My wife is going to open a homemade crafts & gift shop in Kaohsiung next month, but is a bit worried about how much money it will generate. I’ve suggested using half the space for a second-hand shop, but she’s expressed doubts about whether or not Taiwanese people would actually consign their goods to only get 60% of the selling price. ( Most shops in North America only give 40-50% )
She seems pretty convinced that most people would just sell things themselves on e-bay for 100% of the money and don’t mind the hassle of it if they can make a few extra NT. I’ve never actually seen a full-on thrift shop in Taiwan so maybe she’s right. Thoughts?
I haven’t been to the one Chris mentioned, but my colleague is trying to find a way to sell his crafts through consignment. He said there are shops around that do this. You rent a little display case from a shop, and the shop takes something like 10% of the selling price when they make a sale.
Sorry, I don’t have any more details than that, but if you go to popular night markets, you should be able to find something like this. I don’t know where you could go in Kaohsiung to find out the going rates, though.
There is a rather nice one almost across the street from my home.
They have been in operation for almost 3 yrs and seem to do well.
This is a university-type area so that might be a factor to consider.
A little more digging has turned up the existence of a second hand chain in Taiwan called BBbobo with a rather unattractive bug as its logo; presumably a flea as in flea market I’m guessing.
There are 2 shops in Kaohsiung and over 14 of them spread throughout Taiwan. Had a look-see the other day and found the place packed with people rummaging through bins of used shoes - all of which looked none too appealing. The cash register was busy though, so I think we’ll do just fine with our shop.
Their consignment policy was almost exactly the same as the one I had drawn up, which was a little bizarre, but also encouraging:
Store keeps 50% for items sold for under $100
40% for items sold for between $100 and $1000
and 30% for items sold for over $1000
Depends on the market probably as much as the products: choosing an area with lots of younger people, esp. women, girls and teens who are attracted by the variety of products, as much as the price… And you’ll be fine. The local store (called GegeBlue)… has been here for quite a few months, so I’ve had a chance to observe the customer base. Typically prices aren’t that high so high value items might not sell well.
For those looking for a place to consign their crafts or display/sell just about anything, there’s a chain of shops called Check Fun. There’s a website but I can’t find the flier.
I’ve seen one in Tianmu, one by Breeze, and a couple by Taipei Main Station where all the cram schools are located. Some seem better organized than others (the Nanyang St store always looks kind of dingy to me) but they’re very affordable. You rent a shelf and can display whatever you want to sell in it. The best ‘locations’ are more expensive. I think each space averages about 2000/month and the monthly fee is cheaper if you pay for 3 or 6 months at a time. For more expensive items that you wouldn’t want to walk away, you can pay a little more to have glass doors installed with a lock. The clerk opens the case on request by the customer. You can come and arrange your display and add stock whenever you want.
scomargo, what is your friend’s craft? Has he checked out the weekend craft market in Tianmu?
Thanks braxtonhicks! I just sent him the lovetianmu.blogspot.com link so he can check it out. He hadn’t heard of it before, and neither had I. I know he makes all sorts of different crafts made out of clay or decorated with clay, but he has a lot of different interests. My friend said he’ll go check out the Tianmu market some weekend after he reads that website. I appreciate you letting me know.
Also, thank you KenTaiwan98 for the link to the other thread.