Preparing for a Market: A Guide

It's a scary thing doing craft fairs, shows, markets, bazaars, whatever you want to call it. You are sticking yourself out there for all to see, be critiqued, and your report card at the end of the day is how much you sold. No pressure, right? 

I've been doing shows for several years now, and I wanted to share what I've learned so far and how to prepare. Granted, I am by no means an expert in this, but there is something to be said for having experience under your belt. Hopefully in me sharing this, you can have a smoother start to things than I did. ;) 

 

What you should bring:

- all the money stuffs: a card reader, sign saying that you accept cards, change (lots of smaller bills!), receipt book

- Phone and charger

- Calculator 

- Tape

- Twine

- Scissors

- Safety Pins (they go with me everywhere, actually)

- Custom Order sheets

- Price tags

- Pens and Sharpies

- A notebook just in case

- Business cards and something to hold them 

- An inventory sheet with all the product your brought listed

- Paper bags to sent with your happy customer

- Snacks and water

- A small trash can (no, seriously, you need one)

- ALL the display pieces!

- Tablecloths 

- Table and chair depending on what the market suppplies

- A shop logo or banner so people know who you are ;) 

- Breathmints (because sitting there chewing gum isn't keeping things classy, kids)

- Deodorant (self explanatory) 

- Busy work to prevent boredom during lulls, but don't start playing on your phone. It's hard to be engaged in the moment when you're glued to a screen. Besides, people love to watch you making something! They get an immediate connection to you and what you do.

- Your beautiful creations that you're selling (duh)

- A friend to keep you company and help you out! And who doesn't need an excuse to spend the day hanging out with their bestie? 

This is just a preliminary list. As you go along, you'll figure out what works for you, what you have to have, and what you don't necessarily use. 

So beyond the 'day-of' kit and your product, how else can you prepare for a craft fair? 

Let's start with how you plan to display your pieces. If you want to be able to sell your product, customers need to be drawn into your booth and be able to see what you're selling. How you set up your display can make or break a market day. You want customers to easily see what you have to offer at a glance because as they walk by they are making the split second decision to check things out or not. I'm still working on my booth design; granted, I don't think a booth design is ever set in stone. For mine though, I have a unique challenge of blending at least 3 people's worth of product into the space and make it cohesive. It has gotten better as I've figured out better display options. My booth has been described as whimsical and eclectic. I'll take that over what felt like chaos when I first began. Something that I found helpful was to have some sort of piece that just GRABS the attention. For me, it's a vintage sewing machine that I'm trying to sell. People are drawn in, start talking, and usually end up buying something. Magic sewing machine? :shrugs: There are boat loads of display ideas online to help you get a jump start on that (make a Pinterest board to help organize your thoughts). I would recommend not figuring it all out the day before the market. ;)

Pricing your product is hard. Legit hard. People are typically not willing to pay what your product is actually worth. My general rule of thumb is (cost of materials) + (hours to make x your hourly rate). For some things that works out great! If you can whip something out with very few materials, bonus points for you! Other things don't work out so well. I try to have an array of things in my booth running the gamut of price ranges to help balance things out. 

Setting up and taking down are typically the times that I work up a sweat. :P Before the big day, I make sure I have a 'practice booth' to get an idea of what I want things to look like, snap some pictures on my phone, and pack things in an attempt at an orderly fashion so that set up is quick and effortless. Save your energy to push through a long day, not stressing with set up. And a quick note - don't start cleaning up your booth at the end of the day until the allowed time. It's rude to customers mulling about when you pack it up early. It signals to customers that they've overstayed their welcome and they won't shop anymore. You can lose sales, cause others to lose sales, and make yourself not get invited back as a vendor. Just don't do it, kids. 

A special note for the introverts. Most people I know who make things are introverted to varying degrees. They retreat to their craft and flourish making amazing things, but not really having an outlet to share what they do because of their nature. I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE! When I worked retail, it wasn't the work itself that was exhausting, it was all the peopling though the ENTIRE day. Being an introvert and doing craft shows takes a lot out of you. I found this blog article to be really helpful and encouraging. There are a lot of excellent pointers and ideas to help you get through the day. ;)

Hopefully you found something helpful in that brain splat! Do you have any other ideas or pointers that you have found invaluable? Leave a comment below! 

