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I Thought I Knew What Would Sell at an Antiques Fair. I Was Wrong.

Taliesin Antiques

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What is it really like selling at a major antiques fair? I took Taliesin Antiques to Builth Wells and filmed the whole experience from the stallholder side.

Weeks of planning quickly turned into a fairly chaotic few days — buying stock specifically for the fair, filling a hired van, a flat battery before I even left, arriving late, unloading onto the wrong stall, surprisingly quiet trade buying and then trying to work out what people actually wanted to buy.

Across the weekend I sold around £3,000 of antiques, met some of you who watch the channel, made a useful new trade contact and learnt far more than I expected about selling antiques face-to-face.

It wasn’t a disaster and it certainly wasn’t a roaring success. It was my first proper antiques fair as a full-time dealer — and a very good lesson in how different the trade looks from behind the stall.

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20 Comments

@carolynebruyn6892 3 weeks ago Pinned

Someone commented that the venue was dismal. So, if you are stuck in a place with a grey
concrete floor and grey walls, you might have to think about warming up your space. There was mention of a carpet - yes, yes. Or table cloths in a flat warm colour - no prints. Maybe also staging your items a bit. Some things on a shelf or plinth or some such. It’s an antique fair, not a flea market. Maybe an easel or two for paintings. But I’m no expert. Some wonderful pieces.

@chrissiee 3 weeks ago

I tend to walk past things that are not priced. I feel the vendor is probably going to access how much you can pay based on your appearance as opposed to a fixed price they want for an object.

@deanviewofachateaumybandbi7899 2 days ago

You have some lovely items.

@eamonmackle4255 3 weeks ago

hi kieran, you did really well first fair ,i still remember my mistakes dont give up just do trade one dayers try to be the other side of counter except when having a rest and rattle ,but rattle to everyone they dont have to be looking we talk about the weather thats what we are good at ,its another learning circle we never stop .

@davidclements6816 3 weeks ago

I think you done pretty well considering how quiet it appeared to be .

@andrewlindsay8557 3 weeks ago

You need a lot of £20 to £50 items they all add up . Plus the more you take the more you have to sell . Good luck in future 🤞

@jennifersimmonds6809 2 weeks ago

I do a large fair in Kent. September did well but did not sell one large item😢

@adyamski 2 weeks ago

Yeh you need to definitely put prices on - nothing worse than looking at something and expecting a certain price and then getting a shock when they tell you!

@catbonebill9352 3 weeks ago

The Antique Fairs are where you ditch, the rubbish, unsaleable, and stuff that's been sitting for awhile.
A couple of nice pieces, one or two big pieces, that are easy to pack up again.
People want to walk out with something under their arm or that they can put in a bag.
Smell, is a big attraction.....Orange fragrance air spray, and orange oil. used to work for me. Rugs , fancy old curtain material if enough space.

@DeniceLittle-u4j 3 weeks ago

I agree that rugs would make a difference to the overall feel of your space. Cloths too on the tables, and i would recommend vintage chenille tablecloths. They are thick so an item has a bit more cushioning if it gets knocked over, and they are heavy so less likely to move and wrinkle if you need to squeeze past, again lessening the chances of accidental breakages. As a potential buyer I would prefer to see the prices on the labels so that I can make an informed choice even if the smallholder is busy. Fabulous pieces though, well done!

@lottpim17 2 weeks ago

Very helpful video.. as are the comments.

Will be following your journey.

More please.

@julieg4985 3 weeks ago

A great video. It's a learning curve and just keep doing different fairs, maybe try a one day fair next. It did look pretty quiet. A lot of dealers don't like more than one day fairs. I like cloths on tables and tend to spend time working out display. I ticket some items, it's just not realistic for me to ticket them all. You will build up a fair type customer base too. It's an eye opener doing fairs, and really hard work. I'm glad you're looking forward to the next one!

@QuriedeBerk 3 weeks ago

Very informative. Thank you

@Mkalikapisa-ui7by 3 weeks ago

Well done. I agree that glazed pictures are a nightmare! My impressions: that hall was bleak as h..., maybe 'soften' the entrance to your pitch with an old rug . Didn't spot many dogs, but always put down a water bowl, the owners have to stop! All for meeting people, builds up trust for next time. Of your sold items I vote for the Gillette case, unsold I'm torn between the vast Islamic pot & the Tibetan horns

@MaryBenton-m4k 3 weeks ago

you have to be cheap for trade, you have to be chatty and friendly to lookers

@lesleyhudson2761 3 weeks ago

Thank you for your honest review as always. It seems so hard to sell these days. You had some stunning stuff, but it did look very quiet. It seemed really stressful. Online seems very appealing still to me. Although my sales in September have been dire. x

@janis1981 3 weeks ago (edited)

That painting of that couple on a bike is a still from the movie Turkish delight (Its a dutch movie about Amsterdam love and Monique van de Ven and Rutger Hauer)

@vintagevic4593 3 weeks ago

I love your stuff, it’s right in my wheelhouse, you have a very eclectic eye. A lot of it’s probably a bit off piste for the average Joe public, but it’s all great statement pieces for people who have interesting houses and good taste. I am just moving house with a vast amount of eclectic collectables and it has been a nightmare. But moving your wares to set up that stall seemed almost as stressful! Good luck with it all, it certainly looks hard work being an antiques dealer.

@piperhowie4688 3 weeks ago

The great pricing debate. We sell at fairs and we have tried both priced labels and non priced labels at difference fairs. I have to be honest the overall sales were around the same. I would say having no prices does often start that initial conversation that sometimes leads to a sale. But i really think if someone likes the item they will buy it if the price is right whether the price is displayed or not.

Love the videos by the way so keep churning them out.

John from Howie's Picks

@TheNeilmmm 3 weeks ago

As a buyer I have finite amount of money so I like to see prices. Obviously, if I see something I love my finite budget is flexible, lol. But i want to consider that flexibility by seeing a price.