...Start an Honesty Stall?

[JulieSherris]

A few questions here, so be patient....

I've decided to start an honesty stall at our gate.

Now.... I have the design for a sign which will be put at the end of our lane - basically, it will be 2 sided & the bottom of the sign will be hinged to flip up when I have nothing to sell, then put down when I have.
The top of the sign is to be a permanent fixture, advertising eggs, chicks & ducklings - the bottom will be a blackboard to pop the seasonal things on.

On the way from various sources are blackboard pens, labels for the goods (I have designed a logo & left a space for use by/price/any other relevant info & I have 500 egg boxes ready & waiting,

So, apart from eggs & birds which I have already, I thought what else I could sell... ok, there's the seasonal veggies.... and now I have the extra polytunnels & greenhouses put up, I thought of sowing the extra seeds which I would normally save for next year & then sell the seedlings/plants.... then I bought some latex moulds for garden ornaments as a fun project for Andy & Leah to do - but if they turn out ok, we could make a few more & sell those...
And later in the year once the rabbit project starts to flourish, bunnies can popped on the list.

Any other suggestions from anyone? I need a few ideas for things I can make & sell - preserves maybe, but my setting skills aren't too clever...

Also.... I'm struggling with the design of the stall out the front - It is to go across our drive, so I shall pop it on wheels then I can move it when our turf delivery comes each autumn, but it doesn't have to be moved often!
It also needs to be sort of weather proof & I was thinking about making it like a cabinet that I could close at night, or when it's raining.... and maybe paint it white so that any foodstuffs don't get too hot when the sun gets on it - if we get any sun this year!!

So... what have I forgotten??? And why can't I snap my fingers & have it all done today?
Answers on a postcard.......

[Green Aura]

Sounds like you've got it pretty well sussed, Julie

My suggestion would be to start small with minimal structures, signs etc until you see how it goes. The problem with honesty stalls (as I see it from reading these threads) is that not everyone is honest. I think if it looks to "professional" those dishonest folks will feel even less inhibited about ripping you off. Whereas just a pasting table with a few bits on will be minimal expense (that you can afford to lose) and you can grow the business organically as you get known. By the time you get to the shed with all the things you're thinking of adding you might even be able to have an assistant to keep an eye on things

Sorry if that sounds really cynical, I don't want to dent your enthusiasm, but it sounds like you're planning on setting up a business rather than getting rid of a few extra bits - which I think is all an honesty box scheme can cope with.

Just my thoughts, honey. Hope it goes really well.

[JulieSherris]

Hi Maggie - I totally understand exactly what you're saying.... and to be honest, if I was still in the UK, I'd be looking at a 24 hour manned stall! Complete with armed guards, of course....

The thing is, it's different out here & even in some of our shops if no-one is around, you see the folk wandering over to the counter & they just leave the money for whatever they have & wander off out again....
Then there's that custom of giving money back.... I still don't get it.... we bought our turkey hens, gave the guy 40 euros & he gave us 5 back - for luck... They were supposed to be 25 euros each, so we already had a discount! I thought about the down sides of honesty stalls, but several folk around here have them - one guy even sells those wishing wells & painted carts (not cheap!) from his garden & there's a note on the gate to leave the money in the porch!

The sign that I'm plannning is to let folk know that we're selling - we don't get any traffic down our little lane apart from the tractors next door!

[Green Aura]

Sounds lovely. I really was thinking about England. We often leave the shop here unattended and come back to find stacks of coins for the odd bar of soap or lip balm.

I must try to remember there are other places like this.
I must try to remember there are other places like this.
I must try to remember there are other places like this..........

Good luck with it honey. (no idea what this smilie is supposed to represent but it made me think of you under your parasol selling your wares in the sunshine:lol: )

[JulieSherris]

Thanks Maggie - I still have no idea how to design the stall yet - I keep thinking of little bits, but I guess by the time I'm ready to make a start, all these little bits will fall into place... then hubby will ask me where the plans are....

Actually, I was just thinking there.... last week I popped to the garage & was in the back shop (wood yard, garden centre, plumbing, building, etc etc) & saw a man I vaguely recognised.... when he told me that he'd read our meters & had left the dogs in the garden, because he thought they wanted to be out!!
Note to self: when I go out, take the key out the door........

