A Fresh Take on Vintage Shopping

What if the secret to a thriving antique mall lay in a quirky set of rules? Join us as we uncover the innovative practices of The Griffin, an antique mall that flips conventional retail wisdom on its head. From the amusing challenges of vendors trying to pass modern items as vintage, to the intriguing 80-20 rule that ensures most items are genuine antiques, the unique balance at The Griffin keeps the charm and authenticity alive while offering affordable modern finds. We'll even share why we've banned scented products, ensuring a migraine-free shopping experience that prioritizes customer comfort. Our approach isn't just about preserving the past; it's about creating an atmosphere where both nostalgia and modernity coexist seamlessly.

But that's not all—our high-tech operations allow vendors to dynamically adjust prices through a mobile app, enhancing transparency and accessibility for shoppers. Discover how our "everything for sale" policy transforms window shopping into an adventure where anything can be yours, and why we stand against mall-wide sales to protect vendor value. We'll highlight success stories like Pat's, whose furniture flies off the shelves, showcasing the effectiveness of our methods. With these fresh insights, The Griffin doesn't just offer a shopping experience; it crafts a community where innovation meets tradition, ensuring everyone leaves with a story and a smile.

Sponsored by The Griffin Antique Mall

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Transcript

Antique Mall Rules and Pet Peeves

Speaker 1 0:00

So here at the Griffin we have some unconventional rules . In the beginning it was kind of shocking to people , one of them being the 80-20 rule . Tell me about that , how that came about in your brain . So , as an antique shopper , basically our rules are based on a lot of my pet peeves . I love that . We'll just call this pet peeves yeah , pet peeves of antique shopping .

Speaker 1 0:22

What we wanted to create was an actual antique mall , and so , while we understand that it is helpful to have wholesale or handmade or replications inside of a booth because you can keep the cost down on those a lot and though typically your smalls is what's going to cover your booth rent as a vendor , we didn't want it to feel like a flea market . We didn't want it to feel like a craft market . We didn't want it to feel like a wholesale market from China . We wanted it to be an antique mall , and so the 80-20 rule is 80% of the items have to be antique , vintage or retro . Now , we're not super picky or nitpicky on the age of the item , but if you bring in a bunch of stuff from tj maxx that it's clearly from tj maxx . That's not going to fit in the 80 percent , even if it has an antique pattern . It is not an antique , an integer retro item , so it counts as a 20 percent and what that gives is our vendors do have some sway , where they get to design a booth that they can really be proud of , has enough inexpensive items that anybody could pick something up out of their booth and be able to afford it , but it keeps the mall looking high quality and clean and it keeps it in line with the aesthetics and it keeps it in line with the aesthetics .

Speaker 1 1:49

Um , I would love to hear what's the maybe the funniest remark that you got when you told somebody about the 80 , 20 funniest , oh man . Oh , I don't want to call anybody out , though . Um , they just basically redid furniture , but it was just like ikea furniture . Like what if it looks antique ? And they brought a piece in furniture . But it was just like ikea furniture and they're like what if it looks antique ? And they brought a piece in and it was not . It was absolutely not . I was like I am so sorry , we cannot take this , so she's like this is a hundred years old . I was like , damn , it has ikea . Like it was not , it was not , you know , and stuff like that , the things that they bring in and they'll scratch off like tj maxx stickers , like this is my grandma's . I'm like your grandma must have been cool in the 60s when she was shopping , because no such thing . So I think that's just overall . It's just funny when they try to bring stuff in that's non-antique or vintage or retro and they're trying to call it that and there's literally a handstand that says like home goods . Right , I'm like surprise , that's not it . Yeah , you know , but it's fine now .

