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The
Personnel
As soon as I saw the call for entries, I asked Alise
if she'd help me (wo)man my booth. Thankfully, she said
yes. Schlepping stuff to the site is one thing, but
being bound to a booth all day is another. If you're
going to do a show, try to get a boothmate or two. Folks
who aren't shy. It's super nice to have a chance to
go use the restroom or get food, but it's also nice
to know you've got a right hand there to help. Less
overwhelming. In a pinch, you may be able to ask a neighboring
vendor to help, but you never know. Feed your booth
helpers, give them free stuff. Granted, you could pay
them, but you can't guarantee that you'll make money
that day, so someone willing to work for stuff or out
of friendship is the best! Having done rubber stamp
conventions, I know that sometimes show organizers will
help you find local folks who'll work for product.
I
wore my red
pillhead shirt and Alise wore the "I
am wearing my smartypants" shirt. We
both donned red aprons/belts that held change, receipt
books, pens and free pins. Later, friend and fairgoer
Dawn was nice enough to help out too! At a certain point
of afternoon delirium, they pushed me out of my booth,
telling me "go pee!" I did and I skimmed the
show a bit.
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Alise,
my official "booth bunny", and Dawn who lent
a very helpful hand.
 Me
Me, bleary eyed with kleenex nearby fighting allergies.
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The
Supplies
I
had to decide if I was going to invest in all of the
show stuff I needed. If I bought the stuff now, it'd
be easier to say yes to the shows in the future. Yes,
the booth was $50, but I spent about $600 all told.
Here's a list of what I needed and used.
Inventory!
Jewelry, rubber stamps, loads of barrettes, other odds
and ends. I didn't have enough space in my 10' x 10'
booth to hang my art. And while I could have finished
other projects/products or made jewelry til the cows
came home, I had to say "when" and collect,
price and label everything.
2
Tables I debated whether to rent or buy. I ended
up buying two plastic "blow mold" tables from
Walmart. Alise and I stumbled upon them and they were
perfect! 30" by 6'. $106 total. They folded in
half which meant they fit in Alise's two door car. Strong
and sturdy. The only quandary is where to keep them
in my tiny apartment. I'll figure it out.
1
Tent Thankfully, my friend Jodi
lent me her 10'x10' EZ-UP tent! It was this
model. It really was easy up!
Jodi has 3 walls for her tent. Very useful against rain
and wind. We used two of the walls (back and left).
I know tents are a big expense, but if you're going
to do the show circuit, it really is a given/gotta have.
And if you go to shows or farmers markets, you'll notice
everyone has the EZ-UPs. They are super. I have been
in shows before that dictated that only white tents
can be used (more art show than craft show), so that's
something to keep in mind if buying.
Just
as the crowds at shows are a crap shoot, so is the weather
for outdoor shows. If you're hemming and hawing, just
look at your work and think of how well it will hold
up in sun, rain and wind. The soap woman near me had
problems with the sun. Rain can hurt lots of things.
And from experience, wind is good at knocking things
over. Tents are great! Walls help a lot, but be careful
not to close off traffic flow too much with the walls.
Vinyl
banner I wanted to hang this outside the tent, for
passing traffic. But there's nothing to tie it to on
top of the EZ-UP canopy. So, we sort of awkwardly hung
it between tent and a tree. I ordered a very basic black
vinyl logo on white vinyl banner. Easy to clean. High
visibility. Will match anywhere.
Printing
banners is relatively cheap. Phyllis
Wier, my super and very helpful supplier,
says she can get 4 color banners for what 2 colors used
to cost. And I've seen a couple of the handsome banners
she's had done. Personally, I wanted something very
bold and basic. Great to have for the future. Mine was
$150.
Happily,
we also had -
Handmade
banner (above right) The vinyl banner was for folks
outside, the handmade banner was to let people know
where they are inside. I painted loosetooth.com in cursive
on pink cotton. I trimmed the edges with wide black
double fold bias tape. I sewed 3" black fringe
along the bottom. And I made two snazzy red birds to
hold up the corners. I liked that it was like those
banners that marching bands have, but with a burlesque
bent.
