Da Booth

Not sure what forum to put this in, but since this is a selling tool for turned stuff, I guess the Turning Tools section is as good as any. Mods fell free to move it if you have any better ideas. (I guess I can always put it back if I disagree.)

The juried art shows I'm hoping to get into this fall require pictures of your work, plus a picture of your booth. Since I've not done any shows before, I had to mock up the booth in the back yard. Nothing fancy, but I'm trying to stay within a reasonable budget, in regards to both money and time. At this point, the canopy, sign, tables, table covers, and a few baskets from Ikea have set me back about $600 - $700. (And that's after doing a lot of price shopping.) I'm learning this is not for the weak at heart. Just means that much more stuff to sell before breaking even. Glad I'm not doing this for a living.



The two longer tables fold in half for transport, and the table covers are fireproof, to please the Fire Marshall if I end up doing any indoor shows. Table covers were one of the things I figured I'd make myself, but when I priced the material (and estimated my time) I realized it was cheaper to buy them from a company that specializes in that sort of thing. And I gained a lot of time.



The black Ikea baskets were my sister's idea...something that can be expanded on in a lot of ways. I can use them to hold shelves, or use them as shelves or shadowboxes themselves. The small ones fit into the bigger ones, so they'll be relatively compact to move. (Plus, they can carry stuff too.) The table arrangement and display will be a constantly-evolving thing as I come up with new ideas.



The sign is my own graphic (new logo), rendered as a ridiculously large JPG file and taken to Kinko's. (I miscalculated the pixel count and made the JPG about 110 inches wide. It's nice and crisp reduced down to 36 x 24 inches.) It's printed on outdoor vinyl fabric, and I'm using rare earth magnets to attach it to the canopy wall (for now).



A sidebar about the "Workingwoods" name...I have registered two DBAs: Workingwoods and Curls and Burls. Although I prefer Curls and Burls, and it more closely fits what I'm actually making, I surveyed a number of non-woodworker types, and none of them thought of woodworking when they heard the name. (Hairdressing and weightlifting were the two most common answers.) Gotta go with what gets the idea across with the public.

Now all I need to do is hire some attractive booth help. Would you buy something from this guy?

Vaughn McMillan said:

..........Now all I need to do is hire some attractive booth help. Would you buy something from this guy?

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Maybe if he got a hair cut...........

The booth looks really good Vaughn, not too cluttered, sometimes people try to stuff so much stuff into their booths that you can't even get inside them!
A couple things, you need a business card holder thing on the table, or a couple of them, and you need a similar thing on each front post of the tent, holding a pamphlet type thing, this way when you get busy, if there are 4 or 5 people inside and someone wants to go in, but does not like the crowd then can pluck a pamphlet from the outside post there, and seek you out via the net, or remember you for the next show. In retail, it is all about advertising!

Looks great!

Nice setup Vaughn. Clean and uncluttered is good. If it were mine I would maybe try and get a little bit more height, either with a shelving unit of some sort or even just with a few pieces of work that are somewhat taller. Displaying at different eye levels always appeals to me.

I agree with Stu on the business card holders. Make a couple up yourself in some nice wood but be ready to sell them if you do. Are you planning on a spread of pricing? My experience of shows is that its good to have small impulse pieces as well as bigger "think about it" objects.

Would I buy from this guy?? Absolutely yes if he was able to talk intelligently and passionately about what he does, why he does it and what inspires him. Customers have to deal with a world where people selling stuff don't even know where it came from let alone how it is made. When they come across somebody who not only knows but cares, and appears to think as well, then they are already halfway to a purchase.

Thanks guys. I agree on the business card and literature holders...need to get some cards done with the new logo. (Nancy Laird has done some nice laser-engraved wood business cards for me in the past.)

I also agree with the more height thing, Ian. I'm keeping my eyes (and mind) open for some type of shelves or pedestals, all the while trying to keep things relatively light and transportable. It may just be more Ikea baskets, stacked to gain some elevation. I'm also planning to have a few more large pieces to help draw the curious into the booth. And yep, I'm planning to have things ranging from probably about $20 to somewhere in the $200- $300 range. The shows I'm targeting have a clientèle that should be able to support the larger sales. The smaller items will be just in case they don't.

