# Show # 2 under my belt!



## Stace41971 (Nov 9, 2014)

And I have show #3 lined up for next weekend!  I have to say, as a hardcore introvert ( I wrote the post about craft shows and introversion) it is difficult making myself go..and I HATE when my husband leaves me a the booth by myself ("No you can't use the bathroom! Someone will come while you're gone!" LOL) but I talk to the people that stop by and even when he's there I am the one doing most of the talking ...which is a change from the first show. I got a lot of feed back about my set up...everyone seemed to love it and people would stop by just to tell me they loved my "branding".  I made my goal (the price of the booth, the donation for the silent auction, lunch and gas) plus $100.  I dont expect to do as well  next weekend, but getting out and gaining confidence will be nice. Now I just need to have enough confidence in myself and my product to do some bigger shows.  little steps lol.  Thank you all for your advice!


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## Aline (Nov 9, 2014)

Congrats! Very nice booth. Love the natural look - your banner even looks hand-embroidered? The muted color scheme is very appealing - and the splash of color from your burgundy top is perfect  Plus the height and layout are excellent. Did you/your husband make the risers?


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## OliveOil2 (Nov 9, 2014)

Your booth looks great! I really like your chalk boards and large white sign, and the risers are perfect. Glad to hear that it was easier for you this time!


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## goji_fries (Nov 9, 2014)

Really proud of you guys. Keep it going, much success


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## Stace41971 (Nov 10, 2014)

Aline said:


> Congrats! Very nice booth. Love the natural look - your banner even looks hand-embroidered? The muted color scheme is very appealing - and the splash of color from your burgundy top is perfect  Plus the height and layout are excellent. Did you/your husband make the risers?



I cut every letter out of fabric and sewed it on the banner...same with the tree and every individual leaf.  It was quite the process lol.  I didn't hand sew it on though, at that point I just wanted to get it done..so the machine it was! 

My husband did make the risers..out of some rough cut lumber we had lying around the farm. It was also his idea to paint them..and I really like them that color green so Im happy he convinced me


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## Susie (Nov 10, 2014)

That really is an awesome set up.  And you will be an expert at handling crowds before you know it!


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## shunt2011 (Nov 10, 2014)

What a lovely display!  Congratulations on your second show.  It does seem to get easier the more you do.  I think you gain more confidence in your product and yourself.


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## navigator9 (Nov 10, 2014)

I'm so happy for you! It's like anything else, the more you do it, the more comfortable you get. You look gorgeous, you display is beautiful, and your appliqued banner is amazing. What's not to feel confident about? When you feel more comfortable, talk to fellow vendors. We have so much in common. I always like to talk with them about other craft fairs they've done. I ask for recommendations, and always pass along experiences I've had at craft fairs that I've done. People are really appreciative about info like this. You will get to the point after a while, where you'll see vendors you know at other craft fairs, and it's like meeting old friends. I think you will come to love it. Yay for you!!! :clap:


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## girlishcharm2004 (Nov 10, 2014)

That looks great!  I'm totally a fan!  I would check out your booth if I saw you!


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## KatieShephard (Nov 10, 2014)

I love love love your sign!  I would definitely come to your booth...it looks cozy and friendly


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## Stacy (Nov 10, 2014)

Way to go! As everyone said, your whole setup looks fantastic!

You've already taken the hardest step which is doing it before your introverted self can talk you out of it.  Keep at it and you'll feel like a pro in no time


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## pamielynn (Nov 10, 2014)

Vermont girls rock. 
Glad you enjoyed yourself!


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## seven (Nov 10, 2014)

congrats on your doing your 2nd show. i've yet to participate in a show as we have no such thing as craft fairs over here, and the fee to enter in a bazaar is pretty steep (something like $500-600 for a 2-3 day show... yeah, not joking!)... how many bars am i suppose to sell?


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## Stace41971 (Nov 10, 2014)

seven said:


> congrats on your doing your 2nd show. i've yet to participate in a show as we have no such thing as craft fairs over here, and the fee to enter in a bazaar is pretty steep (something like $500-600 for a 2-3 day show... yeah, not joking!)... how many bars am i suppose to sell?



