I love your ideas! Great steal on that fabric for decor.

I'll tell you the two things that determine whether or not I go into a booth at a flea market: 1) organization and 2) editing. If your booth is a dusty disaster crammed with a disorganized jumble of crap, I'll walk right by. If you have a theme (like your Paris idea), you'll immediately draw my attention. I assume that you have style and that your items will as well. It sounds like you're well on your way!

There's a wonderful booth at our local FM - I'll call her style "pastel vintage". Almost all items are pastel or white, tired old furniture has been revived with an easy coat of paint, linens are ironed, all items are clean, everything is displayed in a pretty vignette. I've never bought anything from her (shabby chic isn't my style but I like the look), but you better believe every time I walk in there, I head straight to her booth to see what she has this time. Attracting customers through branding is a smart idea. (If you want to know more about opening a business, startupnation.com is a brilliant, friendly resource.)

Oh, I thinks that's fabulous! Very pretty!

I recently went to an antique mall where I live, and I was drawn to the booths that had the style you're doing. They had a lot of light, pretty pastel colors, shabby chic stuff, and I loved them. I do not decorate in that style at all, but those were my favorite booths. I would buy something that could fit in my decor from them. I hated most of the other booths. I think what you're doing will be fantastic! That photo looks like the antique mall I went to, but I suppose they all look kind of similar :-).

I've recently seen people using a wall of old doors as a backdrop for photos. This might be an inexpensive way to get a divider between booths (if needed) or to cover an ugly wall.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wall of doors

I agree with what everyone else has said so far, and I'll tell you what else appeals to me, even though it may sound stupid. I like it when sellers use interesting price tags! I can recall one flea market seller who had all her items tagged with brownish paper that looked kinda rustic/handmade, cut along the edges with some kind of fancy scissors (or just pinking shears), price and other info written in pretty handwriting, and the tags were attached to the items with raffia or colored ribbon. Sounds silly, but it just made her stuff look more interesting than others who might have just had white price stickers.

I like your idea and congrats on that fabric find! I agree with liking organized spaces and sue's idea of interesting tags. I wish you the best of luck! Be sure to keep us updated!!

I love the concept...love the awning...love most of the idea....but don't like the name!
There is so much "stuff" on ebay and other sites labeled Paris Flea market, Paris style...Paris apartment...Paris chic...etc etc.
Get another thing going for you...
maybe Quelques Choses Mont Marte or la Rive Gauche Chic...
Any how...rethink the name.
Linda C

Hi rjinga

Congrats on your new adventure! My parents rented space in a local antique mall for years and did very well. I used to help them out from time to time and noticed they sold things quickly and also received compliments from customers and fellow vendors as well. Here are some of the things I remember that made their booth attractive:

1. Everything was always very clean. The glassware sparkled, rugs were washed, furniture dusted. Silver polished.
2. Within reason, furniture was repaired.
3. Items were displayed by color. All of the pink glassware was together, blue together and so on.
4. Linens were clean and ironed.
5. While they offered a good variety, it was never cluttered and it was easy to look around.
6. Items clearly priced. When possible, my mom avoided stick on labels just as a consideration to buyers (can be a pain to remove)
7. They attended many garage sales and estate sales and were always conscious of having new things to offer. Had many return customers who could always be sure of finding new treasures.

It is work but lots of fun. We met so many nice people. I am sure you will do well. Let us know how it goes:)

JR

Thanks all, to be honest that was not necessarily the name I would use, more just along the lines of a "style" or look. I have a very small scale nursery resale business that I have named Meadow View Gardens and may expand on that? or maybe just use that name. how do you like Fleur du Jardin? anyway, I'll be thinking on that too.

I am definitely looking into unique tags, considered doing a fluer de lis, using a stamp on parchment paper with pink curling ribbon, or I have a variety (understatement) of ribbon to use.

I found 2 more bookshelves tonight $10 each, that I can paint, so I'll have the 3 cubbies, and 3 6 ft bookcases. I also have a few other pieces to put in there to display stuff on.

Question/poll: paint all the bookcases white? or maybe some of them pink? I will of course know what fits and looks right when I get it all down there and start setting it up.

I'm planning to use the waverly fabric hemmed and with an opening for a pvc pipe with a corner fitting joining the two together, which will be hung from the ceiling using white chain hanging from the front and side of the space. The space next to me has a full length black fabric curtain wall, so that will help me too. And I have a whole bunch of white/cream tulle to use, have not put that together yet. might make like a canopy over the middle of the space, that notion is still in the developement stages :) as to how to hang it and what to make it look like.

I also love the old door wall idea, will have to see about finding some to use, I'd only need like 3 or 4, I also considered using picket fence pieces behind the white cubbies, anyway, It will all come together and I'm really excited about it.

thanks for all the comments and suggestions, (keep em coming, you never know when something you suggest will be just the ticket)

I will do my best to keep my space unifed and interesting with great "finds" and will definitely be repurposing old furniture. Found a great woodend dresser tonight for $20 have my request in for another piece that will be great to paint and fix up.

Whatever name you pick (and I think something French is a cute idea) please do check the spelling and usage. I detest clever little accents incorrectly thrown about hither and yon to make something Frenchified. Misspellings are a travesty. There are people here who know French and they can help you get it just right. Bonne chance! (good luck!) :-)

some new CL finds that I cant wait to do up and put in my booth!!! $10 & $20 respectively!! and a really cute corner cabinet for $10 (need to take a pic of it)

{{!gwi}}

Cedar chest!!

easy fix to redo the top

There's a very charming flower market/gift area in the Ile de la Cité area of Paris.

It's called the (or Le, if you prefer) Marché aux Fleurs.

To maximize your exposure, I'd strongly urge you to set up a web presence at Etsy and/or Ebay. People who shop online might then come in your actual space, and vice versa. Etsy's very user friendly.