We were just talking today about how much flea markets have changed from what I remember. Or maybe it was an area thing....I don't want to go look at tables and tables of new junk that is over priced. I want the old stuff where the guy went to his shed or barn and decided to drag it to the flea market.
We want to start doing storage garages...So part of my trip today was to look around and see what people were trying to sell and what prices. I want a store, like goodwill, with the old way of doing it and bring prices back into reality. Their prices are out of hand here and the place is always packed!! Some of the stuff is priced about as much as new. She picked up a small stuffed animal and they had it priced at $6!!! I know different area's are a lot cheaper. The store here is high.
A lot of the thrift stores are the same way here. Stuff priced too high and it's the same stuff sitting that was sitting 6 months ago. Move that crap out and bring fresh in every so often. People will stop coming if it's the same crap for months at a time.
I have to start small though...A shop or a store is waaaaayyyyy off right now. haha Not even close to that thought...Then to promote the crap out of it to bring people in. That's a whole other challenge!
Stuff found "in the wild" often comes at a much better price than a resale shop.
Yes there are rare exceptions , but today there are lots of would be pickers sniffing around.
I see them taking pictures of items ,then leaving the store to find them online...Then back in the store again to grab the item or find another one to look up.
Rather than folks specializing in known areas looking for specific brands or items to flip.
Besides , much known "good stuff" gets auctioned online anyways.
You mention a shop/ storefront type approach....
we had one that was well thought of and attended that retired.
They had a large storage barn offsite on there homes site that made it possible to buy estates and storage locker auctions ect...
Stuff was sorted cleaned ect. offsite then brought to the store /rental or mortgage payment each month).
Familyworked it but still , the overhead vs online only mattered.
What they did right (in our opinion) was to sell at a price point on most items in a manner that through volume kept a profit generated.
By rotating stock consistently that way , when you visited , even weekly there was new stuff.
Vs stopping in a month later and same ol same ol..
There is a summer flea market that draws well near me.
If I could drag my carcass out of bed early enough that would be the route for me.
(Though sitting and selling would take discipline instead of looking for a certain item I hunt that is getting harder to find at decent pricing.)
Know some one who does well selling trash day picked stuff from a community that would rather put stuff on the curb than dispose of by other means..
Gotta hustle but it demonstrates not having a storefront or bought inventory can still allow income.
Buy low sell reasonable =profit if storage and labor and other overhead don't outweigh the distribution network.
A small old building with a huge built in safe in a speck of a small town was debated about when offered for sale.
Without internet sales to compliment it , most any business there would be wobbly at best.
But guns or gold or coins or similar could get well secured in that vault during off hours.
Ahh well.
Still like the flea market idea....
Constantinus, a Constantinus, a Constantinus, a Constantinus, a Constantinus aaaaaaaand finally ...a Constantinus 
AND DON´T BREATH THE DUST!
