# Any issues with CP soap at outdoor fairs?



## Best Natural Soap (Jul 15, 2010)

I need some advice about CP soap and outdoor summer craft shows. Do you have issues with it sweating or melting? How about issues with it getting "shop worn?" 
I'm trying to decide if I should totally shrinkwrap my bars to protect them or not... I like the look of "naked" bars the best, but am worried that they'll get manhandled and beat up from multiple shows. (although, if they sell quick enough, maybe that won't be a problem!). 
Also- has anyone had problems with labels absorbing moisture from their bars? I've been using a waterproof paper, but feel like I may be paying for something that's not necessary. 
Thanks, soap buds!!!!


----------



## opalgirl (Jul 15, 2010)

I do a farmer's market twice a month and have not had any troubles with sweating. (We'll see how Saturday goes though, very humid in the Midwest)  I only put out 3 bars of each scent and restock as needed.  Fortunately they get sold pretty fast so I haven't had any issue with getting handled too much (mine have a cigar band horizontally and vertically).  The only time I noticed my paper absorbing water was when it was raining.  Even though I hava tent it still felt like they were getting wet.  I packed up and left.  I didn't want to risk messing up my stock and having to re-label everything.


----------



## donniej (Jul 16, 2010)

I use wax paper bags, and the weather here in Philly has been *bruital* this year...  At 100% Humidity (inside, during the rain) the unpackaged bars will be covered in a thin layer of moisture.  They don't sweat or bead with water but you can see and feel a light coat of moisture.  

In dry weather approaching 100*F they do get a little soft but keeping shade on them seems to work fine.  I even had some melt & pour folks tell me that there soaps would have melted if they had them out.  

These effects are only on the samples I leave unpackaged for everyone to smell.  The packaged bars do not appear effected.  The labels, which I print on a small, commercial inkjet printer, also hold up just fine (unless they get rained on).


----------



## BakingNana (Jul 16, 2010)

I've been using a paper made from banana fiber and an inkjet printer, and I have some bars that have had the labels on them for almost a year and there isn't any transfer of anything to the paper so far.  I really didn't want to spend the money for waterproof labels, either.  I don't have any experience with having them out in the weather, although I've had more humidity this summer in my curing room than I like.  Still not having problems, though.  Knock on wood.

BSN, do you have an outdoor fair coming up soon?  Keep us posted!


----------



## Woodi (Jul 16, 2010)

I experienced all those things at some markets....depends on the weather, the humidity especially.

I didn't enjoy much that customers pick up any or every bar and stuff a corner of it into a nostril. One woman even handed a bar to her toddler in a stroller. I gasped, thinking the kid might suck on it. 

and then some people would pick up every scent just to sniff it, laugh and chatter and giggle a whole lot, walk away without buying any.

It's a good opportunity to get to know your customers though, if you can do it without getting too disheartened at how uncaring people can be in handling someone else's property.

oh yes, and the ones who drop a bar in the grass and dirt, and just put it back, take a clean one to buy. :roll: 

at the end of my first day at an outdoor market I swore never to do another one, but then friends urged me....so I did a few more. Didn't much like the experience.

Now I prefer to do studio tour shows, or sell to one high-end store, locally. Much tidier.


----------



## BakingNana (Jul 16, 2010)

Woodi, thanks for the post.  It's been probably ten years since I worked directly with the "public."  You brought those memories right back to me!  When we did quilt shows, we'd post signs on the quilts warning people not to touch them.  Some people would actually MOVE THE SIGNS out of their way and grab at the quilts.  You sure see the "rules don't apply to me" attitude out there.


----------



## Best Natural Soap (Jul 16, 2010)

Thanks so much, everyone, for your responses!! I appreciate you all more than you can imagine! Until I found this forum, I didn't "know" anyone else who made soap, and now I have a big ol' family of soapies just like me!!!  

I'm contemplating a few shows in August, Sept, Oct. and Nov. I can choose inside or outside for Nov., but the others are all outside. I've done quite a few smaller indoor shows with soap- but wasn't sure about the sweating/melting thing outdoors. 
These are bigger shows than my typical ones- more expensive to get into, anyway, and they're juried. They range from $175-295 for a two day (weekend) show. Is that pretty typical compared to what all of you have seen?


----------



## Bigmoose (Jul 18, 2010)

By me it seems that when you get out of summer and into fall the shows for the most part they get cheaper and the shoppers start buying more.  Check with some of the larger schools and a church or two.  I have had some great fall shows at schools where I paid $40 to $80 to get in.  For the month of Nov. and the first 2 weeks of Dec. I have 5 of the 6 weekends booked allready.  It is the best time for sales.

Bruce


----------

