[Nfb-krafters-korner] festival news

[Eileen Scrivani]

Cindy:

I bought a space & rented a table about two years ago at my church's crafts 
fair.  Here are things you should first find out ...

1.  Is the show Juried or not?  Juried means that people can't just come in 
and sell cheap quality junk or clean out their garage junk & sell it against 
your quality hand made items.  Judges have to give you the thumbs up on the 
quality of your crafts in a juried show too.  Usually with a juried show you 
must send in photos of both your hand-crafted items & what your display will 
look like.  Not only does a juried show want your products looking good, but 
you can't have a table that looks bad.  For instance, consider a large 
enough table covering like a nice, clean unstained solid-color bed sheet 
that will cover all the stuff you might store under the table.


2.  If the show is not Juried, make sure that it will only allow hand 
crafted/made items.  You must know this or you could be setting up shop next 
to someone who has cleaned out the family's basement & garage & is selling 
at second hand prices against your well made more pricey items.


3.  If you need electricity or lighting, often you have to pay for an 
electrical set up.

4.  No matter if the show is juried or not, you will most likely have to pay 
in advance by check the entrance fee.  Most shows will allow you to rent for 
an additional $$ a table so you don't have to lug one along with you.  If 
the show does not rent a table and you have to buy your own, make sure you 
get one that is light weight to carry, but strong enough that it will not 
collapse under the weight of your displayed items or people leaning on it.

5.  Before you pay for anything, find out if all spaces are indoors or if 
there is a possibility you could wind up outside & then have to make sure 
you have a tent or some type of covering.  Once you pay, its a commitment & 
you won't get your money back!

6.  Transportation will be up to you.  No show will provide transportation 
unless it is for a church or school and you know someone who might be able 
to give you a ride.  You might want to consider buying a little garden wagon 
or shopping cart that will hold all your stuff and make it easy to pull 
along.  If the show is at a school or church they might have some kids on 
hand that will help you lift & set up, but this you should ask in advance.

7.  Prior to the day of your show, go to the bank and get bills in different 
denominations so you can make change.  Unless you have your own credit card 
machine I doubt a crafts show will handle making paying options for you.

8.  If you have duplicate items (same item but different colors or sizes) 
don't put all them on the table at one time.  If someone shows interest but 
its not the right size or color you can tell them you have it in different 
versions.  This will help you as a blind person to manage your inventory and 
make sure nothing walks off.

HTH.

Eileen