Until next time!

SG

People You Might Meet

In my vast  experience (okay, only 2 years now) of being a vendor, I've noticed some trends, stereotypes if you will, of people who frequent those sorts of events. Maybe it's the markets that I've chosen to go to, maybe it's just representative of fair-goers in general. I don't know. This is just what I've seen. :P

Let me introduce you to:

Everyone's Grandma

You know, the one that everyone loves because she's amazing. She oohs and awws over handmade goods and reminisces about when everyone knew how to do things well. She's there because there was a flyer at the senior center or church, and she and her friends had some free time, or she's shopping for gifts for friends, her kids, or grandkids, or maybe she's an organizer/assistant for the bazaar. For whatever reason, she is there and loving every minute. She might be looking for something special and unique, something that can't be found in a store. She brightens your day and talks to you for quite a while, but you don't mind because you've decided that you want to adopt her for your own grandma. There's nothing wrong with having lots of grandmas, is there?  

Everyone's Grandma's Hubby

He's there because Everyone's Grandma convinced him to. Maybe he's a volunteer for setting up. Maybe he's here for the food. Maybe he wanted to get out of the house. Maybe it's all of the above. Maybe it's just because. You like him a lot too because he's so cute following his wife around and trying to amuse himself at an event that is certainly not entirely his cup of coffee. But he likes it because his wife likes it. That makes me happy.   

The County Fair Judge

This is the one who very closely inspects the technical details of what you're selling while not talking to you or making eye contact until they have finished looking over everything. Seams, stitch sizing, hem allowance, how the seams are finished, everything. You hold your breath while they conduct their inspection. When they're finished, they look up at you and give you a smile, a nod, and a 'well done,' and they move on. At least, that's what you hope they say. I haven't had them say anything else. Yet. ;) 

The Tag-Along

They are here because their friend dragged them along. Unlike Everyone's Grandma's Hubby, the Tag-Along isn't all that excited or self-entertained. They tend to be more critical. Everyone's Grandma might try to initiate some sort of a conversation with them or include them when talking about the dying arts, but it usually falls on deaf ears. The tag-alone usually doesn't appreciate what they're looking at, in fact, they might rather be anywhere else. 

The Crafter

Now this could be two different people. 1) Those who are inspired by what you make and 2) those who know just enough of your craft to show off to their friends their boundless knowledge. 

The former will ask you questions about resources, your experience with such-and-such, they're there to learn and be inspired. I love these people because little do they know that they inspire me as well with their different approach to doing something. A fresh perspective can rekindle a passion for something that has been relegated to the UFO pile.

My favorite experience with the latter: 

Lady looking at my doll dresses: Well, why did you line it? That's so much more work. See, if I made it, I wouldn't make a lining. And why did you serge the seams? I wouldn't do that either. Too much time. 

Me: raises eyebrows

Me to myself: wow...

Me: tries to explain the reasoning behind my decisions

Her: That's still too much work for what you're making (exit stage left)

Me: still wondering what happened

The Parents

They usually have a stroller and a couple kids they're trying to corral. They are the sneakiest people I've met because they somehow manage to buy Christmas presents for their kids while they're right there. The parents are usually awe-inspiring and terrifying at the same time. Do I need to keep my eye on you because of how good you are at that? But seriously? Your kids are clinging to you and bouncing around, yet they literally are completely oblivious what you're doing.
"Ooh, mommy, I like that! Can I have that?"
"Not today sweetie." (slips a credit card across the table)

The Networker
These folks seem to know everyone, and there's at least one person in their social circle who knows how to do your craft. You get to hear all about this person's adventures, but you're sad because you'll never get to meet this amazing human.
"Oh, so-and-so can do this. Do you know them?" 
"Uh... no."

Vendors

We tend to be each other's best customers. We all watched each other set up, the first ones to wander the market before it's officially open, talked a bit throughout the event, swapped market stories, and then something catches our eye. It will sit there for the entire event staring us in the face. By the end of the day, we cave and slip away from our booth to our neighbor's and slip our own credit card across the table.

