Any Craft Show Veterans here? - Update! Did my first show!

MeanLaureen

<font color=purple>Slam Dancer Extraordinaire<br><
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Apr 29, 2001
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Hi everyone! I had posted this thread over on the Community board looking for input on what to do for my first ever venture out into the craft show circuit.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=908231

Are there any pros over here that can give me some advice on display, pricing, or any of the do's and don'ts of selling at craft fairs?
 
I just went to a HUGE craft fair today (the Yellow Daisy Festival... largest show in GA) and I saw several booths with dog collars, but none of them were nearly as nice/fancy as yours. For the most part, they were plain, just made of different patterned fabrics, and most booths also carried bandanas and fabric leashes.

I would say that your pricing is about right. Most of the plain fabric ones I saw today were running in the $12-$15 range and again, they didn't look nearly as detailed as yours.

For displays, I agree w/the posters on the other board. Go for stuffed dogs (in a couple of sizes) and also have actual photographs of real dogs wearing the collars (an exhibitor that was selling embroidered doggie bandannas today had a little photo album on display of dogs wearing their bandannas!). As for how to display your stuff, you may want to look into buying some pegboard at Home Depot/Lowes (you know the kind with all of the holes... you can buy the little hook-thingies in it like men use in the garages to hang up tools and such).

Good luck!!!!
 
I like the stuff dog & photo display ideas! I used to sell painted wooden "ornaments" (not Christmas ornaments - more like shelf sitters) and I found that it was really helpful to have several different display methods. Different things catch different people's eyes. Try to vary the height of your items. Throw a solid color cloth over your table. Have some sitting on the table itself and also use something like a small crate, school lunch box or even a brick to put others on. I usually covered those with another cloth. Since your collars are colorful, you could stick with white or black - or any color that wouldn't clash with the majority of items.

About price - you'd be surprised at how things vary from area to area. I had a friend who sold identical items at craft fairs in NJ - about a half-hour outside Philly. It was in a real suburban area with a lot of affluent citizens. She could easily sell things for $13.50 that I had a difficult time getting $7.50 for here - even when they were actually her items. (I'm an hour outside Philly in a far less suburban area.)

About the logistics of craft shows.....you should probably decide beforehand whether or not you are open to taking special orders. Very often people will walk up to you & want something either personalized or in a different configuration than what you have available. You may not wish to be taking special orders to fulfill within a certain time period. It's just helpful to have thought this out beforehand.

Make sure you have a secure location for your money. If you have a locked box, don't let it out of your sight. As for change - I usually take enough to make change as if I sold half my items to people with tens or twenties.

If you don't have someone who is going with you (to watch your space so you can run to the rest room or to grab lunch or a drink), ask if the people running it have arrangements for that. Several of the shows I did would come around taking lunch orders & bring it back to you and maybe come once mid-morning & mid-afternoon so you could run to the bathroom.

That's all I can think of right now. Good luck!

BTW - Your collars are soooo cute!
 
If most of the people use a canopy you should invest in one, too. It provides rain and sun protection and looks professional. I also put some old carpeting on the grass in my display and made it look elegant. I tossed the carpet at the end of the show. (These suggestions are for outdoor shows.)

Keep your change box out of public view. Never let anybody see what's in it. I had a small crate, covered with a cloth and facing the back of the display and on the table all the way in the back of the display. My change box sat in it when I was making change. I could open it and since it was inside the covered crate (that was resting on the side with the opening toward the back of the display) nobody could see the money inside or watch me counting change. Always lay the money you are handed on the top of the box or someplace separate from your own money. This way if the customer says or thinks they gave you a $20 instead of a $10, you can pick it up and show them that this is what they gave you. You can even leave their money visible to them so that there is no question that that is what they handed you. You should determine your check accepting policy. I asked for phone number, but sometimes they didn't want to give it. I talked to another vendor who said in that case they would refuse the sale. But in the 20 years I crafted, I never had a customer's check bounce.
Some crafters wear an apron with a roomy pocket and keep their money in this. Especially a zip or velcro pocket would be nice. Keep your change box out of sight and covered and inaccessible when not in use.

I read a sad story of a crafter who was packing up to leave and had his money box stolen from his truck, so do not let it out of your sight- there are people who may actually know how craft sales work and who will watch for the money box to be left alone for a second.

If you don't have a helper, maybe the people on either side would be willing to watch your things while you take a bathroom break. They don't even have to sell, just keep and eye and tell customers that you'll be back shortly. If you don't have a helper, you should stay at your booth except for bathroom, in other words, bring your own food and water. When you are away from your booth you may be losing business, and you can't expect or want a stranger handling your money box.

Don't put your most expensive items in front. People see the high price and it may turn them off. Do price everything. I often will walk away rather than ask the price. And you are busy helping a customer, a potential customer may really not want to wait around and ask.

Refuse to hold an item when customer asks if you will "just a little while". A couple times I put an item aside and the customer never returned. I was being nice, but I lost sales. So you could say, OK I'll set it aside but only until (a half hour from then.)

Do you have or need a sales tax number? If so, do you have your tax table?

At one time I gave sales slips. The last few years I didn't and just jotted down the sale on a sheet of paper.

If it is an outside show bring bug spray. Bring some toilet tissue, in case, If there are portapots bring hand wipes.

Make sure your breath is fresh. Don't leave food or drink items sitting on the display. Have an area of the display that is clear so people can write checks on it.
Don't chat with a friend while there are customers nearby, it looks unprofessional and may cause people to leave. Bring plenty of bags.

Good luck with your show!
 

I love these collars!! They're sooo cute!!

I think alot has been covered already, just wanted to add - be prepared for any weather if you are doing outdoor shows!! I can't tell you how many times I froze, got wet or sweated to death sitting at my shows. No matter what the weatherman said - it always seemed to be something else.
Also factor into your display some way to deal with the wind and rain, so you and your merchandise are protected. Maybe some tarps that you can hang down the side of your booth. I once watched in horror as someone selling ceramics that were displayed on very sturdy shelves had a gust of wind blow through, knocking the shelving over - all of her items were damaged.
Good luck at your show!!
 
Just wanted to update you guys and thank you for the advice!

The craft show was Saturday. It was outside in a park and cloudy but the rain held off. This was the 21st year for this particular show but the other crafters there with more experience told me it was the worst year for attendance. Must have to do with the hurricane and gas prices - maybe people aren't up to non essential trips and purchases?

Anyway - I didn't make a ton of money but I did make money! The space rental cost me $60 and I sold $180 worth of collars and had quite a few people ask for my business card so that they could buy from me online or find out where my next show would be since they didn't know what size their dog was. So I figure that if that was their worst year by far (as many of the people were saying) then I did pretty good. I heard one of the old pro's that does that show every year tell someone I had the hot booth..lol :rotfl: I took him over to the gourmet dog cookie booth twice to "pay him" for his hard work ;)

Well, that's my story of my first show - just wanted to take the time and thank everyone for their input.. I really appreciated it! :grouphug:

It was good practice and I had several other people approach me with information on other shows they want me to show in. DH Matt had so much fun that he is going to do a show this weekend without me since I have to work.

Of course we did have one very smooth salesperson working for us - Reilly - the apricot poodle in my signature :) He had people coming into the booth right and left asking if they could hug the cute doggie and then he would sit there nice as could be while people tried collars on him.
 
Way to go!! I'm glad it went well for you - even if it was an off year for the show. :rotfl:
 
Lauri, I am glad you were pleased with your first craft show! Good for you!
 












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