Speaker 1 2:43

What do you think are in the beginning was our ? Do you think the vendors were mad ? No , I think that most of our vendors heard the 80 20 rule , loved it , but then forgot that they could use the 20 . Yes , because when we first opened , nobody had any wholesale items in their booths . Nobody had any like small stickers or little key chains or just like those small . What are they called impulse buys , where people don't have to think about it ? This is 25 cents , I'm gonna grab five . Um , and it's amazing because those items I mean we have a vendor here who his entire booth rent is paid by 25 cent stickers every single month and then he still makes profit on top of that , but like that's what helps him cross that finish line every single month . Yeah , and so we then had to kind of like hey guys , remember , you can have 20% . In fact , we encourage you to have some wholesale options . Yes , I sent out an email to our vendors and I gave them like a list of ideas and a lot of them followed it and they've been doing good with it . Yeah , because we have like napkins , colored matchsticks , stickers are huge , any kind of like small little brass figurine and all that stuff goes really well . And so , yeah , I think the funniest thing is we had to remind them that they could use this one . We're allowed . Yeah , we'll allow it . Yeah , so another big rule we have is nothing scented which I mean I own a candle company . In the beginning that was kind of hard for my heart , but I get it now . So tell me about why you made that rule and how people have responded to it .

Speaker 1 4:19

This is another just little personal pet peeve of mine , because my husband and I we get migraines when there's too strong of a scent or with a lot of like artificial scents , and so when we're out antique shopping , if there's a store that has like a bunch of the scentsy stuff which we're not dogging on any company , this is just a personal preference . We get migraines with these kinds of very obvious scented things . So any like the scentsy stuff or the car freshies or the open candles plug in , like the plug in the blade , plug in Febreze , anything like that we get migraines . And so , since we do work in the mall and we are here often , we did not want to have a migraine every time that we were here and so , honestly , it was literally just a

Unique Antique Mall Business Practices

Speaker 1 5:08

personal preference .

Speaker 1 5:08

And it's funny because I know you can tell us some of the customer feedback that we've gotten . They will walk in and say it smells so good in here . There's not a lot of scents . And I'm like , oh , we don't allow any scented things . And they're like , really , that's amazing , thank you . Because , like a lot of other places , they'll walk from booth to booth and they'll just be tons of scent and , like you said , it'll give them a migraine . So people have actually think dust not allowing scents .

Speaker 1 5:31

Well , and it's funny too , because when we were a vendor and when Ben had his vendor booth at another mall , in order to capture the whole experience that he wanted , we diffused or had wax burning and what that then created is , other vendors who also wanted to control the vibe or the feel , would then make their own scent thing , and so , as you're walking through the mall , you've got , you know , the beachfront and the forest smells , and it's just . They're all competing with each other and for me it's hard . I have a migraine and there's too much happening . Sensory life , it's just hard , and so we just removed it as an issue . Completely Great idea , such a great idea .

Speaker 1 6:15

So what are some other things that you've added in that has been unconventional but successful ? Here , I think I'm trying to see yeah , I mean another one that we get like a 50-50 response from our vendors on . I know what you're going to say Everything in the Griffin must be for sale , except for the people and the shop dog . Everything , um , including our decor in the bathrooms , it is for sale . Um , our fountain that has like a mascot head on it , it's for sale . Everything in the grippen is for sale , even the display stands , retail display stands . Everything in your booth has to be for sale , yep . And so we've had a lot of vendors who grow to appreciate it , but they don't like it at first , because we tell them hey , that china cabinet that you're displaying your pieces in needs a price tag . Hey , the Christmas tree that you're hanging your ornaments on needs a price tag . Why is that ? Why do you want everything for sale ?

Speaker 1 7:11

Because , as a shopper , one of my pet peeves again , here's another personal pet peeve . What do you call this episode ? Janine's pet peeve ? No , but I did . They're mine too . Mine works , yeah Is when I'm shopping in a booth and the one piece I want has not for sale or display only . It pisses me off . Every time . Keep walking and I yeah , I stopped , yeah , I stopped shopping the booth , and so we're not the only people who feel that way . And so , in order to protect our vendors and protect our mall , not for sale and display only is not allowed in the group . If you don't want it to be for sale , don't bring it here .

