Rummage Bonanza Appleton WI Review

A few months ago I received an email about a new indoor Flea Market/Rummage Sale that was to start up in January.  I was excited with the thought.  Every once in a while I would get an updated email building up to the actual start of the sale.  My mom, uncle, aunt and I discussed selling there.  So the first weekend we went as buyers.  We arrived when it opened and we had a tough time finding a parking place.  We shopped and all the vendor spots were filled.  We talked and decided that we would give it a try.  The times were Friday 1-7, Saturday and Sunday 11-5.  $20 a day or $50 for the weekend OR $175 for 4 weekends per spot. If you get multiple spots they are discounted.  We decided on a full 3 day weekend, however we couldn't make it the following weekend but we could the last weekend of the month.  As we were leaving I looked around and it seemed to be lots of people but few with bags.  I voiced my thoughts on that and I also voiced my thoughts in the park lot when we left that now there was plenty of open parking.  Again with the excitement of selling there, we ignored the signs of something wrong.

So I called Jim the person running the show and I asked him if there was openings for the last weekend of January and he says OOOH Yeah..  Which sounded a bit funny.  Again another sign.  He said fill out the form and bring that and money on Thursday or Friday whenever we planned on setting up.  OK.

So last Sunday Jim calls me and tells me that the opening time has changed on Friday to the same time as Saturday and Sunday.   OK, good no problem.  But again another sign we ignored.  We decided we would set up on Thursday.  All was good.  Thursday night I put an ad on Craigslist with our items, when and where we would be open.  When I was on Craigslist I noticed other vendors ads.  I love that.  So I looked for the ad from Rummage Bonanza/Jim and it was way down on the list and it still had the wrong time on Friday.  So I went to the website and looked at the time for Friday and it was wrong there too.. As was the window of the building when we where there on Thursday.  OK how were the buyers going to know we were open?  Ignored another very bad sign again!   Friday morning we came with a few more things with huge hopes that we would have to refill tables all weekend.  So we sat down and waited and waited and waited for customers and to sell something, ANYTHING!  Friday was horrible.  Mom and I sold nothing not one thing and my aunt and uncle sold 2 things for a total of $11 dollars.  Wow we were bored and very stunned.  Still had hopes of a better day on Saturday.  I still wondered because so many of the " few buyers" that did come would walk straight by the tables and not look at anything.  Not just our stuff but most of the sellers tables to.  It was like they were going for a walk and not shopping.  "The Buyers" never even glanced at the items so there  was no way the price was turning them off.  Lowering the prices was not going to help.   I wondered about Saturday but still had high hopes.  However none of us brought more stuff on Saturday.  That was the smartest thing we did all weekend, we didn't have to drag more stuff home again.  Well Saturday started out better.  There was a few more buyers.  And I did sell something soon after arriving.  But still sales were few and far between.  Seriously people just walked by never really looking and so many buyers skipped sections and never even walked through the whole thing.  This place was an old gym so it was sorta big.  Notice how we know this because we had so much time to people watch..  Seriously that was all there was to do and it was like you looked at everyone.

Jim came around about 1 on Saturday looking for his money for the spots.  First thing he says is I hope today is better then yesterday..  Um like yeah but no where near made our money back for the spaces.  He says to me there is only so much he can do.  UMMMM  you didn't do everything I started telling him that he didn't update the ad on Craigslist, the times were wrong on Craigslist, the website and the building..  he cuts me off and says It's nice that you could come and walked away.  I wish I wouldn't have paid him.  He didn't say I'm sorry what can I do to have you come back.. Give us money back or a free day next week..  nothing.  My guess is after next weekend there won't be many sellers.  So many of the sellers paid for the month so they plan on staying..  For their final weekend.  I think it's silly because there are days they admit to selling nothing.  Some of these sellers are driving 2 hours to get there and 2 hours home again.  The gas and time is nowhere near getting paid for.  Cut your losses people.  The few customers that do buy are not going to come back to the same sellers every weekend with the same stock.. Which it is because nothing sells there and there is no room for anything new!

Our weekend total was $76.50..  Our 2 spots together were $85 for the weekend.  So we packed up a 3:00 because I counted 3 people in the build that weren't sellers.  Seriously!!!  We did not go back for Sunday.  We had plenty of time to talk to other sellers and there were sellers last Sunday that made nothing.  We couldn't afford our time to sit there for nothing again.  Hey the next day my ass hurt.. first thought yup I sat way to long but then again the pain might because I got scr**ed!