Do you find these observations to be true? Or is it just me?

Until next time!
SG

What to Not Say When Shopping at a Show

...ESPECIALLY IF THE ARTIST IS RIGHT THERE!

-or-

Things observed at markets and craft fairs because even though I'm running the booth, people treat me like I'm invisible and deaf.

So, while you're browsing through a booth at any sort of fair, show, bazaar, or market, I have a couple things that you absolutely CANNOT say. You might not realize what you're implying by saying them.

1) I can make that!

2) You can buy that at Walmart!

Let me break this down a bit to give you an idea of what you are saying when those words are uttered. 

1) "I can make that" is a slap to the creativity of the maker (who is more likely than not standing right there). They have taken the time, effort, and money to create something. Yes, you probably could go home and make it right now, but will you? My personal rule of thumb when I think that is to seriously consider buying it for the inspiration. In a sense, you're giving credit where credit is due. Obviously, I like what you made. Creativity begets creativity. Thank the artist for giving you the idea by purchasing their product. You will most likely never get around to making it anyway, and you're supporting small business. 

2) If "I can make that" is a slap, then "You can buy that at Walmart" is a punch to the gut. 

I'm going to park here for a while, so please bear with me. 

We have  become so materialistic, such a throw-away society, that we no longer value the skill that goes into making ANYTHING. Electronics, clothing, toys, furniture, you name it, we have traded quality for quantity. We are buying cr-p at mega-stores, and when it breaks in 2 weeks, we go buy the newest upgrade. Yes, you can buy something similar to what I make at just about any store, but mine are unique and made to last. I can guarantee the durability of what I make because I use test them out myself. What you get at the box store will be made with the cheapest materials possible, using the fastest assembly methods available, short-cuts taken everywhere, and is not made to last. Why? They want you to buy more from them, and we've been whipped into shape thinking that this is okay. 

Look at your clothes. The  thread is barely holding on to the seams because it's so thin (corner-cutting #1). The fabric used to make the garment is thin. Just a few times through the wash and it will pill, break, and tear. (corner-cutting #2). Finally, look at how the fabric lays when you are wearing it - to save money, factories will throw the pattern pieces on the fabric in such a way as to maximize the space on the bolt. I get that. BUT. They are sacrificing how the piece of clothing will actually fit. The drape (or bias) will be all wonky and skewed when you wear it, tugging every which way. (corner cutting #3). Fast fashion is just part of the picture I'm painting here. I could keep going, but you get my point.  

My final point on this - lately, I've been seeing a discouraging trend at craft stores: supplies are becoming cheaper in quality. 

Example #1: Go to Joann's with someone who has worked with fabric for a long while so they can guide you through this experience. Feel the fabric. Yes, feel it. Run you hand across the weave. Note the texture, the softness or stiffness, how it holds its shape. Now, go to a specialty fabric shop and feel their fabric. You can't stop touching the fabric, can you? Working with good materials makes all the difference on a project. Materials of that caliber are a dream to work with, and they cooperate with you if you know how they work. This is what it takes to make those masterpieces that you see at state fairs, on display, and at competitions. Those artists know how to speak the language of their media. Same goes for yarn, paper, paint, etc. 

Example #2: I have to check the selvages on the fabric now because they are saying that making a double-width fabric with fabric stiffener sloshed down the middle, and then cut in half is still a selvage. Is nothing safe from corner-cutting? No. A thousand times, NO. I would never use that to quilt, let alone make a garment. My straight line in a sea of fabric is gone. I can't ensure that things won't tug at seams wrong then break and fray or lay weird when you're wearing it. This is just part of the process that I have to do to make sure that what I'm selling you is the best I can offer. This doesn't even include measuring, securing, pinning, measuring again, etc. etc. etc. This is just part of the cost that you see on that price tag - it's because I care.  

I know face-to-face, human interaction for your shopping experience is becoming more and more scarce when it comes to knowing who made the product, but I'm there presenting my best effort, and you just verbally slapped me. What you're looking at when you glance at my booth is hours of dedication to a craft, investment in the supplies, and planning, scheduling, and carving out time to be there to offer what I have. 

