Its almost that time again

[Bendita]

Well not quite folks but its definitely time to start thinking about it and planning for a successful show right?

I was in that rat race for many years when it suddenly dawned on me I was wasting my time. I would year after year prepare for the annual bazaar wow its huge this year about 400 tables sold wow...... I meant whoa! not wow. Every year I would toil in my shop trying to get enough pieces to fill my table and Year after year my friends or my wife's friends would stop by about 2-3 days before the show and buy up 1/4 of my inventory, so I had to start all over trying to fill this table for the Christmas bazaar, only to find I would come home after the bazaar with almost everything I made intact to be given away during the remainder of the year and some as Christmas presents to the friends who were to cheap to buy it from me in the first place. That's when that little light bulb came on and I decided to change things up a bit, First before I'll enlighten you all with my idea, well maybe not originally my idea but I thought of it at the time so it was my idea, let me ask you all a question, When you have a table in a hall with 400 other participants and your potential buyer walks through that door with a hundred dollars to spend and may I add that being liberal most people don't spend that much on bazaars, after all were all supposed to be amateurs  meaning we don't make plastic things, but lets just for argument sake say 100 dollars how much of that hundred bucks will ever cross your table. if it was fair we would split it that means .25 cents each table but you know the kids cant make it past the hot dog stand and they have have a pop and then there is that pesky lady next to you that puts initials on chocolate she'll take a chunk out of your 25 cents. So in reality we may end up with a nickle if were really lucky and then they want 50 bucks for the table lets not forget that, all the while they are the ones that run that hot dog stand and are stealing your money. So After my last affair with the bazaar I decided our relationship was done, we just weren't meant for each other and we could not go on hurting one another any longer.

My idea was all these friends that were buying me out could do a lot better, as they already liked my stuff I could offer them a first showing option. So by invitation only they were invited to a fun filled evening were they would have everything I made at there finger tips to buy at specially pre show prices ( just a little higher then the bazaar prices) I offered a hot malt wine while they made their purchases.

You know what happened? They came to spend, they were prepared to lay out some good money as it was for a good friend who invited them to his home and gave them first option to purchase, they knew of the quality and every dollar that came through the door was mine, no table rent just the cost of the wine but the Wife would have drunk it anyways, also people were in a sense forced to buy something as they were almost to embarrassed not to.

The only rules I made were you must sign the guest book with your mailing address and you must bring along a guest who is also required to fill in the guest book, they also received an invitation the following year, with in 4 years we had our own 400 people and had to make it a weekend affair. I stopped doing that and we opened a store called imagine that wood products.

 

Something for all of us to toss around I think those craft and bazaar things have had it to good for to long.

Have a nice day everyone.

.../Hans

[spirithorse]

Glad you had such success, Hans,

Thanks for sharing your experience and your results.

God Bless! Spirithorse

[amazingkevin]

Most of the stuff i seen at shows nobody needs or why, if at all.! You tell a great story ,very interesting.

[Kepy]

I remember years ago that some friends had a showing like that.  It was invitation only at a house where several friends had their crafts for sale.

[Jim Finn]

This seems like a good idea to me.

              I have hundreds of items to display and it takes me 2 1/2 hours to set it up. an hour to get to the sale, an hour home, and about one hour to tear the display down and about 1/2 hour to put in storage at home.  I have a large garage well located in a city of 230,000 that I could set up my display and leave it there for a month if I choose.  A little creigs list advertising just before Christmas may work for me this year.  Hmmmm... something to consider at least.  Thanks for this idea.

[Phantom Scroller]

Good idea Hans my wife won't share her wine with anyone. lol  Show us your shop pictures I'd love to see your set up. Roly

[Bendita]

Good idea Hans my wife won't share her wine with anyone. lol  Show us your shop pictures I'd love to see your set up. Roly

This was all in my past life Roly I had a 2 bay garage stuffed full of tools and material but no more I now live In Mexico Yucatan where I work outside or in a bedroom that has air conditioning no shop sorry I own a router a jigsaw a dremmel and a dw788 saw thats her no more thats all I need for what I do. Oh pardon me I have a tiny drill press also.

[Fish]

Good work, glad to hear it's working out. Dad always said a satisfied customer always comes back. We don't drink wine so I'll have my daughter sell kool aid

[bandaideman]

Now all I need is 400 friends and stamps. All kidding aside that is really a common sense approach and doable but any one. I may do something like that just to get inventory down. I have only done 2-3 shows and now just make stuff but I am running out places to put them. I have started sending it to my Niece and she does craft shows and will sell it. She needs the extra money. I just charge her the shipping to here if she wants it.

[LarryEA]

I agree with you. Craft shows are primarily for the sponsors.

It's a crap shoot for the crafters. Maybe this will get the

gears moving and I will make a plan.

Thanks for the post Hans.

[dansnow]

Thanks for the info and a nudge to think outside the craft fair. The wife and I have often discussed ways to reach customers outside of the crap shoot of the craft fair. Granted there are a couple of craft fairs that we did  very well at and plan to return to, as well as a couple in the "well, we won't be going back to that one!" category.