Chartreuse Dealer Handbook

Space Rental Agreement

• What Chartreuse & co provides:
  • Space for you to sell your new and vintage items 
  • Maintenance of the grounds, buildings
  • Utilities
  • Dynamic website
  • Extensive photography of event/offerings
  • Email, with photography and links, prior to every opening
  • Current, engaged email list
  • Presence and promotion on social media
  • Blog
  • Exposure to thousands of followers and email signees
  • Exposure to thousands of cusomters at every opening
  • Parking, staffing, haulers
  • Administrative services, including tabulating and reporting your sales and remitting Maryland state sales tax, so that you do not have to.
  • Access to Chartreuse dealer-to-dealer network.
  • Online shopping and fulfillment.

• What you are responsible for:
  • Stocking, decorating your space
  • Cleaning your space
  • Keeping your space shopable and hazard-free
  • Being current on your rent
  • Ensuring all your items are priced and coded.
  • Completing dealer info sheet and W-9.
  • Being available via text or phone during sales
  • Checking in and out at counter, if onsite during sales
  • Full disclosure of any other location where you are selling.
  • Pictures, price, dimensions, and description of all items to be listed for sale online.

• At your Option
  • Insuring your merchandise(Chartreuse insurance covers only the building and property, not the inventory)
  • Being on site during sale events (Must check in at counter)
  • Checking/commenting Chartreuse & co’s Facebook page for any questions customers have on pictures of your items

• Prohibited
  • Selling directly to customers
  • Illegal activity
  • Willful destruction of property
  • Reselling marked-up new items purchased from retail sources (Home Goods, Tuesday Morning, Walmart, etc)
  • Regular participation in other monthly or quarterly barn/tag sales
  • Storage at Chartreuse & co in any area other than space you rent.

• Space Allocation
  • Space is allocated based on the needs, interest, and expectations of Chartreuse & co customers, at the discretion of Chartreuse & co management.

Policies

Vintage Goods

Our focus is vintage home décor – so the sky and your creativity are your only limitations.  Anything you find that appeals to you is fair game.

         **  There is no exclusivity on anything vintage.  **

Made Goods

This is where judgment comes in:  We all see the same magazines, blogs, Pinterest and Instagram feeds.  We all have a passion for decoration and vintage pieces.  But that inspiration – if you are true to yourself and your own vision, will be as unique as you are.

So, if you are creating something yourself and you find someone else is doing something similar, talk to them, price your items respectfully of each other, and let the chips fall where they may.

    **  Do not copy what someone else in the barn is doing.  **

It shows a lack of creativity and respect for your fellow dealers.  It’s also lazy and not up to the creative standards of Chartreuse & co.

New Items/Manufactured Items – WHOLESALE ONLY

Chartreuse & co maintains a Master Vendor list.  If you decide to carry items you have purchased wholesale, you must check with management to confirm that the vendor is available and not already represented at Chartreuse & co.

Reselling new items purchased retail at HomeGoods, Tuesday Morning, Target, etc. is strictly prohibited.

Reselling from second-hand, consignment or flea market shops is unlimited.

Items deemed out of character with Chartreuse & co’s customers’ interests and expectations may be removed at the discretion of management.

Payouts

An ACH direct deposit, directly into your back account of choice will be made the Friday following each monthly opening.  Additional payouts may be issued at Chartreuse & co’s sole discretion.

A W-9 must be on file before any payouts will be made.

Dealer-to-dealer sales

Dealer-to-dealer sales are between you and your fellow dealers and do not need to go through Chartreuse & co.

All intra-dealer purchases must remain in either the buyer’s or the seller’s rented space, and are not allowed to remain in any storage (indoor or outdoor) area on the property. 

If you need to keep something in the Chartreuse sold areas, the sale MUST GO THROUGH Chartreuse & co.

Dealer sales directly to customers

PROHIBITED

Items on the Premises

Items not being sold through Chartreuse are not to be on the premises. 

SOLD area

Pieces left in the Chartreuse & co SOLD area(s) more than 30 days by customers will be subject to resell by Chartreuse & co.