Speaker 1 7:38

Um , and it's funny because we even had , if you want to talk about pat , poor pat gosh one of our vendors . Every she has good or bad luck . However you want to look at it , she's got great furniture she has . Every single time she'll bring in a piece within days . It sells . So she's having to like I'm at this point , you should just become a furniture salesperson . Right , move all your china out of there , because every single time what she sold four pieces so far , yeah , every single time and literally one was two days apart . She got this beautiful hut , sold it , brought another one in two days later , sold it , and then she brought another one in and they almost sold , but they didn't . But , oh man , but she has good taste , like even now she has two pieces in there that are beautiful . So , and at the end of the day we always tell them if it's a piece you don't want to move quickly , price it accordingly , because then it will stay until somebody just absolutely wants that piece and unfortunately , or fortunately for pat , she'd price it what she wanted out of it and somebody agreed with the price . Now , what is great is , although she did have to come , bring in a new furniture piece and restock it , she did make exactly what she wanted to make out of the piece and so she was able to replace it more easily because she made enough profit on it . Oh , yes , she's made good profit on those pieces of furniture .

Speaker 1 8:47

So , but you know , I just it's what it is . Everyone seems to like it now , everyone seems fine with it . Yeah , and there's still some that we have to hey , this isn't tagged . Oh , it's not for sale . Yes , it is , it's in the building , it's for sale . It's not an employee . Yeah , yeah , the dog . So it has to be for sale . Yeah , so cool .

Speaker 1 9:14

And I love how you have stand with your convictions on all these rules , because there's been times where I'm just like I don't just let's , let's let it go , let's just do , let's just do it . You know , like the biggest one . You know what I'm gonna say right , so we don't do mall wide or booth wide sales , ever , never , ever , ever . There's so many times where I'm like let's just do it one weekend . And she's like , nope , but she's staying firm with it and I'm glad she has because it's really , it's a really good concept . So tell me why we're doing that . It creates a snake eating its own tail .

Speaker 1 9:40

So there's so many um , and we'll just talk small business in general , because it's true , just as that type of industry , not just specifically for antique malls , but small business is hard , and anybody who's ever even tried to own a small business can understand how hard it is to get people consistently to walk through the door who want to spend money with you when it's so freaking easy to shop on Amazon or have something delivered or those big box stores that have better pricing because they can buy more in bulk . And so what a lot of small businesses will do is they'll have a sale . So they'll say , hey , everything today is 30% off , and everybody comes and shops because now it's , oh , they've been incentivized , and then it goes back to normal price and it's crickets because they don't want to pay the full price . They just know that there's going to be another sale in four weeks or two months or three months , so they're just going to wait and they'll come shop then . And so what happens is you have this like feast or famine . That happens inside of the small business , and it just I mean it happens even with Hobby Lobby . Hobby Lobby , I don't buy it if it's not on sale , because I know in a week or two it's going to be on sale . I'll just wait . I don't need that today . I'll wait and buy that wrapping paper later . Or I'll wait and buy that tool or the fabric later because I know it's going to be on sale , and so we just didn't want to create that .

Speaker 1 11:06

And then why we don't do booth wide sales is there's a lot of times that that just creates an unhealthy competition inside of the mall between vendors , and that's because a lot of vendors some vendors can shop better because they have more experience or they have a better source for the stuff , and so they can mark their booth down by 50 percent , or they're marking themselves up so high they can do a 50% discount . And what happens then is those are the booths that get shopped and the other ones get skipped . And so we just wanted a fair , collaborative space and we want customers to come all the time because we're priced fair all the time . We truly are . Everyone always says that they thank us for that . Well , and you know , when you have malls that have regular sales , those vendors have to mark their stuff up during normal business time by the 30 or 40 percent that the mall is going to require them to take off during this holiday sale or during this seasonal reset sale , and so their items have to be marked up , whereas our vendors don't have to worry about that . We're never going to come to our vendors and say , hey , you are going to do 40 off this week because we are having a sale . Yeah , you know , and so it just makes it more . It's fairly priced all the time and our customers appreciate it .