When
I would welcome folks to the booth and motion to the
banner, I got the feeling that the vast majority of
folks were looking down at the tables, not up at the
banner. But I still stand by having a banner outside
and a banner inside a booth.
Twine
for hanging banners
Scissors
Avis
Avis Valentine is my mannequin/ model. With our
packed car, I left her legs and home and put her on
the table. She's a site mascot, so I wanted to bring
her to the show for the visual recognition, but she
was also very helpful in modeling jewelry. But
she also spooked folks who'd be looking down and
then look up and think she's real.
I
don't think you need a mannequin, unless you do clothing
or other wearables and it can act as the centerpiece
of your display.
Black
Tablecloths One of my rules of display is skirt
the tables. It looks so much cleaner and you can hide
your boxes and stuff under the tables. I taped a cheap
99 cent black plastic tablecloth to the top, with it
hanging to the ground. I threw my black cotton fabric
on top. Both tables covered. Black looks dramatic and
finished, but the choice of color is yours. Black looked
good with the bowls and bright jewelry.
3
chairs Black metal folding chairs: one for Alise,
one for me, one as mini table. I taped a garbage bag
to the back of the third for trash. We didn't sit much,
but it was good to have 'em. Those days can get long.
I heard those canvas folding camping chairs are a very
comfy option and easy to schlep.
Duct,
Masking & Scotch Tape. The triumvirate that
you can't leave home with. Clear packing tape is also
useful.
Bulldog
Clips These
saved my ass. I clipped the tops of my signs and my
birds and could hang them from the structure of the
tent. Worked when my duct tape jobs fell down.
Snacks,
Beverages & Cooler I pity da fool that doesn't
bring some kind of sustenance, b/c you never know what
will be on hand. As it stood, I didn't snack until very
late in the day when I was starting to lose verbal skills.
Aprons
I made two sweet, red canvas aprons for Alise and I.
They had three pockets for cash, receipt book/pens and
1" buttons. They tied around the waist. No need
to have a cash box to worry about and cash was nearby.
Cash
Bring change - plenty of singles, fives and tens. Most
folks come to these shows with change, so it's not a
huge deal. If someone hands you a big bill, you can
ask if they have anything smaller. You don't want to
have to hunt down a bank or currency exchange in the
middle of a show.
Supplies
continued, above right...
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Loosetooth.com
pins made by Busy
Beaver.
My
handmade banner in the booth
Boxes
of barrettes
Avis,
my model/mannequin doing the Froog all day
The
Supplies continued
Calculator
I lost a bit of profit, but I included tax in my prices
which were all whole numbers. Saved time and strain
ringing folks up.
Receipt
Books I like the duplicate copy kind. I don't think
anyone wanted their copy, so it was for my records in
this case. We just kept a running list of purchases.
Ball
Point Pens and Markers for impromptu signs and writing
receipts.
Paperwork
This is the thing nobody wants to hear, but you
have to make sure you've got the proper business, tax
or vendors permits or numbers. If you're doing business
under any other name than your birth name, you need
to register a Doing Business As,
at least in Illinois. Make sure you are covered for
you location. Your organizers should know what's what
- especially for out-of-state vendors.
In
Illinois, all the necessary stuff is a bit of paperwork
but not too difficult or expensive. A notary or fee
here or there. Give yourself enough time, though.
Garbage
bags. Don't assume they'll have them or bins for
you - and be sure to clean up your mess!
Bags
for stuff to take their stuff in. Not many folks
need one, but it's good to have around. And I always
ask first if someone wants one. I bought a 1000 way
back and am set for a long time.
Other
packing materials if you have fragile stuff
Extra
price tags
Mirror
for trying on jewelry.
Radio
Don't be a nuisance to your neighbors, but some quiet
music in the background can be pleasant and move the
day along.
Mailing
List Sign-Up This is the thing I forgot this time
around. In my case, it would have been an email newsletter
list.
