You Have to Deal with Items that You Like

One of the interesting and frustrating things about the occasional sales is that you get an opportunity to hash over sales. What sold, what sold quickly and what you still have sitting there. Armed with this information you can reach the conclusion that you can shape your goods and inventory to maximize sales next month. That is the fallacy because the sample is too small, the market too short and the buyer too fickle to ever get a real handle on what is going to sell.

When I started selling in an antique mall I decided that I had the business figured out. I began buying inventory that I didn't like just because some other dealer had sold one earlier. The earlier sale usually occurred on my work day. I was shocked when the customer brought the item to the counter and paid real money for it. When I saw one at an auction after that sale I would bid it up and buy it because it will sell at the shop. A long time later that item is still waiting for a 2nd buyer.

I have come to believe that a seller cannot successfully sell items that he/she does not like. The item appears to gather the seller's thoughts and exude negative waves to any potential buyer. Long ago I decided that I am going to deal with items that I like. My taste may not be perfect, but at least I will be able to stand the piece in my house if I can't convince anyone else to buy it.

I really liked the birdcage that I bought last Saturday. I would have been pleased if it had to live in my house for a while. I am sure that it gave off tons of positive vibrations while on display at the shop. And it sold quickly for a good profit.

The items that most of us buy and sell are unique. We are not Macy's buying and selling 300,000 units of model 12bdc men's dress shirts. We have one to buy, one to sell and only one customer to find for each item we move through the shop. I now trust my judgment, trust my taste, and live surrounded by my market mistakes.

Mr. Flannery