Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of having an antique booth. Maybe you’ve never even considered the possibility. Either way, there are a number of reasons why an antique booth business is the absolute best side hustle or small business for you. What started as my favorite hobby has become my professional career, creative passion, and primary source of income.
I recommend this business to almost everyone I meet. It isn’t a fad or trend or bandwagon to jump onboard. It isn’t network marketing, and there are no pyramids or hierarchies. This is just a regular, old-fashioned way to earn a living. People around the world have been doing this for centuries. You can, too! Here are some of the key reasons why I think YOU should become a dealer in an antique mall.
What started as my favorite hobby has become my professional career, creative passion, and primary source of income.
1. Make some real money
Did you know that antique and vintage dealers gain better profit margins than almost any other type of retailer? The biggest and best retailers are thrilled with a 10% return on their investment. As a dealer in an antique mall, I typically sell items for 3-4 times what I paid for them! Cha-ching!
2. No experience necessary
There is literally NO experience necessary. You don’t have to know anything about antiques. Depending on the mall you choose, you probably don’t even have to sell antiques! In many antique malls, you are at liberty to sell a wide variety of merchandise- including art, crafts, vintage, and collectible items.
With some learning and hard work, you can have a profitable antique booth business in a remarkably short period of time. AntiqueStartup was created to share insider tips and training to support you as you start your own antique booth business.
AntiqueStartup was created to share insider tips and training to support you as you start your own antique booth business.
3. Avoid starting from scratch
I’m about to give you an impressive list of benefits, all wrapped up in one pretty paragraph. Being a dealer at an antique mall means you don’t have to start from scratch. There are many "startup" costs that you will never have to worry about, because the mall takes care of them. Here are a few big ones:
- Employees: The mall already has them so there is no need to recruit or hire
- Consumer traffic: Your mall comes with a built-in-reputation, and loyal customer following
- Commercial location: You don’t have to pay a long-term commercial lease on a building or land. You also won’t have an electric or utility bill. You won’t pay for building or parking lot maintenance. All your building costs are included in your rent.
- Technology: You won’t have to invest in a point-of-sale system, WIFI, or phone service.
In this business, you can set up your booth, and wave goodbye. And what’s even better is that in a month or so, you’ll get paid. It honestly doesn’t get any better than this.
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4. Work remotely and flexibly
When you have an antique booth business, you set your own schedule. You never have to work another evening or weekend again…unless you want to! You can do much of your work from home- or on the road- or wherever you want! Welcome to work-life-balance. Yes, there is such a thing. Wish someone had told me sooner!
5. Passive income
This is your shot at the magic of passive income. You could be earning money at any time- even when you aren’t working on your business. You don’t have to be a salesman or a cashier. You can simply set up your booth and run a business with a part-time commitment. In my case, this has enabled me to go back to school, travel, and take up creative writing.
This is your shot at the magic of passive income.
6. Be your own boss
In this business, YOU are the boss. You don’t have to answer to anyone but yourself. It’s your booth- your time- your business. You get to make all the decisions yourself, and AntiqueStartup will be here to provide you with support along the way.
7. Low startup costs
The barriers to entry with an antique booth business are incredibly low. In fact, I would challenge you to find another small business with a lower initial investment.
When I started my business several years ago, I was set up and ready to go for less than a thousand dollars. That included my first month’s rent, shelving and fixtures (they were yard sale finds), tools, tags, signs, and even my starting merchandise. I began with selling a few items, and my business has grown like crazy since then. Easy peasy!
8. Fun
This business has something fun for every type of person. I have yet to meet anyone with an antique booth business that didn’t love it once they were established. Just a few examples of things that you might find to be fun include:
- Fixing up old furniture and selling it for a big profit (my favorite)
- Designing merchandise displays
- Buying treasures at yard sales for pennies and selling them for (many, many) dollars
- Marketing your antique booth on social media
- Selling your own DIY creations
- Building relationships with customers and other dealers
- Learning about the history of the products you sell
9. Market stability
Retailers are declaring bankruptcy at an alarming rate in a “here today, gone tomorrow” world. Even in the midst of a global recession, antique and vintage merchandise has a strong footing. The most recent US Census Bureau statistics show that resale stores have continued to report increased sales and profits even as most retailers are down in revenue.
One of the top marketing research companies, IBISWorld, reported in 2020 that used merchandise sales in the U.S. totaled more than $21 billion. I want a piece of that- how about you?
10. Don’t compete with the big boxes
Let’s face it, Amazon is trying to take over the world. As a small business retailer, I would be naïve to ignore this. I also can’t compete directly with Wal-Mart or Target or many other retail giants. The good news is that I don’t have to, and neither will you.
Antique booth businesses sell unique and rare items that consumers can’t go find at a big box. Walmart won’t sell their childhood lunchbox or that piece of original artwork or one-of-a-kind painted furniture. There will always be customers that want something unique and special, and there will always be antique malls to showcase these products.
Antique booth businesses sell unique and rare items that consumers can’t go find at a big box.
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