There are some bigger shows here in the states that are expensive to get into...I was looking at a health and wellness show in Massachusetts that cost anywhere from between $500 and $3000.  I thought the same thing...How many bars of soap would I have to sell! Crazy! lol


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## seven (Nov 10, 2014)

^^^
exactly! how many soap am i suppose to sell just to cover the entrance fee? i'm currently on my 2nd year of selling and i'm thinking, perhaps i should just go ahead and do it. these shows can give you more exposure, more people know that you exist. i do plan to enter starting next year, not aiming for profit definitely, just part of promoting my brand.


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## SplendorSoaps (Nov 10, 2014)

Congratulations!  I have to tell you that I love your banner design.  The rest of the booth looks great too, but the banner really caught my eye.  If I was shopping, I'd stop by!


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## goji_fries (Nov 10, 2014)

seven said:


> congrats on your doing your 2nd show. i've yet to participate in a show as we have no such thing as craft fairs over here, and the fee to enter in a bazaar is pretty steep (something like $500-600 for a 2-3 day show... yeah, not joking!)... how many bars am i suppose to sell?





Stace41971 said:


> There are some bigger shows here in the states that are expensive to get into...I was looking at a health and wellness show in Massachusetts that cost anywhere from between $500 and $3000.  I thought the same thing...How many bars of soap would I have to sell! Crazy! lol



125 - $4 bars just to pay the fee :thumbdown: --- that's absolutely crazy! Does anyone know anybody who has sold 125 bars in one sitting? Well, Stace the Martha's Vineyard club demands only the finest of the finest and that costs a lot a lot _a lot_ a lot. But who can justify $3000 for a stand? Maybe those prices are intended for larger vendors with large exhibitions? Do some have an option to pay less for a smaller setup?


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## Stace41971 (Nov 10, 2014)

goji_fries said:


> 125 - $4 bars just to pay the fee :thumbdown: --- that's absolutely crazy! Does anyone know anybody who has sold 125 bars in one sitting? Well, Stace the Martha's Vineyard club demands only the finest of the finest and that costs a lot a lot _a lot_ a lot. But who can justify $3000 for a stand? Maybe those prices are intended for larger vendors with large exhibitions? Do some have an option to pay less for a smaller setup?


It costs $595 for a table up against the wall...to display your stuff on. Craziness in my opinion lol 

Booth Type Price
Front 10’ x 20’ $ 2595 SOLD OUT
Rear 10’ x 20’ $ 2295 SOLD OUT
10’ x 10’ Corner $ 1295 SOLD OUT
10’ x 10’ $ 1095
8’ x 8’ Corner $ 995
8’ x 8’ $ 895
Table Top $ 595
Non-Profit Table $ 395


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## Ellacho (Nov 10, 2014)

That's beautiful! So proud of you. I envy you~~


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## bumblewood (Nov 10, 2014)

Stace41971 said:


> It costs $595 for a table up against the wall...to display your stuff on. Craziness in my opinion lol
> 
> Booth Type Price
> Front 10’ x 20’ $ 2595 SOLD OUT
> ...



So theoretically you could get the non-profit table for $395 if you didn't sell enough to cover your table fee... :wink:


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## navigator9 (Nov 11, 2014)

There was one year when I decided it was time for me to put on my big girl panties and try some of the bigger shows around here. Not as expensive as the one you mentioned, but with hundreds of  vendors, in a large venue. I discovered that bigger does not necessarily mean more sales. 

If I were you, I would go to the fair that you mentioned, as a shopper and observe. At the bigger venues that I did, many vendors arrived with U-haul trucks. They have enormous set ups. These people are pros! They bring a crew to help them set up and break down. It's easy for a smaller crafter to get lost at a venue like this. At least that's how I felt. I did OK. But not enough for me to want to do it again. Also, in my area, the same person organizes all of the bigger venues and she does an awful job. She oversells spaces, so that some people who had paid, arrived only to find that there was no room for them. She crams vendors in so tightly that there is no space between tables, and if you need to use the bathroom, you have to crawl under your table to get out! After I did a couple of her fairs I promised myself I'd *never* do another.

Also, at larger fairs, there will be more soapmakers there, so more opportunities for customers to spend their soap dollars elsewhere. So I'd say, look for quality shows, and that's why I mentioned talking to other vendors. I always share my best venues with others, and have gotten some good advice from them in return. I now have a list of craft fairs that I love to do because, for one thing, their organizers really know what they're doing. They don't book too many vendors who make the same thing, and they are careful not to place you too close to someone else who makes what you do. If it's at a school, they will often have students who will help you move your stuff in and out. And they are well attended and in areas where people like to spend money. 

