There’s something magical about winter in Johannesburg...

Sunny skies… Crisp air... The smell of wood-fueled fires in the early evening…

I think we have one of the most beautiful winters in the world!

And keeping those happy thoughts and with this winter buzz, I thought about something else...

When I was a child, my grandparents used to drag me to all sorts of fairs and trade shows. Back then, I wasn’t so interested but, as I got older, I started to become an enthusiast.

You see, the only real way to make money is to do what you love…

To whet your appetite and get you motivated to try something different this weekend, here's a business idea to make money...

Turn your lazy Sundays into a fun money-maker

Ideally, we'd all like a lazy day off on a Sunday. But if you need some extra cash, you could turn your spare time on a Sunday into a few hundred.... Or even a few thousand rands.... By selling at Sunday fairs or collectors shows.

There are a few good reasons these are worth considering: First, it's an ideal part-time, sideline opportunity and, second, it won't interfere with your weekday income. Because low market trading overheads mean you can sell your stuff at realistic prices and still make a good profit margin. Customers are looking for value for money and fairs and collectors shows deliver that in a big way!

And it's easy and cheap to start. Got a day free on Sundays, a car or bakkie, a little bit of capital (from about R1,000)? Well, let's get going - you can be up and running and making money from Sunday fairs in a couple of weeks.

Take it from a professional… Peter Matthews has been in the business of collectable toys and trains for about 50 years now. It’s something he's always loved to do! He goes to the Toy Fair in Blairgowrie, Johannesburg four times a year to sell his amazing collections and has been doing this for over 11 years.

What should you sell…

People buy different things on a Sunday. They buy more luxuries and impulse buys than the usual daily necessities. You could either sell very specific items like Peter or you could try a more varied approach to your stock. Either way, always remember to go to the most ‘fitting’ fair…

Here are some great ideas you could choose from:

• Fashion. Niche fashions. Designer clothes. Vintage clothing. Accessories. Shoes. Handbags. Silk ties. Children's and baby designer wear. Hats.
• Books. Old books. New books. Collectable books. Rare books.
• Music. Vinyl records. CDs. DVDs. Rare and specialist music.
• Food. Locally produced foodstuffs sourced from local farmers and suppliers. Organic food. Whole food. Vegetarian, vegan and other special diets. Herbs and spices. Foods of the world.
• Collectables. Toys. Stamps. Coins. Paper ephemera. Clocks. Medals. Postcards. Photography.
• Antiques and reproductions. Glass. Silver. China. Brass. Gold. Pottery. Occasional furniture.
• Jewellery. Handmade jewellery. Costume jewellery. Necklaces. Pendants. Rings. Bangles. Bracelets. Body jewellery.
• Gifts. Greetings cards. Gift wrap. Confectionery. Toys. Pens. Watches. Toiletries.
• Cosmetics. Natural cosmetics. Hypoallergenic products. Ethical products.
• Arts and crafts. Paintings. Prints. Sketches. Sculpture. Wood and metal craft. Candles. Leather goods. Textiles. Models. Ceramics.
• Ethical and fare-trade items. Clothing. Furnishings. Food.
• Home design and decor. Soft furnishings. Linens. Lighting. Textiles. Ornaments. Pottery.
• Garden. Plants. Seeds. Bulbs. Shrubs. Tools. Garden ornaments.
• Used goods. Sure to be a good product line at the moment - but make sure they're good quality if you want to get good prices.

How to get stock for your stall

Cash and carry wholesalers are your best bet here. You can buy in smallish quantities. Nowadays, a lot of them even have websites where you can browse and buy and get your stock delivered to your door, so you don't even have to visit them. To find wholesalers, have a look in your local 'Yellow Pages'.

For more ‘niche’ items, buying from a ‘dealer’ is always best. The great thing about dealers is they not only sell goods but they buy them too.

How to choose the best fairs

Ask relatives, friends, neighbours and work colleagues if they can recommend any. Next, scour the small adverts in the local papers and do an Internet search to see what's available. Draw up a shortlist. You can visit the same fairs over and over again or you can mix and match with different ones.

Good Tip: Do NOT take a stall at a fair without checking it out first in person. Make sure it's well attended and that the stallholders are doing good business.

The secret to getting the best pitch

A bit of horse-trading might be needed to make sure you get the best stall, or 'pitch' as they're known. Some fairs restrict stalls so that there will never be more than one or two stallholders selling the same thing. Generally, it's great to be the second stallholder - because there'll already be an established trade for whatever you're selling. (This isn’t the case with niche fairs like the Toy Fair. These are specific to certain markets so the more the merrier.)

Be ready to negotiate on the position of your stall. Positions near the entrance are always best. That way, you get first dabs at buyers' cash before they spend it elsewhere. At the best and busiest Sunday fairs you might have to go along as a casual trader first and queue up for stalls on a 'first come first served' basis. Once you've got your stall established, you'll be in a better position to get the best pitches.

Fair trading tips:

• If it looks good, it'll sell well. Display is everything. Just look at the beautiful displays of fruit and vegetable in traditional markets. The same applies whatever product you're selling. If it looks, smells and even just feels good, people are more likely to buy.
• Encourage people to touch. Don't display your prices too obviously. Put them on the back of goods. If people have to pick things up to see the prices they're more likely to buy them. Sneaky but true.
• Talk to your customers! Remember Sunday shopping is very much a leisure activity. If you engage with people they're more likely to come back and buy from you again.

In the name of success,

Chris Densley
Managing Editor of MoneyMaking Insider

P.S: Why not make a trip down to the Toy Fair at the Blairgowrie Recreational Hall in Johannesburg this Sunday? It’ll give you an idea on what it’s all about? There are about 70 tables displaying a range of Hornby Trains and Dinky cars as well as teddy bears and kids’ games. Doors open at 9am so make sure you get there early! This is something not to be missed!

Click here for more details about the Toy Fair!