Craft Shows Tips and Suggestions

[Pajaro]

Thanks for the info Kevin. I am getting ready for my first Craft fair in Nov. Lots of good information to ponder on.

[millwab]

Originally Posted by Jediscroller

I make the majority of my own frames, never use glass as I've found customers like to be able to feel the wood.

Kevin, one question. If you don't use glass in your frames, how do you prevent the particularly fragile pieces from potentially being broken off? If it's sandwiched between the glass and the backer that wouldn't happen, but what protects them without the glass? Do you glue the portrait to the backer or just leave it and take your chances?

[Jediscroller]

Bruce,
I just glue them to the backer (typically "EZ-Felt"). I've never had a problem with breakage once the piece is done (now, don't ask about breakage during cutting, hehehehe).

[sawdustus]

Thanks for the great information Kevin. Clear and simple. I have still not made up my mind about the street fair in my town in three weeks because I don't think I can get finish on all the things I have cut this summer. Oh well, I have until Friday to enter.
sawdustus

[Old Dude]

Kevin...

I don't know if I'll ever get around to doing shows (necessity, being the mother of invention, isn't whacking me upside the head...yet), but it's something I've been mulling over for awhile. I read your posts twice, and will no doubt read them again. Thanks for taking the time to share that.

Something I didn't see in your post...maybe I just missed it...do you ever worry about shoplifting, and if so, how do you deal with it? I didn't grow up a city boy but I've lived in two of them and that sensitized me to the fact that there are some dishonest people in the world.

Thanks.
Ed

[greatdane2]

I worked retail for quite a while and the biggest deterent to shop lifting is greeting each person and look them in the eye. If you are not paying attention to people looking at your stuff they feel like they can steal something. It might be a bit of a pain saying hello to everybody, but it proves you saw them and will probably keep seeing them.
I switched from a hardware/lumber store where we did this to one that did not have enough staff to do it. The difference in losses was amazing. In the first we lost a few small things a month, 2 blocks away the second store got cleaned.
If you are not a people person you probabaly should not try selling in a booth anyway, but theives are going to look around and pick the place that looks like the easiest to get away from with your stuff.
One other thing we did was lower all the shelves so we could see all the way across the store. That goes for a booth as well, lay out your booth so you can see everything you have.If you are deep behind a counter in a booth the stuff out front might be easy pickings. You can not stop it all, (well you could but the bodies would pile up) but try and make it as hard as possible. Try and keep expencive stuff closer to where you will stand. I only use a chair if things are slow and I will pull out something that needs sanding. I keep several salmon and killer whales in a box just for this, people will come and look at what you are doing.
And now lets hear from Kevin he is the pro here.

Alan.

[greatdane2]

Well on a slow day it might bring people to your booth if you shoot someone. Just let them buy something first, no point in missing a sale.

Alan.

[missyintx]

Things that always helped us were:
1. Light - If it is not a very light booth then provide your own

2. The Eye Catcher - Yes! It is a major thing. We used to have a large
wooden christmas tree in the back that held our best selling ornaments.

3. Light table covers - We used cream with several colored napkins as contrast

4. We always had the customer come inside the booth. No way to just walk by.
Sometimes we more than doubled sales of any other booth at a craft fair. Almost no one had an open booth at that time.

5. Don't be cluttered. No matter what. If you have a lot of stuff find a way to display it so that the booth is not overwhelming from the aisle.

6. Don't wear a controversial shirt. You don't want to wear a political shirt (or the like) because the other side will not buy from you. We finally went with a "Uniform" of sorts. We all wore the same colored shirt but you could choose your style.

7. We did not do well when we were selling a lot of wood and our booth was all wood. Too much fade into the other. Once we painted our booth sales went up because you could see the pieces.

There used to be a book called something along the line of "You can make money selling your arts and crafts". Or at least close... It was one of the best books that we found for craft show selling.

Missy

[Jediscroller]

Ed,
I have a director's chair that I park in the front of the booth. I do greet everyone who comes buy. I put the easily stolen pieces (such as bookmarks and ornaments) in the back of the booth. Other than that, I don't do much.
I've never had a problem with theft though. Most of my pieces are just too big to try to walk away with and crafters tend to watch each other's backs. Being 6'1 and 220 lbs. probably helps deter theft too, hehehehe.
Missy, I believe the book your referring to is Handmade for Profit by Barbara Brabec. Any of her books are well worth purchasing if you're looking to get into this even if only part-time. Funny story about table cover colors. I was reading up on retail marketing and found that the color blue is the most conducive to getting folks in a buying mood.

[missyintx]

Jedi,
It was not one of Barbara's books. Hers are very good. This was a book that I bought at least 20 years ago.... Am I really that old?

I will do more searching and see if I can get the actual name.

Missy