Tomorrow’s the day! Mom & I leave for our annual trip to America’s Mart in Atlanta bright and early tomorrow morning. (well, maybe not so bright and early…cough cough, 11am)

Each July, this mother-daughter team road trips to Downtown Atlanta and spends 5 days in the over-the-top, fantastical world that is the America’s Mart. An unexplainable experience that one truly has to see to believe, our time at Market is ALWAYS memorable and is how we find 95% of the product we carry at Good Deed Goods.

Often times, people ask us what Market is truly like, and while it really is a tricky thing to explain, I thought I’d give it a try and share with you some of the iconic things that make Market, Market.

1.The size. – Market is HUGE, there are 3 buildings (nay, high-rises) with 14-18 floors each (depending on the building). Each floor is filled with aisles and aisles of temporary booths and/or permanent showrooms with multiple lines represented. The sheer volume of goods is overwhelming every year but somehow we manage to find just the right pieces to carry in the store.

2. The Escalators are KING. – Forget the elevators…you’ll be stuck waiting more time than you’d care to waste when you could be from floor 6 to 18 in no time. (don’t look over the rail though…trust me)

3. Ordering vs. Cash & Carry – For the most part, you are placing orders for product that will be delivered to your store. There is only one floor that is “Cash & Carry,” meaning you get to take the pieces with you then and there.

4. Minimums. – Most booths/lines have minimums for opening an order or re-ordering. Your total order must meet that minimum to partner with the line. Many times there are minimums on the pieces themselves as well, meaning that a certain toy is sold in minimums of 6 per design. You definitely have to keep your brain sharp when writing orders so you don’t go overboard!

5. Sun, what sun? – All of the buildings are connected by bridges that allow you to walk from floor 13 in building 3 to floor 13 in building 2. This means that you will most likely spend the entire day inside. The only time you might get a glimpse of what the weather’s like in Downtown Atlanta that day is when you’re on one of the bridges or in one of the escalator lobbies.

6. Market Café – Just like Market itself, the Café is a place all its own. Probably the best place in the Market to fuel up, and home to really good ranch, homemade potato chips, and flatbread grilled cheeses.

The list could go on and on…but again, in the end, Market is something you have to see to believe. We’ll continue sharing this year’s experience over on our Instagram, follow along with us there for sneak peeks of new product and behind the scenes looks at the Market Experience.

To Market We Go!

-Mary Emily (Mel) & Melissa