But it isn't your business. Either way.
Booth advice
- Thread starter Vicki C
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KimR
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The deodorant containers are a great idea!
I also sold crochet hats and shawls so I was always working on a hat on a tall chair directly behind my booth. I could set it down when someone came to my booth. Folks would tend to be curious, "what I was working on now", so the conversation would start. I never Not set down what I was working on even with my husband there to talk to the customer, who was always standing behind one of the tables. We had tall director type chairs that elevated us behind our tall elevated tables. People at craft and open markets tend to be curious people.
While it is your own business it does at times help to take hints from sellers that have years of success at markets. I was a vendor at many markets for approx 10 yrs before retiring up to 5 markets per week. Was I successful yes, did I have bad markets at times yes, it happens, when attending markets there are always ups and downs and when working with a regular market manager sometimes you just have to do some of their slow markets to gain preferable spaces in their top markets. In other words, you play the game. At my main uber busy Friday market, I had a corner center street space at the beginning of the farmer section for several years, which took me a few years to worm my way into, by getting on the good side of the manager and owner. This market had up to 10 soap sellers, guess who outsold and outlasted all the others.
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I use cardboard risers from Gershel Bros. New and Used Store Fixtures | Gershel Brothers They are light weight, easy to transport, assemble and store. They are also pretty sturdy and economical. I was concerned that being cardboard, they would not hold up, but i've had no problems with them and another vendor I know says she's had hers for quite a long time. She does not cover hers, but I drape mine with a tablecloth. I used them to display my candles, which are quite heavy. In this picture I have three of then together covered in a red tablecloth.
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@maxine289 those look wonderful. I’d order them right now, but my husband mentioned that he was making a surprise for me while I am gone, and it is probably a set of collapsible wood risers. Gonna bookmark your post in case I’m wrong. 
Wish I had known about this before I bought mine.
@maxine289 Those look terrific and at a decent price too! Do you take them apart and re-assemble them for every market?
Thanks! People also ask “Which soap is your favorite?” and I tell them that’s like asking which of my children is my favorite.
Reviving this thread as my outdoor markets are winding down. This Saturday will be my 50th market! Yowza. Here are a few things I have learned.
- I think booth set up might depend in part on where you live - my experience is that in my markets people like the separation between customer and vendor. They want to shop from outside. A few times I created a U shape to protect my goods from the sun but it was harder to draw people in. I am in New England. I’d be curious to hear more about other regions - your feedback in this thread about booth setup was so interesting to me.
- People appreciate low pressure chat. I sometimes offer a compliment - “I love that t shirt” or “your colors match my booth you should come work for me” or really anything. But I don’t try to get people to look if they aren’t into it.
- Selling soap is a sensory, emotional experience. People love smelling it. I can tell when someone has a favorite because they will smell, look, smell, look, and maybe put it back, but come back to it. They are so funny and predictable.
- Everybody is different and likes different things. I can have a market where I sell equal numbers of every single soap. My wood soap with pine tar bark is unusual and many people make a face when they smell it, but I had one young girl say “Ooo this smells like Christmas morning when you are opening presents and you have a fire in the fireplace!” So cute.
- When adults tell their kids not to touch I (usually) tell the adult that it is fine with me, that they can’t hurt anything. Sometimes when kids are eating and have sticky hands I stay quiet. Sometimes when kids are disappointed that they can’t get a bath bomb I let them pick out a ribbon. (I have a hanger with ribbons for soap dish/soap combos.)
- It makes a huge difference if you have a deal for three bars. It motivates people to pick their three favorites.
- When something doesn’t work, pivot and try something else. I was trying to sell little bags of three mini bars - each bag had a theme (fall, fruity, woodsy, lavender, minty) but they were not a hit. When I made a little case that held 16 different varieties and sold them by threes, people went nuts for them. This is a new staple feature at my booth.
Thats it for now! Long post. Would love to hear other market anecdotes and experiences.
- I think booth set up might depend in part on where you live - my experience is that in my markets people like the separation between customer and vendor. They want to shop from outside. A few times I created a U shape to protect my goods from the sun but it was harder to draw people in. I am in New England. I’d be curious to hear more about other regions - your feedback in this thread about booth setup was so interesting to me.
- People appreciate low pressure chat. I sometimes offer a compliment - “I love that t shirt” or “your colors match my booth you should come work for me” or really anything. But I don’t try to get people to look if they aren’t into it.
- Selling soap is a sensory, emotional experience. People love smelling it. I can tell when someone has a favorite because they will smell, look, smell, look, and maybe put it back, but come back to it. They are so funny and predictable.
- Everybody is different and likes different things. I can have a market where I sell equal numbers of every single soap. My wood soap with pine tar bark is unusual and many people make a face when they smell it, but I had one young girl say “Ooo this smells like Christmas morning when you are opening presents and you have a fire in the fireplace!” So cute.
- When adults tell their kids not to touch I (usually) tell the adult that it is fine with me, that they can’t hurt anything. Sometimes when kids are eating and have sticky hands I stay quiet. Sometimes when kids are disappointed that they can’t get a bath bomb I let them pick out a ribbon. (I have a hanger with ribbons for soap dish/soap combos.)
- It makes a huge difference if you have a deal for three bars. It motivates people to pick their three favorites.
- When something doesn’t work, pivot and try something else. I was trying to sell little bags of three mini bars - each bag had a theme (fall, fruity, woodsy, lavender, minty) but they were not a hit. When I made a little case that held 16 different varieties and sold them by threes, people went nuts for them. This is a new staple feature at my booth.
Thats it for now! Long post. Would love to hear other market anecdotes and experiences.
I agree with all your assessments other than telling the parents it is okay for the kids to touch if they have told their kids not to touch. In those situations, I would hand the parent a soap that I knew most kids liked and say they can share it. Sticky fingers no problem, soap washes off. Or I would give them the sample slice as I always had extra smell samples. Happy kiddo happy moms/dads and many times a sale. I also had a huge bucket of rubber duckies which I did sell, but if a child was sad, or acting up I would quietly ask if they could pick out a duckie. Sometimes I had a stash of the little bottles of bubbles from Oriental Trading to give to kids with parents' permission. Happy Kids=sales many times or at least they think about you and come back. I played this game for over 10yrs and you learn a lot.
My booths were always set up so they did not enter my booth space because we found this worked best. ref post #4.
My booths were always set up so they did not enter my booth space because we found this worked best. ref post #4.
Good ideas - yes your feedback on booth setup helped me a lot.
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