Speaker 1 12:27

Plus , I personally don't like the paper look of a booth white stuff , yeah and it and it's just like a paper , like a printed paper , just on their booth . It just cheapens the way it looks in my mind . And our vendors work so , so hard on sourcing and curating and setting up but that paper just cheapens all their hard work . And , as a small business owner for my candles , I wouldn't even do that for my own self . I would never do like 50% off my candles , like no , I worked too hard for that . Well , as a consumer , in my mind , I'm like well , if you can afford to do 40% off , why isn't it just this price ? Yeah , you know , like why isn't it just ? That means that you're overpriced every other time that it's not on sale . Yeah , um and so .

Speaker 1 13:06

So what has been your compromise for no booth by by your Mama itself ? My mom used to say that I basically live on a mogul mountain . You know , moguls have a bunch of hills . Because I have so many hills I'm willing to die on . I'm just a lot from mogul . There's a lot , you know what . I'm so glad that you have done that because it's also trained me just in my life to just stand firm in your beliefs and your convictions , and you've done that , yeah .

Speaker 1 13:35

So what is the compromise on notified sales ? So we did do a Black Friday discount . We did not require our vendors to take any additional amount off us as a store . We gave a part of our profit so the customer could have that buffer . And then also we do have a loyalty program , and so our loyalty members sign up and they're part of our marketing , which we don't spam by any means . We send a few messages a month , and sometimes we don't even send one at all , but for allowing us to market to them , they get 10% off always , and so they don't have to wait for a sale . It's already fairly priced and then it's 10% off of that . And then the other thing that we really encourage is negotiating , which I know that Ben and I , or all three of us , are planning on going over how to negotiate antiques . But we encourage our customers to negotiate anything that they feel that they would like to negotiate on , and we always ask our vendors to counter , never just decline , and so that way it does have the collaborative effect . Now , for our vendors sake , they are not allowed to use their loyalty discount if they negotiate anything . So even if they have 27 other items that they negotiated with Becky Becky agrees to the price they don't get a discount on any of these other things . And so that's kind of the compromise that I have made .

Speaker 1 15:02

I mean , I feel like it's great , yeah , and first a little hard , but 10% isn't a whole whole lot , but everyone seems to be happy with it . We were able to market it to those people and they've come back in and they've loved it . Yeah , it's been working . When 30 percent of our purchases every day are repeat customers , and that's what we want . That we want because they'll bring their friends back and say , oh , you got to come to this mall , or hey , let's go shop . Oh great , I get 10 off the griffin , let's go there . And so what we see is an increase in foot traffic just by word of mouth , because we get that 10 off always .

Speaker 1 15:37

Yeah , yeah . What's something that you think is a funny pill I've died on , or what's a hill that you would die on ? Oh man , I mean the discounts I've , I've , uh , I'm on board with that the no mall sales and stuff like that . I've become more and more , even though sometimes I want to give in . It's just the easier thing to do when you're being pressured . But I think I'll die on that hill just because it is working for us and the vendors .

Speaker 1 16:07

I've had more vendors thank us that we don't do that than the other round , yeah , so , and the vendors that are thanking us are the ones that are more experienced , have been the business longer , and so they get it . Um , and then it's just my job to explain it better to the newer vendors . You know that's why we're doing it . Yeah , that's it . Yeah , yeah , um , and then the notes into stuff , because I'm the same way , even as a candle maker some of the scents just get me , and so I don't want to have a headache all day long . So it's been really nice . That is something . I've asked people to leave their candles or remove their candles out of their booths , and I'm pretty hardcore about keeping the lids on mine and then made it up a home of booths so people don't get headaches , because I realized that does happen . So those two are probably the most effective ones that I would .

Vendor Discounts and High Tech Operations

Speaker 1 16:54

The hill I would die on , yeah , and we do allow our vendors to mark stuff down , so if they've had an item and they've been for a while and they decide they want to mark down the item . They can cross through it with a red pen so people know they're getting a discount , and then they just adjust it on our mobile app and that way it reflects on the website automatically . Speaking of mobile app , I definitely not right this moment , but I definitely want to get into the high tech aspect of our mall and how . What programs we use and how we use it , how you pick those , because I feel like that is the success as well as of our mall , is how we are operating on the back end of what people don't see . So we'll have to definitely discuss that at some point . Yeah , okay , we'll see you next time , yeah .