As far as dealing with the public goes, that's old hat for me. (Between performing on stage, retail sales, public speaking, and trade show booth duty, I've had a lot of experience.) It helps that I'm a ham, but I really enjoy engaging passersby in conversation about the stuff I'm hawking.

Vaughn McMillan said:

............It helps that I'm a ham.........

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I'm shocked........... SHOCKED I tell you............

One more thing that popped into my mind, what about handling stuff, are you going to have a sign reading something like.......

"If you do wish to handle some of my handmade works, I'll ask that you please pay them the proper respect, and make sure your hands are clean"

....or something to that effect.

Do you really want the guy with ice cream on his hands picking up your stuff?

Just a thought............

Oh yeah, how do you deal with things people drop?

You might want to think about a nice thick chunk of cheap carpet.....

Cheers!

Vaughn McMillan said:

Now all I need to do is hire some attractive booth help. Would you buy something from this guy?

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grow a beard vaughn

[edit] now that i read the entire thread.....using a couple of rough blanks for display stands would help folks to see where the stuff they`re lookin` at came from?.....maybe one or two with bark still attached, and a couple roughed in on the bandsaw.....just thinking in print....

Hi Vaughn,

Your booth looks great to me as well, maybe if you got the hippy to quit hanging around it would draw more people . Just on a side note, after having done much field research in this matter I've found that having a line of work (small bowl, pen, top, etc) that includes items for $10-20 is very important. Having taken classes from some pros over the past couple of years one of the things they have shared is that the small item sales has kept them "alive" and in many cases, drawn in new commissions. Best of luck with you show!

Chris Barton said:

Hi Vaughn,

...I've found that having a line of work (small bowl, pen, top, etc) that includes items for $10-20 is very important...

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Seconded. I have done craft shows with two different types of products (picture frames and garden furniture). One had a £5-£10 component and I never failed to sell enough of this stuff to at least put the cost of the show back in my pocket. Psychologically that can be very important. With the more expensive stuff I have gone all weekend and not sell anything. This leaves you walking away thinking "Why bother??"

On the height issue - I think I prefer the idea of pedestals over shelving, which can look very samey. Could you not turn some pedestals yourself - kinda like big candlesticks. Again, if you did make sure you take some to sell. I could see them being popular with other exhibitors even if not with visitors.

You know, the whole priced to sell line is a great idea.

My cousin in Canada, and her husband opened a Mt. Bike shop, a long time ago, when Mt. Bikes were just starting to get popular, the bike shop was a great idea, just a bit ahead of it's time, they just about when bust, but my cousin got the great idea of putting a coffee machine and a fridge in the bike shop, she had a corner with a stand up bar kind of thing, and she served coffee and started to bring in her homemade cookies and date bars etc.

Mt. Bikers, like most any group of enthusiasts like to sit and swap lies after a ride, and the best place to do this, was the bike shop, they could get stuff fixed on their bikes, get a GOOD cup of coffee and a high energy cookie

She told me that the coffee and cookies etc paid the rent for a long time until the rest of the world caught up to them with the whole mountain bike thing.

I think they have been in business for close to 20 years now, and yes, she still makes the cookie etc to sell in the shop.

So a line of things like the bottle stoppers you have there or some pens etc is a good idea.

I also like Tod's idea, you could have some rough blanks, and some roughed out bowls to show how it is done, might be something that at the very least starts a conversation...?

I think you will go great, you set up looks good, you work is fantastic and you are not what I'd call "Shy"

Cheers!

Vaughn,

The booth (and your work) look fantastic. I think you'll do very well with it. I'd also second the motion for pedestals rather than shelves. In fact, make them as well as you do your bowls and you might sell them too!

Looks good from here.
And, for once, I'll agree with the California bureaucratic rule makers. The fire resistant drop cloths are a good idea. I was at the 1967 McCormick Place fire in Chicago. No 'fire resistant' rules there, big show set up. Small short caused a very rapid historic blaze.
Well, you said it "ham". That's not a bad thing, helps attract and keep people who might turn into buyers.
Yes, small stuff can be your overhead salvation. Those who successfully do shows and own gift shops know that there seems to be a $20.00 ceiling on impulse purchases.
Good luck. A report is mandatory.

tod evans said:

grow a beard vaughn

[edit] now that i read the entire thread.....using a couple of rough blanks for display stands would help folks to see where the stuff they`re lookin` at came from?.....maybe one or two with bark still attached, and a couple roughed in on the bandsaw.....just thinking in print....

