Where have I been?  What have I been doing?  I’ve been everywhere, so it seems, trying to find a way to make extra income.  What have I come up with?  Boulder holders and Bathers, with a few other bits as well.

Over the last several months I have been very conscious of opportunity placed along the path of my middlescence journey.  Opportunity that perhaps in the past I would never have seen or just rejected.  There has been one particular opportunity that has re-appeared a few times.  I’ve considered it more than once, but each time decided not to go further.  It has come up again, so this time I’ve decided to give it my best shot.

I’ve been able to get hold of women’s clothing that I thought I’d sell at the markets, and this time I’ve made a commitment to the supplier.   When I went in to pick out my product, I became aware that not all sizes were available in the bras.  I was hoping for boulder holders! However there was nothing bigger than a 14D I’m afraid.  But the bathers go up to a 20 in some styles, so I was still happy.

Size 16, was $54.95, now $25

Bra $15, skirt $10

size 12, was $84.95, now $30

I investigated some midweek markets so that I wouldn’t have to take time off my regular job while I learned the pros and cons of market retail.   The market I chose for the first attempt was Preston’s Trash and Treasure Bazaar.   It didn’t demand any insurance cover,  and was inexpensive to hire a stall for the day.

What an eye opener it was!  This was a market  with more trash than treasure, on the outskirts of Sydney.  The shoppers were bargain hunters.  While visiting this market, doing my research, I noticed a lot of 2nd hand stuff, and noticed  a lack of new goods.

size 12 John Cavill, was $265 now $20

John Cavill top and skirt size 14 was $465, now $45 or $25 each

I thought with a hefty original price still on some of the items, the fact that they are new, and really are a bargain, that things could possibly go quite well.

On the other hand  the price I was charging could be all that was noticed and my stall would be a complete failure.

Well…..it was a complete failure.  In fact I’m about $30 in the red.   I sold two items.    People haggled other stall holders over items priced at $3.  One stall holder was selling stuff at 2 for a dollar.  This particular day a woman selling was new bras for $5 each or 3 for $10.

But!  I learned a lot.  This market is an amazing community of stall holders trying to make a quid.  The stall holder beside me, an older woman, was trying to make enough money to cover the cost of replacing a missing tooth.  I have a feeling they all had stories to tell.

The best thing to come out of my adventure was an interaction with a young boy.   He and his mother, stopped and looked at my goods.  His mother had bought him an aeroplane that he was toying with.  “New toy,” I asked.  He nodded, looking up at me through dark eyes, much to big for his little face, framed with  black curls shining in the sun.  With a look of embarrassment, he softly and shyly said, “Its a baby toy.”  It was a baby toy.  Probably 20 cents worth of second hand baby toy.   “Does it matter, you can still have a bit of fun with it.”  “It’s still a baby toy,” he insisted.  As mum went to walk away with her son, I said to her, looking at her son.  “You have an incredibly gorgeous son.”  The little boy walked backwards, mum tugging on his arm, looking at me.  Shyness vanishing in a beaming smile that made my heart miss a beat.   Best part of the market!  That little face will stay with me for ever.

A stall holder said to me, that you have to give the market more than one go.  People eventually know you are there and they will buy.  It’s a bit like cigarettes going up in price.  Smokers say they’ll stop, but they end up paying the price.  They need their smokes.  The woman was probably right.

After all, us girls need our boulder holders.