Frequently Asked Questions
When you rent with America’s Antique Mall, you’re more than a vendor—you’re one of us! Turn your love of vintage into a business and send in an application ASAP. Find the most frequently asked questions about becoming a vendor answered below before you get started.
The Basic Questions
First things first—let’s start with learning the basics of what it takes to become an America’s Antique Mall vendor.
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America’s Antique Mall has a simple goal: to connect vendors, collectors, and artisans with customers seeking a unique shopping experience, high-quality goods, and exceptional customer service. A vendor can rent a portion of the store, either a booth or glass showcase, and make it their own. The vendor is then given a vendor ID number through Consignor Access that will be put on tags along with the cost and brief item description.
Customers are able to shop hundreds of curated collections all under one roof. When they find an item they want to purchase, they take it to the front register, where our staff will check them out. We do not have a vendor work requirement, so vendors are encouraged to log in to our POS system to see their daily sales and use the online inventory system to see when their booth needs a restock.
At the end of the month, America’s Antique Mall cuts a check to the vendor for their total sales, minus the next month’s rent and applicable fees. You can decorate for holidays, reorganize and update your wares, and change the look of your space whenever you want—and let our team handle all the customer service.
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We are always aiming to fill the store with a wide variety of high-quality vendors from all walks of life. We are mostly searching for those who specialize in antiques, furniture, home décor, jewelry, upcycles, collectibles, handmade items, mid-century modern collectors, vintage styles, and, in general, beautifully unique items.
America’s Antique Mall is a great choice for vendors of all experience levels, whether you’re an experienced seller who would like to expand your business or a first-time dealer looking for a new adventure. We also have creatives who typically sell online and want a chance to get their merchandise in front of local shoppers and boutique owners looking for a secondary location. We will be selective when choosing vendors for our antique malls as we value creating a unique shopping experience.
Pro tip: If you have a Facebook page, Instagram account, or photos of your items, please share these when you apply to give us a better idea of what your stock would look like in our mall.
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Rent prices vary based on location. For booth rentals, we charge rent by the square foot of the booth.
In Highland, IN booth rates are $3.00 per square foot and our locked cases start at $110.
In Algonquin, IL booth rates are $3.25 per square foot and our locked cases start at $110.
A 12% commission fee on total sales is collected to help cover the costs of the sale, wrapping, and other POS fees.
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All of our leases are on a month-to-month basis.
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Our marketing is just one of the many things that sets us apart from other vendor malls! We have a large advertising and marketing budget to try to attract customers from near and far. Our in-house marketing team focuses on print media, billboards, radio ads, and social media, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube commercials, and more. We also work with a firm that specializes in SEO (search engine optimization) and Google ads, which reach thousands of online visitors every day.
Our marketing department is amazing! We have also found that our vendors and shoppers spread the word with recommendations to their friends and family. When you find a place you love to be, you want to tell everyone you know!
Questions for Experienced Vendors
If you’ve been a vendor before, you probably have a few ultra-specific questions you’d like answered before you fill out the application. Well, here you go!
- 01
Yes! Once you begin renting, we have monthly vendor work times so that you can work on your booth, make changes to your space, and socialize with fellow vendors. This set-aside time is great for vendors bringing in bigger pieces or doing large-scale rearranging in your booth. But don’t feel limited to those hours—you can always bring items in during regular store hours, as well.
- 02
No! Renting at America’s Antique Mall provides you with a hands-off way to make sales, leaving you more time to search far and wide for new pieces to add to your stock. Our Manager, Assistant Manager, and customer service associates are trained to run the store, answer any visitor questions, and fulfill sales so you can focus on making your booth fantastic.
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America’s Antique Mall will collect and pay all sales tax on your behalf. In most cases, creating a separate entity for your business is not necessary. But those who do have an entity and are legally required to file monthly sales tax reporting, please report $0 in sales for the portion of goods sold at our antique malls.
Questions on Signing Up
So, you’ve decided to take the leap! Here are all your application questions, answered.
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Step 1: Fill out an application on our website. We will call you as we get to your application on our list.
Step 2: Our manager will call you to ask a couple more specific questions before approving your lease.
Step 3: Visit our store to choose your space, sign your lease, and get your Consignor Access Account.
We will walk you through each step, but it always helps to know the process ahead of time!
- 02
You can take a look online at the store map of your desired location. These are located on the Highland, Algonquin, and Melbourne pages. When you come in, we will show you what is available and help you determine the right size and space for you.
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All of our booths are pre-built for easy move-in. We encourage you to name your booth and decorate it to your liking with rugs, shelving, and more to make it your own shop. Large changes, like painting or adding architectural interest with height, are allowed once approved by the store’s manager.
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The POS system we use is Consignor Access by Traxia. It’s very user-friendly and will help you keep track of your items, even when you aren’t on location. You will enter all of your items, along with the price and description, into your account. Each item will then have a printable tag that you will pick up at the store, with a barcode unique to your booth that helps speed up the checkout process. When an item is purchased, it will automatically update in your account.
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We are happy to help you learn how to use the online inventory system! Don’t worry; once you get the hang of it, you’ll love it. It helps you track your items, makes checkout even easier for customers, and has a simplified payout system. When you log in to your account, you can check your sales in real-time!
Hopefully, all your Qs have been answered. We can’t wait to have you in the America’s Antique Mall family!