Boothing It

It's been so long since I've done a booth update post, mainly because I felt the booths were too out of control to show.  Now that things are looking a little better, I took some pics.

I'll warn you in advance that they're just crappy cell phone pics, since that is all I seem to have time for any more.  The harsh florescent lighting there isn't doing me any favors either.  I did some cropping to help give the pics a focal point, but I don't know how much it helped.  I have no walls defining my rather large space, so it's hard to keep background objects in other booths from becoming a distraction.  Also, I pretty much have stuff crammed into every nook and cranny.  Styling and displays are so not my thing.

For the record, I have two 8x10 and two 8x11 floor spaces combined into one large fourplex that I sometimes call "Ed-Mart."  The official name of my booth is "Eddie's Attic."  I also have three wall spaces beside my fourplex and another wall space that is in front of my storage room at the mall.  I forgot to get pics of two of the wall spaces.

My vibe is kind of eclectic.  I feature everything from the kind of practical to the slightly whimsical.  My goal is to never be too stuffy and to never, ever look like my stuff came right out of my living room, even though some of it has.  I'm not exclusively vintage or exclusively anything, except maybe exclusively Eddie.  Someone once asked about my booth and I told them to think of bongo drums.  If you get that,  you'd love my space.  Plus, Scooby Doo totally rocks!

I'm more enamored with the idea of the overstuffed little junk shop run by the slightly wacky neighborhood eccentric old dude than I am the overly foofed antique store.  My booth totally reflects that.  I do leave people plenty of room to safely walk around, though.  I truly believe that if you can walk through my space and not come out with something you have to have, then you're just not trying hard enough.  

Onto the booth:

Looking in from one side.  There are four main entrances into the fourplex.  This stuff is in the center of the space.

An overview of my religion wall.  It started as a single shelf five years ago and grew to this.  For a while, it took up one of the wall spaces.  I started referring to it as "St. Attica" during that time, but I don't use that name now that I've incorporated it into the fourplex.  I moved it when I had given up the wall space temporarily.  When I took the wall back, I decided to use it for something else.

The religion section really is a destination for several shoppers.  I have a lot of regulars buying from it.

The orange things in the lower right are priest's stoles.

The comic book/graphic novel/manga section is another popular spot.  It's a struggle to keep it neat and stocked.  There are other people selling comics in the mall, but I am the only one who has ever been a reader/collector, so I think my selection is better.  I know my prices are.

Media and games shelf

The start of my seasonal displays.  Right now, it's Fall/Harvest themed, but soon it will be mainly Halloween and will take over three tables and several shelves on the inside.  I sell a LOT of Halloween.  I don't do as well with the harvest stuff, so I don't do much of it, but I do like to have some.

Two of my wall spaces.  This is my section for vintage and primitive stuff, or--as I like to call it--classics and rustics.  

My ode to alcoholism.  Beer and liquor advertising and related items sell pretty well for me.  When I have a whole lot of them, I make a section for them and let it sell down some.  I haven't had a bar section for a couple of years, so I thought it was time to pull another one together.  When it thins out, I'll scatter the remainder among the other merch in smaller groupings.

I call this shelf "Remembering Grandma's Kitchen."  Well, except for the Kiwi shoeshine box in the lower right.  Grandma never had one of those in her kitchen. 

I just bought that white inset shelf the other day and knew it would look good among the other "rustics."  I had to take down one of the shelves that was on the wall to put it in.  I had never thought of doing that before.  I bought those shelves as they were (on the wall) when I first rented that space.  Now I am pondering other arrangements for them.

I think this one shelf pretty much sums me up as a reseller in one picture.  If you get it, then you get me.

Food fun!  Various promo items and toys related to food and cooking.  Plus, a big basket full of cookie cutters!

My Asian shelf

Quiet study area

I've had this 8 foot section of pegboard wall forever.  I bought it back when I only had one booth.  It just doesn't work in my space any more, and I have been trying to get rid of it without much success.  Right now, it sits on an aisle and I use it as my "storefront."  I rotate displays in and out of it like a store window.

Enamel top table + terracotta churches = DOUBLE AWESOMENESS!!

My vintage/classic toy section.  It looks sparse here, but for some reason I took the pic before I was finished restocking it.  It's full now.  My old friend Fisher-Price is very good to me.

Back to where we started, but on the other side.  Those drawers hold school supplies and office stuff.  I did have them out more prominently during back to school time.  Eventually, they'll end up under a table.  I know a lot of folks don't like bins of things, but I do.  It's a little extra work keeping them orderly, but it's also a good way to sell smaller things.  At least, I think so.

And that's the tour!  Hope you enjoyed it!  Come back soon and bring money when you do!