[Nfb-krafters-korner] Selling at craft markets

Mon Mar 19 07:40:46 UTC 2012

I do also enjoy the cameraderie and sharing a long day with a friend.
Lindy

Find PRACTICAL PRODUCTS on FACEBOOK: 
http://www.facebook.com/practicalproducts
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sarah Sykes" <sarahmsykes at gmail.com>
To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 4:59 PM
Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Selling at craft markets

I haven't done very many craft shows, but I've done a TON of
exhibiting for my job and I can say that the stress level goes way
down when you are doing a show with at least one other person. Aside
from any visual or money related concerns, it's just better to have
someone with you, to have conversation if the show is a dud and you've
got no business, to pinch hit for each other for lunch breaks, to
handle multiple transactions when business is booming, etc.

Sarah M Sykes

On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 6:16 PM, Sahar Husseini <sahar at inebraska.com> wrote:
> 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
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>>
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Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1424 / Virus Database: 2113/4870 - Release Date: 03/14/12