Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Vendor Market Must Haves
29
items Are you just getting into doing Vendor Markets? Well here are some of my finds that have been critical for me being successful.
Sections
3
Main Setup
Shop setup
Storage
Main Setup
This is gonna be your main setup items you will need for most Markets.
This makes for a GREAT starter canopy, its lasted me a year, its easy to setup with just one person. I have been told I will eventually need to upgrade, but for $79 to get you started, this works!
Ozark Trail 10' x 10' Simple Push® Straight Leg Instant Canopy (100 Sq. ft.) - Walmart.com
Get at least 3 of these, you never know when you need to protect your stuff from wind and rain. Be ready to make alterations though. These did not take into account that they need someway to hold the wall in the middle. I put a hole half way down at ...
Ozark Trail Sun Wall for Instant Pop-up Outdoor Canopy - (10' x 10' Straight-Leg Canopy), White - Walmart.com
Square is by far the easiest way I have found to take payments, I love my bluetooth reader that does Tap or chip. So many people use tap to pay nowadays.
Also make sure you offer other means of payments though. But Square at least has no monthly fees. So if you have a slow month, there is no bill to cover with them.
Also make sure you offer other means of payments though. But Square at least has no monthly fees. So if you have a slow month, there is no bill to cover with them.
Sign up for Square - Process $1000 in sales for free or $20 off hardware.
This is my favorite way to take payments.
NFC Reader | Square Contactless & Chip Card Reader
The Lifetime brand tables keep up with your needs. They are strong and handle many uses great. Easy to open and close and get on your way. This is the 6 foot version, I will also have the 4 foot version cause you very much will need a combo of sizes ...
Lifetime 6 ft. Fold-in-Half Table: Almond 80454
These are jsut as sturdy and great as the 6 ft ones, however they fold up differently and have a lock to keep them from fully folding up when it use. They can however try a bit even when locked. So be mindful if it trying to caterpiller away during s...
Lifetime 48 in. L Rectangle Almond Resin Adjustable Fold-In-Half Table with Bronze Frame. 81165
It might be tempting to get the cheaper wagon at Walmart, but believe me, splurge a little here. Get the wagon that can tote your tent!! Those tents are heavy and your elbow will hate you after every show from dragging it by its wheels. Get the wagon...
Hikenture 400L Double Decker Beach Wagon
When you are ready to upgrade your tent. ABCCanopy is the brand to go with. They are known for being strong sturdy canopys that hold up to the elements.
You have to remember, vendor events are held, rain or shine. And you are responsible for keeping your inventory protected.
You have to remember, vendor events are held, rain or shine. And you are responsible for keeping your inventory protected.
ABCCANOPY 10x10 Commercial Pop Up Canopy
You also always need weights when you have your canopy setup outside. Most Markets have a requirement of at least 20 lbs per leg, some ask for more. But honestly the more the better, depending on the winds your area is known to have. Its scary when y...
Inntop 200 lbs Canopy Tent Weights Set of 4
Since I am all about saving you money where I can. Having a dedicated tablet for checking out is great for you and customers, if you can swing a cellular one, even better. But buying refurbished from Apple is the cheapest way to get yourself a iPad f...
Refurbished iPad Wi-Fi 256GB - Space Gray (9th Generation)
Shop setup
Much of the tent frame is usable magnetic surfaces, and these hooks come in handy for hanging light inventory items. I've even seen other vendors use them to hang bags on them they are selling. So they hold up fairly well.
DIYMAG 30lbs Magnetic Hooks, Pack of 20
Here is the first spot to start figuring out your branding colors. The Table covers. The 6 ft tables will take these covers great. The 4 ft tables take them, but save yourself the headache and do not put the cover under the feet on the 4 ft tables. T...
Utopia Kitchen 6FT Spandex Tablecloth 2PK
Great displays for cards, buttons, bookmarks. Any short carded items. These work great for displaying them.
Modern Acrylic Display Stand Easel, Transparent Plastic Organizer Rack for Collectibles, Multi-Tier Holder for Figurine, Badge and Souvenir Display - Durable and Elegant Presentation Shelf
If you sell keychains or other hanging trinkets, these are great for displaying those.
3-Layer Rotatable Jewelry Display Rack, Jewelry Rack, Toy Sock Necklace Hanging Rack, Multifunctional Storage Artifact
These are so versatile for building walls that you can hang inventory on, but yet fits neatly into a milk crate for carrying to and from shows. I would recommend zip ties for your up and down connections to help with weight. Or the metal connections ...
C&AHOME 9-Cube Wire Storage Organizer Black
These are great to help stabilize the grids, however, as you can see from the price, you can see why I went the route of zipties instead. But these came highly recommended from other vendors.
Tcevily 36 Pcs Gridwall Joining Clips Black
These work great for hanging the grid from the tent as well as hanging items on the grid.
KALIONE 20 Pcs J Shaped Hook Stainless Steel
These are great for doubling as displays and storage. Look for deals to save when you can.
18" Wood Crate by Make Market
For a much more sturdy crate, these are nice, but you have to assemble them and it was a tad of struggle. But they are for sure sturdy.
KNAGGLIG Box - pine 18x12 ¼x9 ¾ "
If you need more tiers to display small hanging items, this is a larger version of the table top one.
etail Display Stand, Rotating Display Rack for Keychains Jewelry Vendor Events & Stores, 7 Tier Movable and Adjustable 1pc - Black
This for sure would make for a nice touch for a setup. Maybe not a beginner setup but for sure an addition down the road.
Versatile 4-Panel Folding Gridwall Room Divider with Decorative Wooden Frame - Freestanding Organizer on Base Feet, Ideal for Craft Shows, Events & Retail Display in Garages or Any Room
Do you sell apparel? Then this makes for a quick hanger to setup yet something small to take along.
13-28 Inch Telescopic Foldable Metal Hangers - Durable Stainless Steel, Portable for Home, Laundry, Camping & Travel, Camping Gear | Modern Hanger Design | Durable Metal Hanger
If vehicle space isn't an issue, and you wanna skip the building and breakdown of the grids, this is a great option to go with.
VEVOR 2' x 5.6' Grid Wall Panels Tower, 2 Packs Wire Grid Panels with T-Base Floorstanding, Double Side Gridwall Panels for Art Craft Shows, Retail Display with Extra Clips and Hooks
This shelf is very versatile for setups and displaying items. I picked up one at Aldi last year, so it might be worth watching for those.
RoyalHouse Bamboo 3-Tier Foldable Shelf
If you need lots of shelf space for your items, an origami style shelf unit that folds flat is the perfect answer.
5-Tier Heavy Duty Folding Metal Storage Rack with Wheels, Black Iron Rolling Shelving Unit for Kitchen, Garage, and Closet - Perfect for Tools, Appliances, and Food Organization, Mobile Storage Unit | Sleek Metal Rack | Painted Finish, Kitchen Storage Rack
Absolute need for holding price signs. Keeps them from blowing away in the wind and avoids the need for tape. You can be very creative in where these clip to hold your signs.
Mlici 20 Pcs Double Sided Sign Clips, Clear
Bags for customer purchases are always a nice touch, they don't always take a bag, but its nice to offer.
SHOPPIBAG Thank You Bags 12x15 - 100 Count
Storage
These work great for storing my inventory, are affordable and have held up to show after show.
Sterilite Large Storage Bin, 66 Quart Clear Plastic Storage Container with Latch Lid, Blue - Walmart.com
The perfect storage for the grid squares. They can lay down flat in this and you just pull from the top.
Juggernaut Storage 16QT Heavy-Duty Plastic Square Milk Crate Black