HAM-CON FLEA MARKET
Instructions for Vendors

An On-Line Flea Market is possible and fun, but you will need to get used to a new way of shopping!

BEFORE THE SHOW - DON'T try to set all this up the night before - plan ahead!
  1. You will need a space to set up a table or two with your flea market items. This can be in your house, the basement, the garage, or the attic. Be sure to dress appropriately if in an unheated space.
  2. How much stuff, how many tables? That is the question! Consider selling only certain items. If you pile a lot of stuff on and under a table, buyers will not be able to see the stuff on the video. Carefully select items!
  3. Decide on how you want to get paid
    • Paypal and other methods like it are convenient and immediate, but not everyone does it
    • A credit card is a bad idea - others are listening
    • Payment by mail is slow and you may not want to hold the item for someone
  4. How will you get the item?
    • If you both live in the same area, arrangements can be made for either a pickup or a delivery
    • If further apart, vendor and buyer might meet "halfway"
    • Item could be shipped. That means that you have to know the cost of shipping for the item and be willing to negotiate that with the price
  5. You will need a camera for every table you have. You could mount one camera and keep switching between two tables. I guarantee that you will tire of this chore very quickly.
  6. You will need excellent lighting! If you are in a dark dingy place, folks won't see your stuff. You want both a strong light above the table and a strong light pointed at the table, ideally from behind the camera.
  7. You really should have a separate camera! If you try to do this with a laptop and a built-in camera, you will have a lot of fun trying to get it to work out. Unfortunately, the fun may turn to frustration.
  8. Determine where your camera, side light and computer will be, with respect to your selling table. Likely the best scenaro is setting up a small table in front of your selling table and putting your camera on that table. Ideally, the camera should be a eye level (5' off the floor) and far enough back to be able to take in the entire table. It is easy to leave your computer on the camera table, but it might be easier to locate it on your selling table so you can see the buyers.
  9. When negotiating with a buyer, they need to see you! Set up your camera so that this can be done.
  10. Safety first - make sure you don't trip on the camera cord or have the camera fall down and knock you in the head!
  11. Go into your personal meeting space (you were assigned that when you got a Zoom account) and send the video to the meeting.
  12. Go up on another computer (if you have one) and look at the picture. Can you see the items or is it a big blur? Invite others to come into your personal meeting and elicit comments.

AT THE SHOW - Be sure to adhere to the hours you post on the Flea Market Portal and Information Page.
  1. Have your stuff ready to go at at your planned starting time
  2. Enter the Flea Market. You will land on the Main Flea Market Zoom Page.
  3. Set your Screen Name. Either use the name of your business or your call sign. Right click on your video, look for 3 dots ..., click on Rename.
  4. Move your cursor to the bottom of the screen and look for 3 dots ... at the lower right. Clicking there will bring up the Breakout Rooms option.
  5. Choose the room you have been assigned and click on it.
  6. You should see your video in your breakout room. You will likely see others there as well.
  7. Wait! Shoppers will show up eventually.
  8. When shoppers show up, be prepared to answer questions and also be prepaged to hold an item up to the camera.
  9. Be prepared to discuss pricing and pickup. Remember that everyone in the room can hear you, so don't say anything which you don't want everyone to hear!
  10. The shopper could us Zoom Chat (at bottom of screen) directed your vendor name. This is a private chat. It is up to you if you want to be texting in a chat room when a lot of buyers are around.
  11. If you and the buyer agree on a price, decide amongst yourselves the method of payment and pickup or shipping.

Sales at HAM-CON are based on an agreement between the vendor (seller) and shopper (buyer). HAM-CON and The Radio Amateurs of Northern Vermont are not liable nor responsible for any sales or subsequent activity iniated though this event.





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HAM-CON

FEBRUARY 27, 2021

Last updated: January 2, 2021