Click to expand...

Looking good Vaughn. I think Tod has a great idea about having some blanks and partially completed objects worked in to your display. It would emphasize the 'hand made' message. Pics of the 'artist' in his shop could work out too.

glenn bradley said:

............... Pics of the 'artist' in his shop could work out too.

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.......Pssssssst......... "Studio" Glenn, Studio.......... Vaughn is, after all, in the mochachottalatte land

Vaughn

You're getting LOTS of good advice here!

I would put fewer pieces on display. (and of course, have lots of backups in the truck to replace stock when you sell.

Too many items to me makes it feel like a dollar store, cheap, easy to make.

On the other hand, fewer may make your offering more unique.

We used to look forward to a specific potter coming to a craft show in Vero, every year she made something "a little different" in coffee cups, and had a relatively few of them on display. So, we started "collecting" them for several years and enjoyed seeing her every year and seeing what she came up with.

Is there a high end craft gallery in your area? Go look at how they have stuff displayed, you might get some more display ideas.

Good luck!

Jay

Nice stuff

Vaughn
I am sure your are going to sell
everything. They look great.
Good look
Alfredo

Set up looks good Vaughn! Don't have anything to add to the other comments, but I definitely want to hear how you do! I do like the idea of having a few pics around showing some pieces being made!

Vaughn,

Looks great so far. Just a few thoughts:

You *really* need someone prettier in the booth! Would you buy a used car from that guy?

Everything's the same height. You've got lots of empty unused space. Any possibility of using the "walls" to hang things?

Having a number of small cheap things to sell wouldn't mean you'd be prostituting your art, it's just good business. Along the same lines, it seems like you're thinking about how you're presenting yourself and your work.... maybe look at it the other way. What's your target demographic? Upper middle class people in their 40s, 50s and active 60s? Their houses are already full of decor. And they have grandkids. If that's the case, a bunch of tops for them to buy for their grandkids might get some traffic in and out. And while they're there, you want them to say "Look, honey, wouldn't that bowl go great in our living room?"

Think of what software vendors do. Take peoplesoft. They know the "buy" decision will be made by a bunch of middle-class married men in their 40s and 50s. So they hire a bunch of recent grad coed communications majors. It's got nothing to do with the product, and everything to do with who's making the buy decision. Figuring out who that is for you, and how they'll feel when they're standing there, seems like the first step to success...
How do you persuade someone to do something? Well, you get an emotion going in them, and then give them an outlet for that emotion. Works every time...

Oh, and you need someone way prettier in the booth...

Thanks,

Bill

Thanks again for all the great suggestions. I've been saving a few of the cut-offs from the bigger bowl blanks (looks like a hunk of wood with a big hole bandsawn in it). I figure there are several ways they could be incorporated into the display. Also a few turning blanks (the round cut-out part) would serve as rustic pedestals.

On the low-priced items, I agree...pens and bottle stoppers are already in the plans, and I'm going to do a few other things. (Harry Potter magic wands are hot right now, for example.) That said, I'm still going to concentrate on the bigger items. Most of the guys I've seen doing this type of thing for a living seem to display a lot of small stuff, and a few big things. They have to sell every weekend to put food on the table, so they bring what they know they can sell. Even if they don't enjoy turning them, it's what they need to do to survive. I, on the other hand, don't have to sell anything. I'd like to get my investment back, but I've got a real job to keep the food on the table. I'd probably make more money making and selling just the small stuff, but I wouldn't be having as much fun making them. So at least for now, I'm approaching this with a little different viewpoint that most of the other sellers...I'm mainly trying to make space at home so I can make more bowls and hollow forms.

Thanks again gang, and keep the ideas coming.

Vaughn booth looks really good. I like the setup. It is not cluttered and is pretty open for people to see.

That's a great looking booth. My only real experience with real art festivals is with the Park City Arts Festival http://www.kimballartcenter.org/
and that looks as good as any of those ever look.

Are you set up to take credit cards? Seems like no one ever carries much cash anymore, making change is a hassle, and taking checks is inviting problems.