Friday, February 7, 2014

Make Them Love It!

When you have a piece of furniture to sell, take the time to create a vision.  Be creative.  Show the possibilities.  The main point of a good vignette is to make the customer love (and consider buying) the feature item.



The vanity below is obviously from Miss Mustard Seed, who is a genius when it comes to display.  She made me love this piece, which I might not have without her vision.  I might have appreciated it.  I might have thought it would look good in someone else's house.  She took me beyond my imagination.






A vanity can be difficult to sell because a vanity is, by nature, not very versatile.  MMS didn't display this as a vanity.  She created a display that makes it clear it can be used in a number of rooms.  Her display leans more towards using it as a desk.  Still, a customer wouldn't rule it out as a vanity.

The lines of the vanity are feminine, but the paint and accessories don't read feminine.  Yet it's not too overpoweringly masculine either.

The style is an early 1900's look, but the way it is displayed, even someone with an industrial style would consider it.

Black can be a harsh color when painting.  But of course, MMS knows a thing or two about paint, so she did this one well.  She distressed, so it's not a dull looking solid black.  She also left the top wood.  The knobs are lighter and fun.

Finally, the accessories she used are fabulous!  The fan, typewriter and binoculars really create a great look. When MMS is showcasing furniture, she puts just enough on it to create a vision.  She doesn't over-do or hide the piece.

This piece is being shown from her home, but if you ever looked at the MMS booth at Lucketts, you'd know that this is probably very similar to how she would have shown this piece there.  She no longer has a booth there - her paint venture is taking up most of her time these days.

By the way, if you have an online following, it never hurts to show your pieces there for a week or two before you put  them in your booth, especially if you have plenty of furniture to sell. Don't feautre it looking all tacky in your garage with tools and junk all around.  Take a little time to create a display.  Let Miss Mustard Seed (and many others) be your inspiration.   You might make a sale from home and avoid commission - or -  you might generate interest so customers will want to go to the store to see it once it's in your booth.

Word of warning - do not try to sell items outside of the store when they are in your booth.  Parking lot deals are a big no-no.  In fact, doing that can get you tossed out of the store.