Any piece found in the sold area(s) that has not been purchased through Chartreuse & co is considered Chartreuse & co property and will be sold by Chartreuse & co.

Departing dealers

Any item remaining at Chartreuse & co by the opening of the sale following the dealer’s departure will be considered abandoned by the departing dealer and sold by Chartreuse & co.

Non-compete

Dealers are welcome to conduct business outside of Chartreuse & co, including other antique/vintage, multi-dealer locations*, their own storefront, and temporary fairs and special events.  However, Chartreuse & co dealers may not be regular participants in other monthly sale events.

* No more than 2 dealers from one venue may be permanent dealers at Chartreuse & co at a time.

On-site Info

1. Entering
   1. Use the entrance off of Post Office Rd.
   2. Enter the barn by the side door, via coded lock.
2. Unloading
   1. Use the rear barn doors or the front door, whichever is easier for you.
   2. Close the doors when not in use, especially rear barn doors, as animals can get in, unseen, when the door is left unattended.
3. Facilities
   1. Bathrooms – please use consideration and leave the bathroom as you find it.  Back-up towels and toilet paper are in the janitor’s closet.
   2. Dumpster – The dumpster is for Chartreuse & co use only.  Please remove your boxes and large trash from the premises when you leave.
4. During sales
   1. As items are sold, feel free to move new merchandise in.  You may utilize the haulers we have here to do this, but customer pick-ups and loading are the priority during open hours.
   2. HOLD SHELF:  Once placed on the Hold Shelf, items may not be removed until 1) sold,  2) declined by customer (these items are placed in the “return to dealer” box/shelf, located in the hold area), or  3) the close of that business day.
   3. PULLED TAGS:  If a tag has been pulled on one of your items, consider it sold.  DO NOT RE-TAG the item.  IF at the end of the business day the item is still on the floor without a SOLD tag on it, you may retag the item.  It is not uncommon for customers to be here for hours.  They trust in our policies such as having the tag means that it’s theirs.
      1. BACK-UP PURCHASER:  If a tag is gone, and a second (or third) customer wants the item, we provide them with a Chartreuse & co business card, with the full description written on the back.  The customer is then instructed to call us after 4pm that day to see if the item was finally sold.  You are welcome to take the customer’s info directly yourself if you would like to be able to contact the customer at the end of the day.  The purchase, should there be one, would go through Chartreuse & co.
   4. TAGGED ITEMS:  If an item has additional pieces, shelves, leaves, etc., please note this clearly on the tag.
   5. SHOPLIFTING:  If you think someone may be shoplifting, please keep an eye on them and notify management as soon as possible (texting/calling works well).  Do not confront someone you think may be shoplifting, but do take note of their appearance, and take a discreet picture if you can.

Recommendations for Success

1. Fill your space.  Have back up ready to replace pieces as they sell throughout the weekend.
2. Set your price and believe in yourself. Do not negotiate price during sale. If your price is too high, mark it down. Do not negotiate with customers during sale.
3. Move your space.  Do not let significant pieces sit more than 3 months in the same space.  If possible, move everything remaining from the previous month’s sale.
4. View your space as a pinball game, and your customers as pinballs.  Your goal is to keep them bouncing around and in the space for as long as possible. 
5. Have a variety of price points, and at least a few things that you  have collections of.  If a customer likes your space, she will want to take a part of it home with her.  If she’s not ready for the $400 hutch, she may be happy this time to take just that $8 vase.  It will make her happy, and anxious to seek out your space next month.
6. Read Paco Underhill’s “Why We Buy”.  It’s my merchandising bible.  There are no tips in there on aesthetics, but a wealth of information about how to arrange shopping spaces so that they maximize your ability to sell to the customer (keeping that pinball in play).
7. Not everyone can balance multiple outlets/occasions. If you can’t, you’re cheating yourself, Chartreuse, the other outlets and customers at each venue.

General Disclaimer

This handbook, in part or whole, may be altered by Chartreuse & co management with adequate notification to dealers.

This handbook does not constitute a contract.

This handbook does not change the nature of the relationship between Virginia Crum/Chartreuse & co, LLC and you, the dealer.