The Treasure Hunt Begins

I started my booth with items I had collected thru the years, this seems to be the way the majority of people begin their life as a antique mall vendor. With the passing of my husband in 2007 and the loss of my job in 2008 I was determined to downsize my home and what better way to do it but to fill my booth with the treasures of my past. I was ready to let go of a few things as it was my way of trying to pick myself up and have a clean start.

With my 1st booth set and ready for business my next quest would be how to keep it full. The country was faced with a time where people were out of work (2009) and looking for a way to survive so they turned to having yard sales. It was a full time job going to what seemed like endless yard sales. I drove hundreds of miles each Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s that summer. It was a bittersweet time, people selling off their treasures including treasures from the past while at the same time mall dealers had the opportunity to acquire vintage items at a resellable price for their booths.

This was all new territory for me as I enjoyed my new found freedom of shopping and being outdoors with the sun shinning on my face instead of sitting behind a desk. I had a modest savings account that afforded me the opportunity to pursue my dream of doing something I loved. I had no idea at the time of how long it would take me to turn a profit from my new career direction but I was determined to make it a success.

I’ve listed a few of my favorite places to find product

• The easiest and most plentifully place to find product would be yard sales (this is seasonal)
• I have friends who love auctions (found out I was not a fan early on)
• Thrift stores
• Flea Markets
• Surprisingly: antique malls (booth closing sales)
• Estate Sales (I shy away from the ones that are professionally ran as prices tend to be very high)
• Craigslist

I was able to build a vast inventory with little investment that first summer.

Pictured are some of my personal favorite finds from the past. tamarastreasuretrove.etsy.com