Display
Stuff This all depends on your products. For me
this was the bowls and displays
for the jewelry, a few platters for odds and ends and
a big plastic bins for my clearance stamps.
Giveaways
This could be cards, postcards, brochures. Bring loads.
Make sure that everyone who buys from you gets something
that tells them who you are and how to contact you.
Don't be shy about sharing this stuff. I chose to hand
out 500 1" pins with pillhead and my logo around
the edges. Busy
Beaver did a great job, as always. I got
them made in 5 colors, and most folks got to choose
what color. We gave almost all of them away. Many, many
folks put theirs on (nice "word" of mouth).
In the whole day, only one person took all of them when
offered a handful of options. Only a few people were
leery and had to be encouraged and told they were free.
Every so often someone refused. I think they were a
big hit. And I hope the vast majority of them get worn
or help folks remember to check out the site - rather
than being thrown away or relegated to a junk drawer.
For
that last point, I recommend something small, concise,
memorable but cheap. I don't like to see lots of wasted
paper or resources. The 1" pins were the right
choice for me.
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The
Day
9:30 We arrived. We had 90 minutes to set up.
I was surprised by the numbers of people already set
up and waiting.
Alise and I entertained a handful of men waiting for
the bus watching us try to get the EZ-UP tent out of
Alise's car through the sun roof! It was comedic with
her pulling from the outside, and me pushing from the
inside.
11:00 The show starts. Quiet beginning with plenty
of folks on their walk in Wicker Park surprised by the
show.
11:15 Get my display all set up.
1:00 Crowds pick up. Folks are starting to buy,
but until 1:00 all I had sold were clearance stamps.
While, I was happy to sell them, it not big sale numbers
at $1-2 each.
3:00 I am pushed out of the booth by Alise and
Dawn, with instruction to go pee and look around. Annie
C. and I wandered a bit. I got to survey the land, not
comb it. Quickly met a few really cool vendors and bought
the stuff to the right. I was impressed with the resourcefulness
of some of the displays. Also saw some very dour sellers,
who's demeanor didn't draw me closer to their goods.
4:00 I hit the wall. Not enough food and too
many allergies and I was having troubles forming sentences.
Dawn made me eat cookies.
The booth is pretty much filled all afternoon. Sales
seemed good. A few friends said that my booth had comparably
good traffic. That's nice to hear.
Met many lovely folks, very few of the inevitable oddballs.
It was very neat to meet folks who were already a fan
of Loosetooth.com!
5:00 Time to close up shop. The crowd was definitely
thinning out. Took Alise and I maybe 20 minutes to close
up shop.
5:30 In the car I counted the cash and compared
it to the expenses. Basically, I broke even, given all
the stuff I bought for the show. This bummed me out
a little, after all of the work and despite my mantra
of "Today is about marketing the site, not sales...Today
is about marketing the site, not sales..."
6:00ish Get home and get the stuff back in my
apartment. I curl up in blankets and blow my nose.
7:00 I take a not-so-hot shower. I curse the
plumbing in the building.
8:00 I order a seafood combo to be delivered
9:00 Eat dinner and then promptly have an allergic
reaction to one of the seafoods. Take mega Benedryl
10:30 Fall asleep buzzed on Benedryl and thoroughly
pooped out.
Epilogue
All in all a great day. Great crowd. Sales were good
- not bad, not fantastic. I was happy that the free
pins were generally well-received and that a bunch of
stamps sold. Slightly bummed about just breaking even
cash-wise, but looking forward to putting the investment
in supplies into more shows.
I think I'll do the show again next year.
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The
Cool Stuff I Bought
Me
as pensive model for Josi's fantastic hand-dyed crocheted
scarf. Check out her work at WeirdMirror.
Tennis,
Anyone?'s very mod screenprinted cards. Annemaree &
Rose don't have a site yet, but you can email
them.
Clik
Clik's screenprinted and sewn zippered pouch. Unfortunately,
I don't have a site or email for Clik Clik.
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