First Show Advice!

[Mediclee]

Hi All,
I am getting ready for my very first Intarsia show, it will be in a street fair type setting. I have several things for display along with some business cards. What I am looking for is any advice that you Guys & Gals who have done this type of things for years could give me.

Thanks in Advance,
Gary

[wood-n-things]

I'd suggest put a big ol smile on yer face..then read this thread...

Craft Shows Tips and Suggestions

Take change, bottled water, bags, sunscreen, and plenty of patients to deal with the looky lou's. Most of all have fun!

[Janette]

Have Fun !!!

Don't let them nickle and dime you down.

Have Fun !!!

Be prepared to talk about your work and how you make it.
Have your display so it shows off the work - not a wood lattice background where it will disappear (been there done that)
Have an album of your work to show people that you can do other things too.
If someone is really interested in something - take it off the wall and hand it to them to look at more closely. Once it's in their hands they can bond with it more easily so no one else can buy it (sometimes works)
Have a good sense of humor. People will ask the dumbest questions.

Take pics and be sure to show us your booth and how the show went.

My dad's words of wisdom for me at my first show..."What's the worst that can happen - you sell out and get to go home early!"

[Sandy Oaks]

Hi Gary,

I haven't done any shows, so I don't have advise. Just Good Luck and Have Fun.

[Bluebird]

Hello Gary,
You must be really excited to go to your first show! The number one thing is to have fun like it was already mentioned to you. Smile. Be prepared to explain how you make intarsia, what type of wood you used, etc. People really like that. I bring wood sample boards that I already cut so they can see we are cutting each piece individually from any kinds of woods to make our “puzzle”.

I remember my first show and must admit I wasn’t very well organized then! Now, I have a little checklist that I prepare for every show and modify according to my needs for each specific show. Thought I would share it as it might be useful and make you think about other stuff you may want to do or bring with you.

Show checklist:
• Background panels to hang intarsia piece (I like using uniform color background. The panels I use are made from an old shutter door covered with commercial carpet)
• Hooks to hang your pieces (I use curtain hooks)
• Table cloth that goes down to the floor (so I can hide my packaging material underneath)
• Notebook to take orders, sales book & pen
• Locking cash box
• Business cards & card holder
• White tags to indicate price clearly
• Inventory and price list
• Wood samples (most people don’t know the different wood natural colors out there)
• Portfolio of work done (if you have one)
• Gift bags (I buy them at the dollar store and they look much better then plastic bags!)
• Colored tissue paper for wrapping
• Scotch tape & scissors
Good luck!

[john voorhees]

Hi Meciclee, I did a show a few years ago at the Hardy Arkansas craft weekend. I took about eight intarsia pieces and worked off a large table. LOTS of lookers but sold three items, and had a lot of fun, met some nice people and gave out a lot of business cards. My advice is the same as the others except HAVE FUN, you will meet a lot of interesting people cheers John

[markdavd]

I agree with the advice to keep a smile on your face.

Avoid the fold-up camp chairs, they're too low and can be difficult to get out of quickly. You want to avoid potential customers telling you to you don't need to get up because they're just looking. They think they're being polite and don't want to inconvenience you by having you get up.

Get a simple tall bar stool to sit on that keeps you almost at standing height. That way you can greet customers at eye level and you don't look like you're struggling to stand up.

If friends come up to talk, move them over to the side and keep your face toward your display. If someone comes to look at your stuff, stop the conversation and greet the potential customer.

If you get a chance to walk around and look not only at the displays, but the people running them. I can't count the number of times I've seen folks slouched down in a low chair, big frown on their face almost daring me to look at their stuff. Not very approachable.

[markdavd]

Was it this weekend? If so, how did you do?

[Mediclee]

Thank you ALL for the advice and tips, several I would never have thought of. The show is the Friday the 28th I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks Again,
Gary

[workin for wood]

Expect for everyone to have an uncle that does what you do. When they say it's beautiful, it means I'm not buying today. Don't be discouraged though..eventually someone with no uncle will come along and make a purchase! If you can bring your own food, that will be a good idea. Somehow a 20 cent hotdog sells for $5 at a show. Don't focus on sales either..just relax, have fun, talk with people. If they buy they buy, if they don't, who cares. If you weren't at the show, you'd be at home watching TV, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.