This became quite the bee in my bonnet after this last weekend, so thank you for listening to my ranting.

Now that I'm done with shows for the season, I have to step-to and get Christmas sewing finished. I  have the supplies buried underneath all of the mess that I created getting ready for this last weekend. ;)

Until next time!

SG

Another Crazy Weekend

I seem to pack my weekends back-to-back-to-back. I need a weekend from my weekends. Usually they are filled with things that need to get done around the house and farm (or in the case of the last month - social events :P ), but this last weekend was TWO bazaars. And my head decided to throw a migraine into the mix at the end of the first event because it could. I wasn't a happy camper. Thankfully, my sister was with me all day, and her boyfriend was able to help with packing up. I'm not sure how things would have gone if I were by myself. 

The timing of the events worked out perfectly though - set up for boutique #1 on Friday evening, sleep, get to booth to manage by 8:30, visit and talk to people all day, pack up from boutique #1, set up for bazaar #2, get some sleep, get up, grab some final details for bazaar #2, finish set up, visit and talk with people for hours, pack up, and sleep some more. Fit nibbling on things somewhere in the mix. My brain hurts just writing all that.  

There was a little girl at the Saturday event, a daughter of one of the vendors, who essentially did laps around the room all day. Every time she came to our booth, she would stop, look at the doll dress on the mannequin, sigh, play with the skirt, go through every single dress on the rack, sigh again, then slowly walk on. We started talking to her whenever she stopped by, "Do you have a doll?" "Which one?" "Do you have a favorite dress?" And so on. Towards the end of the day, she brought her mom over to show her her favorites of course asking if she could get one. Her mom said not today, and they headed off. Back at their booth, the mom gave her friend the money to buy the dress and one of their own bags to hide the dress in. It was really sweet to watch, and I think I know what she's getting for Christmas. ;)

Saturday's event was rather interesting - most of the vendors there were reps from multi-level marketing companies with only a small handful of us with handcrafted goods. It was my first time at this event, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It all worked out though. And I got to spend a couple hours with one of my besties who is a crazy, amazing knitter. And we got to have our booths next to each other. ^_^ 

 See what I mean? She's been a very busy bee. 

  And she makes adorable geeky plushies. Just take a look at Perry! 

And Pokemon! And Mario mushroom! Eevee and Pikachu sold before the boutique even opened. :P 

 And darling and dapper octopuses! Octopi? Octopum?  

Usually this event is held in December, but the organizers changed the date to be a fall boutique. Hey, I'm game for whatever if my schedule is open! To go with the autumn theme, I knit some tiny pumpkins. I will most definitely need to make more of these because I love them so much (and the orange one sold, so there's that too). ;)  

 Well, until next time! 

SG

Bazaar Season Begins

Well, this last weekend was a whirlwind. And preparing for it was just as crazy. Having comic con and the first bazaar of the season crammed into one weekend will surely knock some wind out of your sails.

First up - comic con on Saturday. This was my first con, and it was AMAZING! Ridiculously overwhelming, but AMAZING! I wore the Chewie skirt that I told you about, but I decided to do it without the vintage fur wrap. That morning when I was feeding the animals, it already felt too warm to be wearing fur, and I'm glad that I didn't - the convention center got really toasty. I don't know how my brother managed to wander around in his Pikachu onesie and not overheat.  

 

I loved wearing the skirt to the con. It was subtle enough that people only caught what it was if they were actually paying attention. And the people at the 501st booth geeked out over it. I was happy. 

When we got home from the con on Saturday afternoon, we had to turn around and load up the car with all the supplies that we needed to set up for the first bazaar. This particular bazaar is more advertised as an antique faire, but it's in support of the local grange (that has held many events that I've attended through the years), so I have no qualms about lending a hand (or some cash).

The booth was a collaborative effort between my sister, a friend of mine, and myself. We had an assortment of doll dresses, aprons, hats, gloves, amigurumi, and more. It was a rather cheery booth if I do say so myself. ;) 

In addition to the crafts that we brought, I added in some antiques to try to work that angle of the faire. :P I've had the Pfaff sitting in the corner collecting dust and junk, so I thought that it was time for it to go. I also included some vintage patterns and sewing notions. I was honestly surprised at how much conversation the sewing machine and patterns generated.   

