# Displays - Baskets, tiers and tables OH MY!



## SpellboundSoaps (Feb 7, 2013)

:wave:I am doing a bit of research on how to sell at craft fairs. I have NEVER sold at a craft fair and I can't tell you the last time I've gone to one. I think the Ren Faire is as close to a craft fair as I've come. I suppose that should count as they sell things they have made like jewelry, those cute little flower crowns and such and they do have "booths." Anyways, it is a goal of mine that within the next year or so I sell at 1 craft fair. Then easy into more when and if time permits and as long as it is beneficial. I'm talking maybe in 6 months towards the end of August or September (maybe) so I've got plenty of time to plan and acquire supplies. 

So I was wondering about displays.  I have been actively looking at how others display their soaps online and specifically on pinterest. I've been to the farmers markets around and no one in my area sells soap there. I live in the suburbs North of Los Angeles so you would think someone would capitalize on a huge population but perhaps it isn't their season or I just missed them. Online a lot of people seem to use baskets on tables and while I like that idea I've also wondered about tier displays. Baskets can hold ample merchandise but it's not exactly eye catching to me. 

I worked in retail, specifically as a merchandiser for several years and as such I've discovered that putting things at different levels moves the eyes more. Thus giving the customer more to look at and it makes them go over the merch more than once. This also gives them a reason to stay and actually look at what is around them. I worked in a bookstore and noticed that the tables where books where just laying there flat (even the new releases at the very front of the store) weren't picked over half as much as the best seller shelves where they had to look at different levels. I figured they can simply cast a 3 second glance and see everything so they will move on and probably not purchase anything.

So, that being discovered I've researched and priced some tiered displays online. Wire, wood, cardboard and acrylic. I've made a pro and con list for each type (I'm a bit of a research fanatic and I like my lists). :think:


Cardboard is easy to set up and take down, stores flat but is cheap in price and also could look cheap to customers.


Acrylic and wood are more sturdy, though they could be made to come apart and cost more but can only fit a limited amount (based on sizes I found they'd fit at max two bars back and maybe 3 or 4 across per unit.) However, I could continually restock them after each sale. Keeping me busy in case a customer wants to browse in peace.


Wire could be used at home for curing, taken a part and fit plenty of product but is also costly.

I've thought of making displays that put baskets or even crates at different levels. Crates have multiple purposes - they can be shelving to put soaps at different levels and then later used to cart soap to load and unload. Baskets could be displayed on top of the crates or even in the crates. I've also made cake stands to display soap. Especially cupcakes or soap cakes. I use them to put my soap on for product pictures.

*I wondered if some craft fair veterans might have some advice about what they use and what works best for them? *


 Do you use any combination of what I've talked about or something different?
 Where did you get what you use or did you make it?
 What else do you use to decorate your area or do you just use soap?

It's not like they sell things to display your soap at Brambleberry  & I'd much rather trust someone who has used what they've bought at  blah-blah-blah-store.com to display soap than to buy something and be stuck with it you know? Consider this research and development 

I like these kinds of displays:
http://pinterest.com/pin/16536723603676606/
http://pinterest.com/pin/16536723603930855/
http://pinterest.com/pin/16536723603960331/


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## Hazel (Feb 7, 2013)

Did you see this article?   http://www.soapbytheloaf.com/displaying-soaps.htm


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## Genny (Feb 7, 2013)

I like wood displays for bars of soap.  But mixing it up with a few baskets of samples or something is nice, too.  Metal fruit baskets work really good for displaying bath bombs & soap balls 
Woodfield has nice carrying case displays.  I have 2 of their 40 bar displays http://shop.woodfieldswood.com/Soap-Displays_c4.htm
I also have this http://www.forcraftssake.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20&products_id=33  from For Crafts Sake.

Both companies have great customer service & answered all my crazy questions before I ordered.

If you plan to do a lot of markets, cardboard doesn't hold up well.  But if you would like to do cardboard anyway, Sunshine Container has great customer service. I've ordered soap boxes & lip balm boxes through them quite a few times.


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## Marilyna (Feb 7, 2013)

Those Woodfields' displays are just too cute and handy, but expensive!


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## SpellboundSoaps (Feb 8, 2013)

Hazel said:


> Did you see this article?   http://www.soapbytheloaf.com/displaying-soaps.htm




Of course! Almost every photo in that post is on my pinterest board.


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## SpellboundSoaps (Feb 8, 2013)

Genny said:


> I like wood displays for bars of soap.  But mixing it up with a few baskets of samples or something is nice, too.  Metal fruit baskets work really good for displaying bath bombs & soap balls
> Woodfield has nice carrying case displays.  I have 2 of their 40 bar displays http://shop.woodfieldswood.com/Soap-Displays_c4.htm
> I also have this http://www.forcraftssake.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20&products_id=33  from For Crafts Sake.
> 
> ...



I want to sell at the local farmers market  every weekend when it gets a little bit warmer. We've been threatened with snow tomorrow, which is unusual for the Los Angeles area. So cardboard probably won't be the best option but for a start I figured it could be ok. I have seen the displays that Woodfield's has but at a different place for slightly cheaper. I like the idea that the display folds up and then becomes a carrying case but can't see myself actually liking that for long. 

I do like the display that is at For Crafts Sake. I hadn't seen that website before so thank you for that. Does that one come apart at all or is it just solid? Did you get it in the natural or did you get it on a color?


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## Genny (Feb 8, 2013)

SpellboundSoaps said:


> I do like the display that is at For Crafts Sake. I hadn't seen that website before so thank you for that. Does that one come apart at all or is it just solid? Did you get it in the natural or did you get it on a color?



It's solid & I got it in natural because I had intended to paint it, but haven't got around to it yet.


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