What about a roll out awning on the side of the vehicle for cover. Large cardboard boxes with covers for stands. they fold flat and are strong as long as they are dry
cheers
blaze

Welcome.  Yes thats what Howard and I do just about every weekend, markets, opp shops, garage sales, you name it  its a great lifestyle choice.

Oztrail canopy.  The only one to get if you are short and on your own. Check oztrail website.  You will need some snazzy cabinets to catch the eye for your jewellery,  Black velvet is good pressed and stapled on some MDF  there are lots of sites out there, that can walk you through presentation.   Suggest a lucky dip for boys and girls, again make sure box is eyecatching.    Do some trial runs before you take off.  I am not sure where you are,

I to like retro stuff, and old antiques,  but I fall in love with them myself, so my shipping container is looking decidedly full.   I usually buy and sell on gumtree, and markets, havent got into ebay.  Some objects I will never sell, like my 1920 Melbourne Tram door, French oak barrel, Old sea chest , shelley china, and vintage clothing.     I could talk about vintage retail for hours.   But sadly retail is tight in this area, unless you sell in victoria, and perhaps NSW,  so  we are looking at different products, mainly to do with dogs.

We have 4 dogs, (see travelling with pets) .

You can pm if you like.

 

Lynette.

We have travelled and have stalls at the markets.

It can be very hit and miss. Not a good source for regular income.

It depends on where you travel. The more outback, the less markets.

Our experience was just as the share markets were crashing, but in the main many people enjoy just looking. We have found that people are being more careful with their money these days. By the time you pay out for insurance which you need for most markets and then the site fees, costs can add up.

Places like Alice Springs that have the market in the Mall, allow you to drive in to set up and pack up once. After that you have to apply for a permit from the council to enter the Mall with a vehicle. This is another cost on top of the site fee.


This being said we enjoyed having the stalls because it really helped us get the feel of the town and the people.

We found that after checking with the Park managers many are happy for you to set up a trading table outside your rig.

I know I sound pretty negative. I am simply saying think it through. By the time you cart all the extras necessary for the market stall, you also have increased fuel. We will probably not cart all the gear again next time.

It's definately easier close to home. Have a stall at the grandchildren's school fair tomorrow so had better get to bed. :)

My daughter displays alot of her cards in small baskets divided into topics with a few pinned on canite display boards.

Interesting feedback Robyn and Ralph. I've been having second thoughts about the idea overnight. I know what you mean about markets where people are looking but not buying. I've done quite a few of them myself. It's very disheartening. This is probably not a good time for me to invest a lot of time and money into setting up a new retail venture. After all this lifestyle change is about de-stressing not adding more stress.   I was in Europe earlier this year and the financial crisis is really biting over there.  I know we are in a different situation over here but it made me think about how volatile the whole economic situation is. 

The logistics of doing it while travelling are more complex than I thought. I've never come across the idea of getting a council permit or having to take out insurance before. The markets in this area don't require that. Robyn's idea of doing markets close to home is a good one. I like the idea for displaying cards - I'll figure out a similar set up.

Thanks for all your feedback. It's really helping me get clear about what kind of lifestyle I want to have when I take to the open road next year.