As vintage dealers trading online through our website and Etsy shop, we benefit from wide exposure and access to a global marketplace. However, there’s nothing quite like meeting people, which is why we love to sell at local markets. Selling face-to-face is so interesting and has many benefits for us and our customers. We can chat about our products and our business and most importantly, we get to hear our customers’ stories; to learn about their interests, their homes and their love of vintage. This personal interface is so engaging and gives a very important dimension to our business.
(top) Vintage by Lottie May, Two Grey Birds, wu_wu_wears. Ours is the inferior gazebo with suspiciously home-made sign. Just wait till we get our banner...(bottom) Carmel and Lottie - vintage market bff
We’ve been trading at markets for about four years. Despite the physical effort, the 5am starts and the occasional surprise that the weather throws at us, we leave every market tired but fulfilled. Financially, these markets are a mixed bag but the satisfaction really comes from sharing our passion with our customers and our other dealer friends. A market is a place like no other. Markets are an ancient tradition existing in countries around the world and they are still a favoured way of doing business. It’s all to do with the noise, the hustle and bustle, the art of the deal, the joy of community and the pure, raw spirit of entrepreneurship. For us, it’s also about celebrating our brand. For Two Grey Birds, selling is about teaching people the value of sustainability; allowing vintage and antique pieces to continue their lives as part of a new story. This is what gives us so much joy in selling and passing on treasured pieces.
Our regular monthly market destination is the Frome Independent. The pretty Somerset town of Frome is fairly local to us and we feel privileged to be a part of their business community. An important benefit of markets and a reason to keep them alive, is that they have a role in local economies. They breathe life and vitality, regenerate high streets and support existing businesses. Through our trade, we’ve made many friends at the Frome Independent, both customers and dealers and we always look forward to reconnecting. The market is a great place to find a wide range of vintage and antiques, both in home décor and fashion. It’s a great draw for local Frome residents as well as visitors and the venue is always buzzing.
Some of our lovely customers at the Frome Independent
A taste of our taste!
All the fun of the fair
Vintage dealers often describe themselves as custodians; we also like to think of ourselves as story-tellers. The endlessly fascinating thing about handling antiques is the way that their stories resonate. Everything that passes through our hands carries with it an imprint of its past. When a customer walks away with one of our vintage pieces, we are happy to know that its story will continue.
We’re still learning and growing but that’s all part of the fun. You never know what stories you might find.