estate sale return

Managed to get to an estate sale over lunch and found a limoge plate and a handpainted reticulated edge dish. Tomorrow I plan to hit a church rummage sale and perhaps back to the estate sale. There was a small mahogany chest at the sale that might be there on 50% day and I didn't see any Firm sign.
Now that I know my niece needs some household items, of course none of which were available at this estate sale, I have even more reason to go out to auctions etc.

Sales so far

The only good thing in the past days has been the weather, two great warm days unexpected in March. Broke a record from 1976 with high of 80. Of course these two days had to be the start of the work week.
Had a free of work weekend and attended 2 auctions. I was so tired both days that I didn't stay long as I was almost falling asleep on Friday night, and Saturday afternoon's had the items I was interested in up early. Seemed like a waste of time, as combined I spent less time at 2 than I normally do at 1 auction. Slim picking now through Easter Sunday.
Yard sale weather almost here and I hope to find some saleable items. I have sold enough merchandise to cover rent and close to what I have spent on new items this month, with 4 more possible days of sales.
What is needed to push sales to a level of $1000 a month? High end pieces with substantial prices? Items in the $50 to $125 range or attractive eye catchers in the under $25 range and focus on quantity?

Spring can't come fast enough

Spring is a day away and today dawns with snow, sleet and rain. Yippee! I had to drive to the mall of course. Got a nice rug for the booth floor and at least 2 items sold on Saturday. Luckily I can see sales on-line and didn't have to scrounge for another furniture piece.
It will be so nice to lug items around in good weather and not be afraid to load up the night before in case glass or other fragiles may develop cracks.
Only noticed a few customers roaming the aisles this morning. Several other dealers in booths with new stock and cleaning. As a quiet person, it's hard to strike up a conversation. Is talk about sales ok to ask?

Half way into the 1st Month

Half way through the month and I have covered rent but nothing has sold since Sunday. I don't know if it's because traffic is down during the week days. I'll have to start a tracking of sales by day.
Will return to mall on Monday to straighten and freshen.
Hopefully today-Sat, and Sunday will generate a sale or two. Have to work at real job this weekend so I'm excited to get back to the "mall".
More excited to get to an auction next weekend.
How long is good enough to judge if this is a go? Should it be kept running in order to take a loss for tax purposes?
I now have a list of what I want to be when I retire just in case antiques dealer doesn't cut it.
--floor person at an auction, auctioneer with training, floor person at antiques mall. estate sale assistant or coordinator, bagger at grocery store
I'm open for other suggestions.

Do I want to be an auctioneer?

Didn't attend an auction this weekend but did see a new episode of Cash in the Attic. I think that could be a profitable business for someone. Come and take away the treasures for me and let me get a check. I don't have the type of stuff that would make it profitable enough for the auction house to do it. Maybe some of the smaller auctioneers would like to try it.

Attended an estate sale that was the 1st one that the ad and photos really reflected what was in the house. Went back twice and probably have more saleable items than if I had gone to an auction that would have been at 120 miles round trip and hours and hours! I got on the email list of alerts and will certainly scrutinised their next sales and photos.

I know each state has different laws for auctioneers. Whose are the easiest to setup a business? Are those course advertised by Mendenhall, Ruppert etc. worthwhile?

Curiosities

The time has come the walrus said to speak of many things, of shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings--or something like that from Alice in Wonderland.
Antique malls are just that to me. They are filled with curiosities.
I've added to the wonders with a small booth. I'll hope to make money in the long run but short run will be operating at a deficit. Pricing will be a challenge. I see items marked dirt cheap--where's any profit? to what I find as hard to swallow.
This isn't a high-end shop. Appears to be a middle of the road to rising quality.
I want to keep an eye on merch in other booths and see what moves. Is there a middle ground for pricing. I'm considered cheap so many things seem high to me. How much is a person likely to drop on a whim? I suppose if one is browsing in a mall they must, at least in the back of their minds, be considering the purchase of a treasure. If they are furniture shoppers will a $2,500 dining table, chairs and cabinet or server be reasonable? Not that I have one yet, or even enough guts to set that high a price. I'd be happy to double my cost, love a higher return, and may have to settle for a quick profit to turn over items to gain funds for new purchases.
I look forward to continuing business after retirement.