It takes a while to build up a list of good venues. It's trial and error at first. I have a friend who loves to shop at craft fairs, and goes to every one she can find. She is a good source of info. There are craft fairs that are difficult to get into, because there are just so many spaces, and the same vendors go back year after year, if they've been successful. Those vendors are usually contacted first, so it can be hard to get in. Try to find the contact person for those fairs and ask to be placed on their contact list in case there is a cancellation. There is often a web page or Facebook page for craft fairs with the contact person's email address. You might say something like "I attended your craft fair yesterday at the local high school, and I was impressed with the quality of the handmade items I saw there, and how smoothly things seemed to be running. I am a maker of handcrafted soaps and I feel like they would be a good fit for your fair. Please add me to your contact list for the future. I look forward to meeting you!"  Like I mentioned, once you've done a fair, you'll probably be invited back first, before they offer spaces to other vendors, at least that's been my experience. Also, at juried shows, you will be asked to submit photos of your products and possibly your booth. *Don't be afraid* of juried shows, like I was. Both your booth and your products are they type of quality that they're looking for, you would have no trouble getting in a juried show. So have pictures ready.

I'm sorry this is so long, but there's a lot of info I wish I had when I was just starting out. It can be very intimidating in the beginning. Making soap is a lot of work, and so is doing craft fairs, so I figure anything that can make them easier, or more profitable is worth sharing. So remember, craft fairs don't have to be that big.....or that expensive, to be good.


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## Stace41971 (Nov 11, 2014)

navigator9 said:


> There was one year when I decided it was time for me to put on my big girl panties and try some of the bigger shows around here. Not as expensive as the one you mentioned, but with hundreds of  vendors, in a large venue. I discovered that bigger does not necessarily mean more sales.



Thank you so much for your post!!  That is exactly the kind of information I look for   I've been pretty lucky at the past two fairs...the vendors next to me were all talkative and very helpful...giving me names of places they thought my soaps would do well.  So that was nice, my social anxiety always makes me nervous..and I worry that people are going to think my soap is horrible because i use lard..or because i use fragrance oils..or maybe they don't like the labels...I pick everything apart and think others will do the same...I just need to find my confidence with it all.  Right now I'm perfectly OK doing smaller venues..my husband (Mr. extrovert lol), on the other hand, is all about doing bigger shows.  I just don't feel I'm ready.  I think I'd be a nervous mess . I just know that by next year, he's going to want to try and do at least one big show...so I'm really trying to work on my confidence by doing smaller things right now.


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## cmzaha (Nov 11, 2014)

Your setup up looks fantastic. Good job. I, at times, get frustrated since the downturn in our markets here and the amount of competition but on the whole I really enjoy doing craft fairs and farmer markets. Something to do after retirement. As was mentioned above, large venues do not necessarily mean large sales. I recently went to a craft fair, to check it out. My hubby asked my why I missed it and I told him I simply would not pay $700 even it it was at the Anaheim Convention Center. I can tell you I felt so sorry for the vendors there. They all took a huge loss that day. There were just no shoppers. I talked to a couple of vendors I knew and they informed me the day before was just as bad and did not come close to making even booth costs. I used to have a limit of paying $100 per day for a larger show but not anymore. 
The more shows you do the more comfortable you will become and my husband and I have made some really good friends at our markets. After you have done several you will recognize the same vendors at the fairs. You are starting out great with your very nice looking booth


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## goji_fries (Nov 11, 2014)

cmzaha said:


> Your setup up looks fantastic. Good job. I, at times, get frustrated since the downturn in our markets here and the amount of competition but on the whole I really enjoy doing craft fairs and farmer markets. Something to do after retirement. As was mentioned above, large venues do not necessarily mean large sales. I recently went to a craft fair, to check it out. My hubby asked my why I missed it and I told him I simply would not pay $700 even it it was at the Anaheim Convention Center. I can tell you I felt so sorry for the vendors there. They all took a huge loss that day. There were just no shoppers. I talked to a couple of vendors I knew and they informed me the day before was just as bad and did not come close to making even booth costs. I used to have a limit of paying $100 per day for a larger show but not anymore.
> The more shows you do the more comfortable you will become and my husband and I have made some really good friends at our markets. After you have done several you will recognize the same vendors at the fairs. You are starting out great with your very nice looking booth



There should be a massive market correction for booth/space pricing in these festivals. Overcharging struggling vendors in a bad economy is a slap in the face. :silent:


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