmanship, and timeless appeal.
In this blog post, for example, we will discuss 10 different resources that will help you find inventory for your antique booth.
#1 – Estate Sales
Estate sales are a great way to find hidden treasures for your booth. Use the Estatesales.net app to help locate local estate sales. I found so many items for my antique mall booth at estate sales, plus I find that they are so much fun.
It has been said that the first day is for the estate sale company to make money and the remaining days are for them to get rid of inventory. Consider negotiating with the estate sales companies, especially on the last day of the sale!
Not only does estatesales.net help you find in-person estate sales near you, it also offers a marketplace so you can bid for items online.
EstateSales.Net App for iPhone
EstateSales.Net App – Google Play
#2 – Online Auctions
Along the same lines, online auctions and online estate sales are excellent ways to find items for your vintage booth. Plus, you can get a LOT of inventory for a very small amount. Be sure to sign up for email alerts for any local auction houses near you. It’s so nice when they are in driving distance to pick up a lot. Plus, you can see the pictures of everything included.
Just make sure you know what you’re bidding on and go in with a budget, be aware of the pickup location and hours. The list of options for online auctions includes:
hibid.com
ctbids.com
auctionzip.com
governmentauctions.com
govdeals.com
propertyroom.com
policeauctions.com
storageauctions.com
municibid.com
IRS auctions
liveauctioneers.com
ebid.net
shopgoodwill.com
ebay.com
poshmark.com (Referral Link)
mercari.com (Referral Link)
whatnot.com (Referral Link)
#3 – Flea Markets
Another great way to find items for your antique booth is to visit flea markets. They are jam-packed with vintage and antique vendors, so you can easily spend a day combing through the booths looking for unique and how-to-find inventory for antique booths. Plus, it’s always fun to haggle with the vendors – it’s part of the fun of flea markets!
Search Google for a local flea market near you and have fun shopping.
#4 – Church Rummage Sales
These do not come along that often, so you have to be on the lookout to be prepared. I found one just because of some signs that were posted near my house. The members of the church donated items and all the money raised went to their missions for the entire year.
I found some amazing things and I felt great about spending the money. Some churches will not price items, just request donations for the items you want.
It may be worthwhile to follow local churches on social media so you know of any upcoming events. Churches also host annual/bi-annual children’s consignment sales where you can find some great items including toys, clothing, shoes, accessories, and home decor.
#5 – Friends/Family/Personal Collections
Get the word out! Let people know what you are doing, and you might get some donations from your network. Your friends and neighbors may just want to get rid of things.
You could consider posting a note online that you will take any unwanted items. Just be clear that this is your business and any items that you do not or potential customers want will be donated.
“Hi, Friends! Thank you all for supporting my new venture as a vintage booth owner. I love turning trash into treasure, if you ever have items you are considering donating, I would love to take them off your hands. Please drop by my booth sometime!”
Another option is to offer to consign items for friends. You would decide on a percentage split, and after a sale is made, you would subtract the fees (booth fees, commission, etc.) and then split the profit. Many people do a 50/50 split on the profit.
#6 – Garage Sales/Yard Sales
This is often the best way to find low-cost items to resell. Be prepared to research online for upcoming sales (Facebook marketplace, yard sale apps), and look out for local signs to plan your route. It can make for a long day, but it is usually worth it. Community yard sales are the best!
Just like at estate sales, the early birds will get access to the “best stuff”, but the last-minute shoppers will often get great deals. You could even offer a free yard sale leftover haul-away service, but you run the risk of doing a lot of work with no results.
#7 – Local Apps
I highly recommend the Free Stuff Alerts app (Here is the link to the app on an iPhone). This app pulls information from Facebook Marketplace, NextDoor, OfferUpetc. and you receive a notification anytime a free item is posted. You can customize the location to be within a few miles of your house.
These apps (Facebook Marketplace, NextDoor, Letgo, Offerup, Craigslist, etc.) can be a great way to find inventory for display items for your booth space. You may be able to find items that people are giving away, or you might even find some treasures that someone is selling at a reasonable price.
Be sure to use the “search” feature on each app and set up alerts so you will know when new inventory is listed.
Are you following Vintage Booth Pro on YouTube? Take a Look!
#8 – Thrift Stores
Prices are getting insane at thrift stores, but good items are still available! Be sure to research your local stores to find discount days. Many have Facebook pages and will update with sales.
Most thrift stores will offer a discount on certain days. Look for “bag sales” or 50% off items. This can be a great way to stock up! My local Goodwill has a 0.99 cent day on Mondays, although those items are few and far between, I’ve been able to find a few! Many of the national chain thrift stores will have outlets or clearance centers.
I recently went to a Goodwill outlet or “bins” where clothing was sold for $1.79 a pound and home goods, books, etc. were $0.79 a pound.
#9 – Wholesalers/Liquidators
This is an awesome resource if you need to find more than one item at once, and it can save you lots of time. Many furniture wholesalers have websites and sell items in bulk at a discounted rate.
You can find liquidation companies that sell items from department stores, grocery stores, and even Amazon liquidations. Be sure to do some comparison shopping for the best prices, as many of these wholesalers will offer customers different discounts.
It is also worth noting that many of these companies require a business license or tax identification number to purchase from them.
While not exactly wholesale, consider buying in bulk from retailers like Temu. I recently created a video sharing my recent Temu finds. Check it out here.
#10 – Antique Malls
Yes! It happens often, other vintage booth owners will purchase items from your booth and mark it up a bit more for their booth. And you can do the same. I think it would be super awkward to find your item in the same store.
Most people will shop at OTHER antique malls than the one their booth is in to source for their booth. Vendors run sales all the time, so it’s possible to find good deals at other antique booths, you are supporting a fellow vendor!
I don’t feel bad at all when it happens to me, because I have marked my prices where I feel comfortable and happy with the profit margin I receive.
Conclusion
These are just a few ways to find inventory for an antique store. The key is to be creative and resourceful! If you want to run a successful antique store, it’s important to research the market ahead of time and know what items are in demand to ensure you have the right inventory.
Are You a Booth Owner?
As you know, a successful antique booth requires careful planning and execution. You need to find the perfect location, trendy items for inventory, a marketing plan, and time and energy for consistently updating. It can be a lot! Having a community of people on your side for encouragement and support can be incredibly valuable.
Consider joining our Vintage Booth Pro community on Facebook, a safe community to help learn more tips about how to boost your booth sales: https://www.facebook.com/groups/805639204084529
Follow Crystal with Vintage Booth Pro on YouTube!