Flea Market Guides

Types of Flea Markets & Swapmeets

How to get started Flea Marketing

Flea Market Reviews

Wholesalers for Flea Marketing

Other Types of Direct Sales

Festival Directories

Everything you wanted to know about Flea Marketing.  Also where to find the best flea markets.

Need a new career or retirement job? Try Flea Marketing!

Other types of direct sales....

Like flea markets you may want to check with show provider to find out if you need to show your resell or tax license for your county, city, or state. You get that license from your county offices.

Craft Show

Craft shows is pretty much handmade items. You make your craft at home and go to a craft show and sell your goods. Often the events are indoors and you rent a table. Most craft shows are all hand made and not mass production. You can ask the manager of the show sometimes you can bring gifts or new items to the craft show.  What I often do is take my gifts or bath and body products and put them in a gift basket I then have a "craft".  Craft shows can be profitable often advertised in the paper for local areas. Sometimes called "bazaars" done in churches or other places for a fun event. 

Trade Shows

Trade Shows are more elite type event where you get more business type people. You set up your trade show space with your company material. Often showing off a company more so than a product. Products can be sold at a trade show even though the event is often used for recruiting for your downline. Tradeshows cost a little more than a flea market to set up but can be profitable. You meet people who are interested in your "trade".

Festivals

Like Flea Markets Festivals are often set outdoors. Most festivals have a theme like Danish Festival, Potato Festival, Red Flannel Festival, Steam Show, etc. The festivals usually have a flea market and/or craft show area. You set up your goods in your space. Flea market manager will tell you what you are allowed to bring. Most goods are new because the spaces cost a little more than an average flea market. You get people are going to event family style more so then people who go to flea markets. Great way to meet a new crowd of people. Festivals often reserved months ahead of time. Look up festivals on the internet or local papers and sign up ahead for your event.

Home Parties

With the recession and low economy the times of home parties are coming back in style. You set up your goods at your hostesses house. Show off catalogs and goods. You play some games and win some prices. Hostess is in charge of refreshments. Your main goal is to get orders and get bookings for more parties. Some parties can run $500 in a couple of hours depending on what you offer how you presentation goes. Make sure your hostess invites a lot of people because 1/3 will probably have time to show up. You can help young moms come to your party by getting a teenager or grandma and have a babysitter in another room for the kids. Moms love to have a little free time and be able to shop too.

Online Parties

With the growth of the Internet Online parties have become a thing of the times. You rent a spot at the party. The provider shows your information on a chat site. You invite all your friends and groups to the party. Great way to meet others in your social network. During your chat time you share with others about your business, your specials, and what you have to offer. Your goal is to get sales and maybe bookings for more parties.  You can also recruit others to join your business. Advertise early to get best results like home parties offer games and prizes to get people to show up. Place orders for your buyers and dropship them to the customer. Great profitable way to make money at home in your pajamas. You can show your website off at the party for additional sales.

Other forms of direct sales

Other forms of direct sales not necessary a market type would be wholesaling to stores. If you have a product that can be in storefront you can do one of two things. You can open your own store if you have the capital. If not, you can go sell to stores have them put your items in their store. If you can afford to you can do a consignment type thing where you get paid when the item is sold.

If you have a catalog for your business you can do mail order with friends, groups, previous buyers, etc. You can share catalogs with store owners, friends, etc.     

Of course, there are always eBay if you allowed to sell on an auction site you can offer your goods on auction. I would recommend to see if others are selling the same goods so you not adding shoes and everyone else has the same shoes on board. eBay can be tricky but profitable if done right. I recommend reading some ebay books.

  Good luck with your sales!