Hey there, vintage curators! It’s your favorite quirky curator here at the antique mall, ready to share some tips and tricks on how to keep your inventory organized. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Inventory, ugh. Who wants to deal with that?” But hear me out, my friends, because keeping an inventory of your items is crucial for any vintage curator or collector. Not only does it help you stay on top of your game, but it also saves you time and energy. So, let’s dive into why keeping an inventory of your vintage items is essential!
Why Keeping an Inventory is Important
As a curator, I’ve learned that keeping an inventory of my vintage items is essential for various reasons. For starters, it allows me to keep track of all types of data, like sales trends, profits, and losses. Using a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel or Google Forms, I can easily record the product name, product number, price, and product description.
This information helps me understand what’s trending, what sells, and what doesn’t. I can easily see which items are running low. Plus, it helps me to decide which products I should continue to curate or remove from my stock. Using this tool also helps me plan for upcoming sales and events.
Oh, and get this – I even use my trusty inventory spreadsheet to determine whether I need a string tag or a sticker label for each item when pricing the stock. Now, I know what you’re thinking – keeping track of label and sticker inventory might seem like a small detail, but it’s actually super important. That’s why I always note in my inventory spreadsheet whether I need to buy more labels and stickers.
By doing this, I can avoid running out of supplies and ensure that pricing my vintage items remains a top priority. Let’s face it, folks – pricing is one of the most important aspects of having a successful vintage booth. And by staying organized and on top of my supplies, I can ensure I’m always prepared to showcase my collection.
Organizing Your Inventory
An organized inventory is vital to staying on top of your vintage game. Create separate spreadsheets for expenses, sales, and inventory to get started. Doing this lets you track this data in one central location. If you’re lucky enough to work at an antique mall with a website that tracks sales daily, take advantage of it! You can use this information to update your spreadsheet and keep track of your profits, commission fees, and sales trends.
Cross-Referencing Sales and Inventory
One of the most significant benefits of keeping an inventory of your vintage items is the ability to cross-reference your sales with your inventory. Doing this lets you quickly identify which products are selling and which aren’t.
Please pay close attention to the inventory numbers because they can tell you a lot about your vintage items. For example, if your inventory numbers go from small to large, like your first product is 212, and your current one is 900, seeing a number like 300 means it’s an older product that has been sitting around for a while. So, keep an eye on those inventory numbers and ensure you’re not holding onto items just taking up valuable space in your collection.
Cross-referencing your sales and inventory lets you decide which products are selling well, need to be discounted, or removed from the booth.
Some Parting Thoughts
In conclusion, keeping an inventory of your vintage items is essential for any curator or collector. It allows you to keep track of all types of data, like sales trends, profits, and losses. Using a spreadsheet in Excel or Google Forms, you can easily record the product name, product number, price, and product description. You can cross-reference your sales with your inventory to decide which products to keep in your stock and which ones to remove. So, get organized, my vintage-loving friends, and keep track of your inventory today!
Do you have any shortcuts you can share with us? Leave us a comment. We’d love to hear from you.
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The Comments
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Sheri Laufle
Any way I can add a photo of the inventory item in my spreadsheet? Often the description doesn’t spur my memory (there is a huge discrepancy between what the store says sold vs what I say is sold).
Maribel Valls, MPH
Sheri LaufleI think that is a great idea Sheri to add a photo to the spreadsheet, especially since the items you are curating are probably so unique. As as shortcut, I take photos of the booth every week. Then I see what has moved and sold. Here is a link on how to add a photo to the Google Spreadsheet: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/9224754?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop.