Filipinos love to browse stalls of discounted useful items during the Christmas season. One option that is less explored by the common filipino, however, is to be the seller of the merchandize instead of the buyer. Well, in tiangges, one can be both. Setting up a small stall is no laughing matter, but the effort is worth it at the end. From professional tiangge sellers to new entrepreneurs who want to glean a bit of experience in actually selling their homemade products, tiangges are the best way to showcase the spirit of craftmanship.

I’ve joined one such tiangge in the past, and I found that the rates are very reasonable. The tiangge durations are 2-5 days to a week, and the usual rate is 500-1000 php or less per day. Not bad for someone who has a hot item to sell. The following are some tips that I came up with while reminiscing my first tiangge experience:

What to sell?

• Food is always a big eye catcher in tiangges. Picka-picka meals that one can eat while standing or walking through the bazaar. The best food to market are the ones that people eat daily as meryenda… but packaged in a better way to satisfy the need for aesthetic pleasure. Some examples of these are streetfoods like fishball and calamares placed in small chinese take out boxes, complete with chopsticks. Cute and fun to eat.

• Accessories. Forget cellphone accessories as there are a lot of these already. I’m talking about really elegant, handcrafted beads or crystals. Friendship bracelets (and anklets!) never go out of season, and people will tend to buy in bulk for giving to their friends at Christmas.

• Clothes. You have good taste? Shop for your buyers! Go to the divisoria stalls and get the nicest clothing you can find at the lowest price, and resell them. Baby clothes are the best for this purpose as those little tots grow up so fast. Make the best items available in small, medium and large sizes. Also, keep in mind the younger girls and yuppie fashionistas who frequent tiangges for trendy clothing…. so update yourself with the latest trends.

• homemade scented candles, giveaways and “just-very-cute” things. Believe me, 90% of the tiangge visitors don’t know what to buy their bosses, employees, colleagues and acquaintances. Repack your items in boxes to attract the busy bees who don’t have time to gift wrap.

• Gift wrapping service. This can serve as a ’side’ business in your stall, but make sure that you place this description appropriately in the tiangge application form.

• Events and Services. Bazaar stalls are also the best places to market your business. However, you cannot just use the space to advertise, you have to have something to sell also. For example, if your business is in the field of corporate give-aways preparations, perhaps you can sell small figurines and paperholders that could also serve as samples of the items you are promoting (without your logo, of course).

• Rare books/collectibles and movie premier tickets. I saw a teenage couple in one bazaar re-selling their best ebay and flee market finds, comprising rare books and collectibles. Hobbyists flocked their shops and they even conducted auctions for their rarest items.

• Digital printing services and personalized anything. Bring your computer and printer to the bazaar and start printing out other people’s photos. Or your portable sewing machine, and create embroidered towels or hankies for sentimental folks.

Pricing, returns and useful money-making tips

• Common sense dictates that your prices must be lower than those at the mall. In computing, keep in mind the stall rental and the employees you have to pay, as well as your target income for the day.

• Take note of the most active time of the day and arrange your eating, resting, smoking or ladies’-room-going schedule around that time. When people flood tiangges, you have to be there smiling and ready to serve.

• Be readyfor ‘tawads’. Pinoys frequent tiangges because they know that they have the option to hustle and ask for the last price for the items they want. The trick to this is knowing the value of your merchandize and relying on gut feelings (”oh, she wants it, I can see it in her eyes!”). Your first price must include the maximum return you want for that item, and your last price must include the minimum return.

• Don’t be annoyed when people ask for the prices of items in your stall but don’t buy anything. The more intelligent shoppers allocate one day only to buy the stuff they need and that’s the only time they bring money. Most of the time they’re just “passing by” a tiangge, they’re doing their canvassing for the best value items they can find. Be shrewd enough to remind them that your items are selling fast, that some of these are almost sold out, and that the bazaar is only for a few days.

• Prepare your calling cards because many shoppers will want to avail of your services even when the bazaar is over. You never know how an opportunity could open for you through that first meeting with a valuable business contact.

• Don’t have too much “money lust”. Exude an air of fun and enjoyment when joining tiangges. Remember that you are also taking part in a Filipino tradition that’s on during Christmas, the season of giving.

Location

• One last but important thing to consider: location. Is the price for the stall too much for a location that is not so frequented by people? If the tiangge is at a mall, the stall might be pricey but the quality of bazaar goers are also good. If the location is a hotel, tourists will be your primary market.

• Be sure to be the first to sign up for a stall to get the best demographic area for maximum sales. Near the entrance is a good place.

Here’s a link to a list of tiangge events and the contact numbers of the event planners. I found this at viloria.com. Some of the bazaars listed present the rates for stalls and preferred products, but some others need direct communication with the planners to book your slot. Slots are limited and going like hot cakes, so hurry!!!