[JillStephens7]

Sounds great Julie,

I might not be understanding the question properly, but what about an old-fashioned handcart? Like a less fancy version of this ...

http://srscarts.com/Standard_feature_handcart.JPG

I would pop a set of wee shelves at the back of the counter and arrange jars/ ornaments on that, leaving the bulk of the surface for baskets of eggs/ trays of seedlings. You could have a cupboard underneath to store some of the the things in overnight and wheel it away if it got too windy/ you were going away.

Just a thought

[JulieSherris]

Jill, that's gorgeous!!
OK, so I might not do the fancy paintwork, but it's certainly giving me ideas... I shall ponder on this topic for a few days more & then let's see what sort of monstrosity I can create!

[Sky]

Lots of folk have little stalls outside their properties here in NZ.
We've put stuff out with a little note asking folk to leave money in our mail box for anything they wanted to buy in the past ... and they actually have!
It's lovely and a refreshing change .... restores your faith in man kind etc etc.

What about flowers on your stall too if you have any or are thinking of growing any.

I buy my flowers from a little stall at the end of a drive in town, they put them out every day and they must be the cheapest bunches of flowers in NZ, $1 or $2 a bunch!
Their honesty box must have been broken into a couple of times though so they made a kind of money box affair out of a scaffolding pipe welded at the top and with a slot for money and a flap at the bottom which is padlocked shut until they want to empty it.

[JillStephens7]

OK, so I might not do the fancy paintwork,

I was thinking more along the lines of chopping an old pair of wooden paste tables in half, using one half as the main body and using the wood from the other half to sure it up and then nailing a small wooden bookcase on top et. etc.

You should probably ignore me, as I'd have a whale of a time making it but it probably wouldn't be very stable! OH would say, measure twice, cut once. I say go for it

[JulieSherris]

Jill, I've been known to scratch my arm in order to create a welt.... then the measurement was from my fingertips to the scratch....
And I wonder why hubby shudders!!

[JillStephens7]

Sounds like my kind of DIY

OH has had his own decorating business for past 20yrs so has a more professional approach. By the time he's finished measuring I've usually lost interest .

When we were courting, I wanted to do some wood carving so he lent me a chisel and stone to practice sharpening it and get used to the tools. Needless to say after one night of sharpening I was ready to move on to chiseling. He was horrified

Good luck with your honesty stall. They have one for eggs round the corner from us and occasional ones for plants, and my gran's neighbours down in Surrey used to have one, so England's not a complete write off for honesty stalls, contrary to popular opinion

[StripyPixieSocks]

Most of our honesty stalls around here just look like rabbit hutches with the front doors off with hand scrawled signs pinned to the front and a lockable money box screwed down to the table lol.

... infact we buy our free range eggs from a lady who DOES have them in a rabbit hutch complete with the door...

Good luck Julie, it's nice see there are still enough people with enough faith in honest people these days :)

[JulieSherris]

Nic, do any of yours have a change box?
I can remember during my young teen years, I used to spend summers on a smallholding on the IOW & one of my jobs was to keep the veggies topped up at the gate. Mr Cooper the smallholder (I spent 6 summers there & never found out his first name!!) had a lockbox for the payments, but a change box that he put a float in every morning - I was thinking that I could do something like that, in case someone came along & didn't have change..... or am I thinking too hard?

As an update..... I have potted up some lavenders that I started off last year, then have started off some extra veggy plants, & some herbs, plus I've started some pretty flowers off - I'm not great with pretties, so I have labelled them, but can't remember what they were Oh, I did some marigolds.... and Godetia, maybe? And some others.....
I asked in a sign shop & they are making me 3 signs at a very good price - only 14 euros each - they will last too, so money well worth it.
Labels are sorted, egg boxes in the back room waiting, blackboard pens for seasonal changes on their way... and I've just about got the handcart/cabinet plans sorted in my head, so in about a week, I should be well on my way!

All I shall need after that will be some customers!

[MKG]

I've been following this with interest. Julie, you appear to have everything sorted.

Only one thing left to do - get stuck in

Mike

[StripyPixieSocks]

Nic, do any of yours have a change box?

No, none of them have change boxes just the locked cash box with a slot in to slide your money in.

I guess it might be too tempting if someone has put £10 in and taken £8 change for someone else to just take the £10... just a thought