Craft Show Help

[Travis]

Hi All.  I've been putting a lot of work into the Articles section of SSV.  I'd like to get some more business-related articles in there.  Many of you have valuable experience selling at craft shows, flea markets, and church bazaars, and I would greatly appreciate your expertise in this area. 

I'm looking for some articles to fill out this section.  We'd like it to read like a magazine article that is informative and gives the reader what they want.   But don't feel like you have to be an amazing writer.  As long as it has good information, that's what is most important.  

I've brainstormed some ideas to get the ball rolling, but I'm completely open to any topics you think would be helpful. Your contribution would mean the world to me.  Together, we can create a fantastic resource for our community.

• How to find craft shows.
• Things I learned after doing my first craft show.
• Creating Eye-Catching Booths on a Budget
• Craft Show Survival Guide: Tips to Thrive and Enjoy the Experience
• How to Stand Out in a Sea of Creativity
• Pricing - Finding the Sweet Spot for Profit and Sales
• Overcoming Self-Doubt at Craft Shows
• Popular Items That Sell
• Craft Show Checklist: Must-Have Essentials for a Successful Event
• Craft Show Hacks: Time-Saving Tips
• Craft Show Etiquette- Dos and Don'ts of Selling

Can anybody help me out?    

[Fab4]

Hi Travis:
I quit doing crafts shows years ago.  more when the country style items did not go over too good.
Word of mouth keeps me busy enough.
But here's a topic that will sure stir up some converstations
Laser/CNC vs. Scrollsaw - We know it's not for everyone but could
prove to be beneficial to some
Just a thought
Great topic btw
Fab4

[Travis]

55 minutes ago, Fab4 said:

Hi Travis:
I quit doing crafts shows years ago.  more when the country style items did not go over too good.
Word of mouth keeps me busy enough.
But here's a topic that will sure stir up some converstations
Laser/CNC vs. Scrollsaw - We know it's not for everyone but could
prove to be beneficial to some
Just a thought
Great topic btw
Fab4

If you have experience with it and would like to write an article, I'm all for it!  I'd like to get more articles in that section so it would become a nice resource for folks.

 

[Wichman]

Travis,

    I will be replying in length to this subject. I'm feeling under the weather today, but I'm feeling better.... 

[Wichman]

 

 

1. Prepare yourself for Market day.

  a. Mentally.

Depending on your personality, the market experience can be a party or a major PIA. If you have introvert tendencies be prepared to keep yourself in an upbeat mood for the duration of the market.

  Burnout. Even if you are an extrovert, keeping your mood switched on can be exhausting. Once the market is over for the day you need to be aware that if you allow yourself to “crash” you may not get back up until the next day. Plan your day out and don’t crash until you are home and the essentials are put away. An enclosed trailer or a van are ways to allow yourself to “put away” your market stuff easily.

  b. Prepare yourself physically.

Setting up at a market can be physically challenging. You may need to include enough time to go through a short warm up routine before setting up your booth at the market.

A light exercise program during the off season can help prevent injuries during setup at the beginning of the selling season.

Know your body. Try to keep track of those types of activities/movements that create issues for you. Find different ways to move to prevent those issues. ( For me, lifting any amount of weight and then twisting my back, sometimes just twisting my back, causes my feet to hurt terribly the next day(s). So I keep the back twisting to a minium. Lift, carry, turn my whole body, not just the back, set down the load. ) We invented the wheel for a reason, use hand trucks and other wheeled devises to make it easier on your body. This year I’m trying a new thing, a pack-out system (HF) so far, so good.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 31, 2023 by Wichman
clarity

[Wichman]

Part 2.

Show prep

Depending on your situation you either need extensive show prep or just a short list. If the show is close to your home base and you can easily head home to get anything that you forget, then the short list. ( My primary Farmers Market is 8 blocks, ½ mile, from my house ) When I did the Farmers Market in Jackson Hole, WY it was a 3 hr drive, each way. If I got to the FM and had forgotten something I was going to do without.

When you are starting, make a list and then check off each item as it is loaded. Keep a notebook handy for any ideas that hit you during the market.

Make sure you check the weather report the night before the event. Dress and act accordingly. Remember that while the customers and run to their cars for heat or AC, you can’t, so prepare Warm clothes (layers), Cooler with drinks and a snack, whatever matches the weather that you expect.

As best you can have everything for the show in one place, if you can afford a van or trailer, keep all the stuff loaded. If you can’t have a single place then try to group as much as you can.

 

[Jim Finn]

On 5/31/2023 at 4:17 PM, Wichman said:

 

 

1. Prepare yourself for Market day.

  a. Mentally.

Depending on your personality, the market experience can be a party or a major PIA. If you have introvert tendencies be prepared to keep yourself in an upbeat mood for the duration of the market.

  Burnout. Even if you are an extrovert, keeping your mood switched on can be exhausting. Once the market is over for the day you need to be aware that if you allow yourself to “crash” you may not get back up until the next day. Plan your day out and don’t crash until you are home and the essentials are put away. An enclosed trailer or a van are ways to allow yourself to “put away” your market stuff easily.

  b. Prepare yourself physically.

Setting up at a market can be physically challenging. You may need to include enough time to go through a short warm up routine before setting up your booth at the market.

A light exercise program during the off season can help prevent injuries during setup at the beginning of the selling season.

Know your body. Try to keep track of those types of activities/movements that create issues for you. Find different ways to move to prevent those issues. ( For me, lifting any amount of weight and then twisting my back, sometimes just twisting my back, causes my feet to hurt terribly the next day(s). So I keep the back twisting to a minium. Lift, carry, turn my whole body, not just the back, set down the load. ) We invented the wheel for a reason, use hand trucks and other wheeled devises to make it easier on your body. This year I’m trying a new thing, a pack-out system (HF) so far, so good.

 

 

 

 

I have been doing shows and farmers markets for 15 years now. You mentioned how much physical work can be involved. Well, I have to load my truck, unload it at the market, load it back on the truck and then offload it at home.  Just today I decided to find out how much this 80+ year old man lifts four times every Saturday. Tables, tent, weights, and product. I weighed it all today. A total of355 pounds!  Times four, is 1420. It gets my heart rate up.   (71 BPM Saturday).  I am not hurting myself, but I am not sure how much longer I will be able to do it. The worst part is standing and sitting much of the day. It was 99 degrees Saturday which is typical here all summer.  If the sales are brisk, it is ok, but it is sometimes boring.  I do this about 25 times a year. Something to think about if you are, like me, doing it all alone.

Edited June 19, 2023 by Jim Finn