I was so excited to get back to Gonzales, TX for my third Barn Sale after not being there last year; turns out this was my best show yet, and I had such a great time with all my immediate family from Illinois here to help. I didn't get a picture of my sister (she was working hard the entire time!), but here is a picture of my parents and little boy:
My parents drove down from Illinois to help!
His mischievious personality is already showing! Here he is modeling Barn Chic Boutique's Milkbarn baby line - cardi, leggings, one piece, and even a burp cloth turned lovey.
This sale is in a small town, but it boosts major crowds and the nicest shoppers. Show hostess extraordinaire Suzanne of Rusted Gingham pulls out all the stops and really makes the sale an event complete with live music, inspiring fall decor, professional photography, wonderful vendors, delicious food (the chili and puppy chow were amazing!), and shoppers from all over. The best part about selling baby clothing is getting to see all the adorable babies that come through my space with their mamas!
The weather was warm and sunny on Day 1, but a storm came through Friday evening and it brought much cooler weather, rain, and strong winds. I was so worried Saturday morning when I woke up and heard the pouring rain, as I had displayed lots of the baby clothing up against the outer wall of the barn; the top half has chicken wire and a tarp to keep the elements out, and I panicked thinking that all of my screens with clothing blew over and were ruined by the rain and mud! I was so relieved to arrive and see that nothing was out of place - whew! I got lucky and definitely learned my lesson to think ahead.
My best selling baby line is Milkbarn organics, and they have the most adorable prints. The cotton is super soft, durable, and washes well. I love that they have expanded their line to include leggings, cardigans, and hooded rompers. This is in addition to their hats, footies, one piece bodysuits, bibs, kerchief bibs, burp clothes (which make the best little lovies), swaddles, stroller blankets, and 'big lovey' three layer bamboo blankets.
I was so excited to receive my first shipment of a local, handmade, and organic line, Mount Zi, just in time for the Barn Sale. The trademark item of this line is the harem pant with knee patches - they are *so* precious! These were a customer favorite at the Barn Sale.
These are so perfect for Christmas! I have just a few pairs of the fir tree harem pant left!
Another new baby product in the boutique are waterproof bags by Logan and Lenora; they are designed as wet bags for all things baby, but are great to take to the gym or the beach too. The waterproof zippered 'petit pouch' is perfect for a reusable snack bag or for concealing pump parts in the office refrigerator :) There is even a waterproof clutch and I had one customer buy every clutch in the arrow pattern! The large day tripper tote is a best seller for this brand.
I was curious to see what would do better - baby or ladies. Turns out that I sold exactly the same number of ladies' clothing and accessories as I did babies! My best selling ladies' line is by far Grace and Lace - their fall and winter styles are so on point with blanket wraps, scarves, two fit cardis, ponchos, lace extenders, boot cuffs, and hats.
I took a 6 x 12 U-Haul to this show and it was filled with farmhouse furniture and decor; I still have some antiques left but my stash is dwindling and I am mainly selling display pieces now. I was excited to sell a few heavy and awkward pieces like the massive plow disc pictured below - I had two and a girl bought both. I asked her what she was planning to do with them and she told me that she and her boyfriend were going to make some sort of BBQ smoker with them. Awesome! Glad to see them repurposed and useful!
The antiques add a lot to the Barn Chic look, but they just don't sell like the clothing...yet they require lots of storage space, a U-Haul for shows, and extra hands to help load and unload. So, Barn Chic went mainly boutique for Vintage in Verdi as it was my first "one-woman" show! Check back to see how it went!
A big thanks to Suzanne and her Barn Sale crew for a great event, to the shoppers for being so wonderful and pleasant, and for my family for working so hard to support me with this endeavor. It was a great weekend!
Have a chic week,
~Sarah
