[Nfb-krafters-korner] Selling at craft markets

Tue Mar 13 23:16:26 UTC 2012

Also, you might want to invest in a money identifier.  If you have an IPhone, there are a couple of aps.  I also have the IBill, a stand-alone money identifier; I paid $100 for it, and it was worth every penny.  I don't leave home without it.  I am not usually comfortable selling by myself.  I've done craft shows, and I find them more stressful than they're worth.  Lynda, it is so good to hear someone else echoing my sentiment.  It's funny this has come up just after you and I corresponded about it.  I feel validated, as I told you in my private message to hear you saying what you said because people think I'm crazy when I tell them I'm not comfortable with craft shows and that I think they're often a waste of time.  People are often looking for a bargain, and not necessarily quality.  The best craft shows I have ever been in are those at convention.  I love doing those; they are definitely worth the stress.  *smile*

Warm regards,
Sahar Husseini
For hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind jewelry, please visit my Website at
www.saharscreations.com
Find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/saharscreations
And remember, "Obstacles don't have to stop you.
If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up.
Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
Michael Jordan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lindy van der Merwe" <stephlin at iafrica.com>
To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 10:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Selling at craft markets

Thanks, Linda, for all the tips and ideas. I have not yet decided to do the 
craft market on a
permanent basis. You have reminded me to also look for some other 
alternatives and have given me some great ideas to work with. My sincere 
thanks.
It looks like I will have someone with me for my next market, so I'm sure it 
will also help me get comfortable if I decide to do this type of selling 
more in future.
Kindest regards.
Lindy

Find PRACTICAL PRODUCTS on FACEBOOK: 
http://www.facebook.com/practicalproducts
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "River Woman" <riverwoman at zoominternet.net>
To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 2:50 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Selling at craft markets