One of the things that I love most about this bazaar (it's my second year doing it) is getting to meet and know neighbors. Being in the country, a neighbor is a loose term, but since we're all in the same general area, we consider ourselves neighbors. 

I'm going to try to compile a list of all the upcoming bazaars this season that I'll be at so that you can see if you can stop by and check things out! 

Until next time! 

SG

Almost There!

Eeep! Tomorrow is the day for the Kinton Country Antique Faire!

This afternoon, my mom and I loaded up the 12-passenger van (that thing is quite handy when it comes to hauling anything and everything and everyone), and headed down the hill to set things up for the bazaar. 

This morning, I was still painting display pieces, cutting business cards, and creating a banner for the table, and assembling the clothes rack. Thank goodness for family because I probably would have been a wreck if I had to do it all by myself.  

Yesterday, my brother whipped together the display pieces for the pillowcases. We repurposed the sides of the old crib that we (still) had in the attic, and he designed the base pieces to prop up the crib. They're rather ingenious if I do say so myself. I owe my brother a plate of cookies. He's requested snickerdoodles.

The other night, I had created some templates for my di-cut machine, but the machine needed to be realigned. I didn't have time to dedicate to that, so this morning I pulled out some brown paper that I use for pattern templates and sketched out the design. Went over it all with a fat sharpie, and that was done.  

Once I finished setting up, I took a deep breath and looked around at what others were working on. I love how everyone's booth has a different personality, and everyone has put some much time and effort into creating their miniature shops. 

Are you able to make it? There will be great food, live music, amazing vendors, and me of course. ;) 

You can find more information here! 

Until next time!

SG

Upcoming Bazaar

Hello all! While my summer has been an absolutely crazy one, I still managed to squeeze some sewing into the mix, but it hasn't been what I was expecting to work on. This coming Sunday (the 11th), I'll be attending my first craft bazaar as a vendor! In spare moments, My sister and I have been working on all sorts of goodies for the booth, and here's a sneak peak for you of the pre-bazaar chaos! ;)

You can find more information here. Hope to see you there!

Until next time!
Sarah G.

Craft Bazaar - Doll Dress Display

I promise I haven't gone AWOL on you. School, homework, work, homework, farm stuffs, project deadlines for homework, more work, and finals have taken all my time and energy. Yep. I haven't sewn a stitch since my Regency ballgown. And that is a tragic fact. 

But... 

I did have an opportunity to sell my huge (I am not exaggerating here) stock of pillowcases and doll dresses at the Christmas brunch and bazaar at my friend's church because my former venue (the tent that we have set up while doing Christmas trees) didn't pan out this year. 

One thing that has been driving me bonkers all these years of selling doll dresses is my lack of a display for them. I've tried just about everything under the sun for showcasing the pint-sized dresses from the store using a coat rack, to spreading them all across a table to only have a cat jump up there and leave her little paw prints all over everything. :glares: This year, I decided that it was time to invest in a dress rack specifically designed for 18" doll dresses, but I didn't want to lay down a bunch of cash for a display. And all the ones that I found were shorter (in length) which meant that my collection would get scrunched up and make things difficult to view. 

Then I found this on pinterest. It was exactly what I wanted. But again with the scrunching of the dresses. And the spending money. I can be such a scrooge when it comes to some things. Why couldn't we totally DIY it? We had railing left over from building the house. We have a massive collection of wood scraps in the shed that would certainly have a piece that would work for a base. The only things we bought for this was a dowel and the world's smallest can of paint. 

My awesome dad rigged up the entire thing. Minus the paint. After applying a coat of paint and waiting for it to dry, our creation was finished. 

Tada! 

Isn't it the cutest thing?

Do you know how much I would have loved having something like this growing up? 

I also like how tall the dress rack is. It means that I can do dresses with a train and it will still hang. ;) 

Until I actually sew something. Which shall be very soon because Christmas is right around the corner. 

SG