Sending out postcards is a viable way to publicize an event — if it’s done right.
To spread word of its summer charity flea market, New Hope Antiques sends a postcard to every person on its mailing list. According to New Hope proprietor Sharon Andrus, that list consists of about 2,500 people.
The first of four Charity Antiques Flea Markets, held on the lawn of New Hope Antiques, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday June 26 and Sunday June 27.
Participants pay a vendor fee of $35, and 100 percent of the fees go to local charities.
Proceeds from the first market will go to the Finger Lakes and Cortland SPCAs. The following flea market, scheduled for July 17 and 18, will benefit hospice agencies of the Finger Lakes and Cortland.
“We want to give each agency as much as possible,” Andrus said.
The markets will also benefit the Midlake United Methodist Church in New Hope. The women of the church sell lunch as well as baked goods without being charged a vendor fee.
And of course, all vendors involved benefit as well. New Hope’s basic premise in putting on the markets is to provide vendors who cannot afford high vendor fees a chance to sell their wares, Andrus said.
New Hope hosts 15 to 20 vendors, allowing participants to spread out and not be confined to a tent. Vendors can be professional antique collectors, craftspeople or simply people looking to free themselves of extra belongings. The small number of sellers and casual guidelines make for a friendly atmosphere.
“We really make an effort to get to know our vendors,” Andrus said.
The Charity Antiques Flea Markets are free to attend and open to the public. New Hope Antiques is located at 5963 New Hope Road in New Hope — 12 miles south of the village of Skaneateles by way of State Route 41A.