>I sell jewelry and knitted accessories. I no longer do "craft shows" but I 
>do some higher end "Holiday Markets."  The ones I do now are set up 
>boutique style where the customers show the entire show, then bring the 
>things they wish to purchase to the "check out" area where it is sold and 
>bagged for them. This works perfect for a blind person because you do not 
>stay at your area, other than to come in a replenish the stock.  A much 
>better clientelle visites this type of market, and you get much better 
>prices.
>
> I did do craft shows for quite a few years. I soon learned that shows held 
> in churches, fire halls, and schools are typically very low end ones and 
> flooded with tons of people there to have lunch and visit, but not to buy. 
> And, they are not discriminate about how many vendors they have selling a 
> particular thing. ie, they may have a dozen tables of jewelry vendors - 
> which means very little sales for any of them.
>
>
> I do only one show now in which I am there at my booth the whole time. It 
> is in a museum, so again, the clientelle is much better and they are 
> really there to buy nice things.
>
> I always have a family member at my booth with me.
> I am alone at times when they take a bathroom break, and after doing this 
> many times for the four years I have been without sight, I am always quite 
> nervous.
> There is no way anyone would know I am blind at all. Even after I say so, 
> they are skeptical about it. I look them in the eye, and I engage with 
> them through gestures as I always did before. There is nothing about me 
> that reads "blind" unless they saw me walking in with my cane.
>
> Customers always say "over there" "that one" "this one" the "pink one" 
> etc. That is the normal way for a person who can see to designate things 
> and they have no idea that we cannot know what they mean. They are really 
> clueless about blindness - I sure was! I understand this.
>
> Here is what I do that helps though:
> I put a  clearly marked  price tag is on every item.
> If they ask the price, I hand it to them and say, "Here, you can see the 
> price on the tag." I also put any other pertinent information on the tag - 
> I use large tags so it is very CLEAR to them.
> Money? I have the bills put in an order that is always the same. I use 
> only bills and never have any change. This eliminates a very big worry.
>
> I never price anything with "cents" involved. Everything with only 
> "dollars" this way the item is $5. or $10. etc.  You can back the taxes 
> off of the price after you get home.  When you do your pricing, just round 
> it UP to the next dollar amount. This has saved me so much worries. This 
> way you need never worry about making change with those coins.
>
> You can get a money ID thing for your bills. I have an ID PacMate that 
> reads bar codes so you can even make bar codes for your items which is 
> pretty cool.
>
> Any time I sell things that are different colors, I put them in "Roy G. 
> Biv" order. In fact, everything I can put into that order in my own 
> house - all my jewelry is in Roy G. Biv order. Roy G. Biv means Red, 
> Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.  In my home I have plexiglas 
> containers that are tall. Each one has a lid, and each one holds one color 
> of necklaces. They are in Roy G. Biv order on my dresser. No worries about 
> what color I am getting, if it is kept in order.
> Another special container holds all my earrings in this order, too. I 
> found a wonderful Earring Box on Home Shopping Network. It holds 72 pairs 
> of earrings. All in order and easy for me to find just what I am looking 
> for.
>
> I do know that some people will definitely cheat you if given the 
> opportunity. If I had not had my daughter with me to watch the 
> transactions, there were some times when I would have given a person 
> change for a $20. when she really gave me a $10. and the person stood 
> there waiting for the change. My daughter saw it happening and ran over to 
> clue me in. Also, teen age girls come into your booth in groups and they 
> are there to steal - one engages you in conversation while the firends are 
> stealing. This happens a lot at outdoor festivals. I cannot imagine being 
> in the booth alone without some watchful eyes to watch the crowd - 
> especially when you sell jewelry. It is small and very easily slid off the 
> table into a tote bag even when a person CAN see well.
>
> Those would be my most important tips after about 10 years of doing arts 
> festivals, craft shows, and markets.
>
> Lynda River Woman
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Lindy van der Merwe" <stephlin at iafrica.com>
> To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 3:03 AM
> Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Selling at craft markets
>
>
>> Hi there,
>> To those who sell at craft markets, I was wondering about a few things.
>> 1 Do any of you manage a stall or a table on your own, or do you usually 
>> have someone there to help?
>> 2 If you do it on your own, how do you answer the questions: how much is 
>> this? or I'd like to take this ... or Do you have change for this?
>> 3 How do you handle sorting and exchanging paper money?
>> I had my first experience with selling at a stall last Saturday and these 
>> were some of the aspects I had to deal with.
>> I don't think it is immediately obvious that I am blind, which did make 
>> for some awkward situations, I thought.
>> Perhaps there may be some obvious answers to some of these questions, or 
>> perhaps I just need some practice with being more comfortable in dealing 
>> with strangers in that type of setting?
>> I know it will be most helpful to have prices on either the products or 
>> on the containers they reside in, but it just felt like people related to 
>> me using gestures a lot of the time, which obviously made communication 
>> somewhat difficult and even though I wanted to respond in a confident 
>> manner, I found it quite challenging at times.
>> Any ideas and thoughts would be much appreciated.
>> Lindy
>>
>>
>> Find PRACTICAL PRODUCTS on FACEBOOK: 
>> http://www.facebook.com/practicalproducts
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: <Blindhands at aol.com>
>> To: <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 5:28 AM
>> Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Looking for volunteers
>>
>>
>>>I am looking for teachers to teach the classes.  Do you know or are  you
>>> interested in teaching any of these suggested classes?  I need 
>>> volunteers to
>>> teach.
>>>
>>> Heads up we hopefully will be having an email class with an Origami 
>>> project
>>> in  the near future.    I will do a soap class and a sewing  class, but 
>>> I
>>> am busy with kicking off my new craft business.   I am  not sure if I 
>>> can
>>> fit classes in that I will teach between now and middle of  July.  I 
>>> have 4
>>> holidays between now and then to fill orders.   Hopefully I am putting 
>>> St.
>>> Patty's Day Wild Irish Roses to bed maybe by  tomorrow.  I have 100 in 
>>> reserve
>>> for my Irish Bar that is selling soo many  of them.  I spent the last 2 
>>> days
>>> working on Easter ones to get a head  start.  I will know on Wednesday 
>>> if
>>> they need any more St. Patty's Day  ones.
>>>
>>> We need to wait for the Latch Hook class to be finished before we start 
>>> a
>>> new email class.  I want to only do one at a time email class for now,
>>> until we work any problems out.
>>>
>>> So think about what you can teach, host a chat night  topic.    I will 
>>> be
>>> there to help with what YOU do.
>>>
>>> Krafters Korner is for everyone and everyone makes Krafters Korner what 
>>> it
>>> is!
>>> Joyce  Kane
>>> _www.KraftersKorner.org_ (http://www.krafterskorner.org/)
>>> Blindhands at AOL.com
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Nfb-krafters-korner mailing list
>>> Nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>> Nfb-krafters-korner:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org/stephlin%40iafrica.com
>>>
>>>
>>> -----
>>> No virus found in this message.
>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>>> Version: 10.0.1424 / Virus Database: 2113/4866 - Release Date: 03/12/12
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Nfb-krafters-korner mailing list
>> Nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> Nfb-krafters-korner:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org/riverwoman%40zoominternet.net
>>
>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Nfb-krafters-korner mailing list
> Nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> Nfb-krafters-korner:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org/stephlin%40iafrica.com
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 10.0.1424 / Virus Database: 2113/4867 - Release Date: 03/12/12
> 

_______________________________________________
Nfb-krafters-korner mailing list
Nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nfb-krafters-korner:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org/sahar%40inebraska.com