[Nfb-krafters-korner] Starting a Business in Crafts craft shows

[Blindhands at aol.com]

One thing I can say about Craft Shows or maybe a couple of things as I  
don't know how to just say one thing...
 
You will not know unless you try it.  No one here can give you enough  
information on a particular craft show unless they have done the one you are  
talking about and is selling the exactly same things that you are going to be  
selling and the same amount of people show up that will show up at the show 
you  do, and I won't even get into weather,if it rains, what else is going 
on that  same day that might change attendance, etc.
 
One thing I can say that doing a large craft show you will hear a lot of  
comments from your potential customers that you will never know from selling  
your items online, wholesale etc.  After a show you can evaluate comments  
like: Love the color, hate this smell, do you have more of this?, sold out 
of  that  very quickly, cost too much, gee this is the cheapest I have ever  
seen this, there was 20 other booths that had the exact same thing that I 
had,  how can I make mine different and stand out?, etc.
 
This is worth doing a show.  When I was sighted before I would do a  show I 
would go to the show I was interested in as a customer.  I would  case out 
to see what things they had for sale, attendance if folks seem to be  buying 
and check out other crafters prices.  I was a professional crafter  before 
I went blind and that is how I learned all of this.  
 
After going blind I did have a sighted friend that would be my eyes and I  
would drag her to places to check out things, but I had done my homework in 
the  past and kinda new which shows when I went blind to try to get in.
 
Many of the shows are juried shows and you have to have pictures or slides  
or I really don't know with the technology out there today what they use, 
but it  had to be pictures of what you are selling and pictures of your set 
up  booth/tables.  So you need tables, table coveringsand displays. You  will 
need a canopy if you are going to do out door fairs, too.
 
Not all fairs are juried, not all fairs have good attendance.  
 
If you go to a church fair and all that is their is a few good crafts,of  
course you will always find jewelry there and they are having a white 
elephant  sale, you need to know that if you are selling a good quality item at a  
competetive price your sales may not be as good.
 
Last, but not least, if you have a price say $10 for a bottle of something  
in the morning when you are starting out at the end of the day when you are 
 ready to break down that item is still worth the $10.  I never heard that  
an employee  gets paid less in the afternoon for his hourly pay then he got 
 in the morning for his hourly pay.  So beware of those folks coming at the 
 end of the day and looking to purchase your items at a discount.  If you  
have somethinng you want to get rid of cheaper offer it in the morning to  
encourage sales and interest in your booth.
 
OK I said enough.  Class over...
 
Joyce  Kane
www.KraftersKorner.org  (http://www.krafterskorner.org/) 
Blindhands at AOL.com