Booth Photos
As promised last week, here are a few photos of my booth for my first 3-day craft show:
Above: I used cork bulletin boards for my jewelry, key chains, and luggage tags. Overall, I was happy with this display. It was easy and quick to put up and take down and customers spent a lot of time looking at everything that was displayed on these boards. Next time I'd get a better mirror. The table worked well for the cards. My biggest surprise sellers on that table were tiny embossed envelopes that are the perfect size for gift cards or stocking stuffer treats.
Above: I sat next to these beautiful painted gourd birdhouses and near the stained glass booth. There is something wonderful about sitting next to gorgeous handmade objects all day. I was quite proud of my booth sign which was hung on a wire mannequin. That was a last-minute addition when I realized I had a little bit of extra space in my 8x8 booth. The colored paper scraps I used all have different embossed patterns on them.
Was It Worth It?
Every show can be valuable no matter how much money you earn. You can learn a lot from the other vendors. I met some terrific ones who were kind and encouraging. Those who have done the show before can tell you whether or not traffic seems up or down from previous years or how the show compares to others they have done. It was another vendor who told me that there was a Denver Broncos game on Sunday. It never occurred to me that would affect customer traffic!
An in-person show allows you to see what people are drawn to, what they pick up, what they say,
or what they ask about. At this show, for example, I was asked
repeatedly about using my cards for custom printed invitations and
announcements. That's not a service I currently offer, but it's
something I could explore next year now that I can see the demand for
it.
As far as my jewelry, my earrings attracted the most attention. I expected that since my earrings receive the most attention in my Etsy shop.
What I didn't expect was the interest in my bracelets. I currently
make very few bracelets, but that's something I could consider
expanding.
Remember that you don't need to take every suggestion. It's still your shop. I won't be making armadillo-themed jewelry any time soon ... but you can.