andrealh1975

PM'd you!!

YES, YES, YES there's a need!!!!

Grumpy I think you opened up a can of worms girl!!! You're gonna be a busy lady once this thing gets started!!! Are you ready?!

That's great you're getting invited!! Good for you. Have a great show!

I'll send you a few bucks to help you out!!

You have to decide what kind of style you are going for. Country, contemporary, classic etc....

I think this is very important!! I think it depends too on where you live/who your target market is. I sell 8oz & 16oz apothecaries. Although I'm in the suburbs, I'm right outside the city and my market wouldn't buy country. Though you may be partial to a particular style, I think you should make what'll sell. HTH

I like NG's cotton candy

Ditto, it was a HUGE hit at my last 2 shows.

I love the votives!!! The little swiggily that's the same color!!

You're sure we're allowed to get all this extra info from the customer?

Actually, I'm not sure. I mean, we have all that info if they pay w/ a check. I would at least get their phone number.

I was wondering something about Propay as well, and I'm sorry if I sound ignorant. I have never done credit card sales before so I am clueless!

When you are at a show, do you call in each credit card transaction to Propay before you complete the sale to make sure the information on the card is correct? Or do you just accept the card payment, then when you get home, log all the CC information in on the internet and hope it was a valid credit card? What happens if it isn't a good card? Are you SOL?

Also, if you don't need any special equipment to process the credit cards, do you at least write the transaction down on credit card slips to give to the customer as a receipt? If so, where can you purchase credit card slips?

Sorry for all the questions but I am really wanting to know.

You can either call in the transactions or wait until you get home. Calling in each one may become difficult if you have a big crowd. But, if you have a laptop and internet connection you could do them right online. From what I hear the transaction doesn't take very long when doing it online. By not processing the card until you get home is the same risk you take when taking someones check. (you don't know it's good until you go to cash it) So be sure to get all their info when processing the card...Address, phone number, etc.

You could purchase an imprinter (or knucklebuster) as they are affectionately called along w/ the credit card slips. If you do a search here, you should find some posts w/ a few companies that have them. I've also seen imprinters on Ebay for really cheap too.

HTH

Currently I accept cash and checks at shows. This will be changing in the next few weeks to include accepting credit cards. I haven't had a problem w/ any bounced checks. But I do make sure to have their current address, phone number and DL#.

At some point you might even need to....put something on it so it will be slipperier---oh heck I cant think of a way to say it that wont have andrea's dirty little mind goin again...lol....sorry hon...just teasing.

Keep 'em coming!!! :yay:

Call it my dirty mind, but when I saw the topic of this thread "No More Poking" I was a little scared to open it!! LOL

Glad i did though, nice idea!!

Also check Craigslist.org and maybe papers in your area. Not necessarily the main paper, but some of the smaller ones may have listings.

but I have to add that her personal appearance wasn't much better.

LOL...How about the ones who come to participate in a show and they are in sweats. I had a lady do my show and she looked like she's LITERALLY rolled out of bed and came to the show. Hair looking uncombed, sweat pants, tshirt...I thought she was just wearing it to set up so she wouldn't get her clothes dirty, guess I was wrong!

same venue hmm? I'm surprised they booked them back to back. Thats ok, November is a busy month & my favorite month for shows. Don't sweat it-imo the other promoter has more to worry about in terms of comparison.

btw Are you going to visit the other promoters show? I would esp if I had any last minute cancellations. Never hurts & you might be able to cherry pick & fill a spot.

Most definitely I'm going to her show!!

It's funny because ever since I did my first one last November all these people are popping up trying to have shows. Some have been in mine and some I'm just heard about through the grapevine. And let me tell you, each and every one of them with the exception of one has either been cancelled or has had NO attendance. These people think they can throw a show together in a month and everything will be ok, it doesn't work that way!!! Especially if it's your very first show. It takes a month sometimes just to find an adequate space!

I'm stopping by a show on Saturday of someone I know through e-mail. She's having the event in a somewhat ghetto hotel, ok, it's actually really ghetto! And she's charging the vendors like $70 a space. That's more than I'm charging and mine is in a REALLY nice hotel out in an area where people have money. So we'll see what happens.

first rule of sales is that people don't read)

So, so true!!!! I learned this during my first part time retail job. I've worked in a card store and clothing stores. And no matter which way you advertise the price, people will still ask how much it is!!!

Most people think that craft show items are hand made by all the local little old church ladies or weekend crafters, and they don't expect quality merchandise.

Someone purchased one of my gardenia flower pots at a show in March. She e-mailed me the other day saying she thought it was going to be "Just like a dollar store candle". And was pleasantly surprised when she could smell the fragrance all over and blah, blah, blah. Long story short, she's placed a large order for Mother's Day. Sometimes when I have skeptics, I'll convince them to buy something like a flower pot and try it out, and if they don't like it I'd give them their money back. I haven't had anyone yet who has wanted anything back, they always want more!!

Yeah, I love the little "Mom & Pop" shops.

Sounds great. And it looks like you have a good start. Have you contacted Pet Smart or any pet stores in your local shoppingcenter/mall? They may give something?

Since it's a fundraiser, try contacting some local businesses, cleaners, sub/sandwich shops, hair or nail shops, day spas, etc. and see if they'd be willing to donate something. Maybe the sandwich shop could donate food for the vendors at least. Some of them may donate a gift card/certificate. I wouldn't ask establishments that are chains, unless it's something fairly small. Definitely not some place like Starbucks.

What organization are you supporting?

When people ask if I am a distributor I take it as a compliment.

If I ever get my work area cleaned up, I going to have Amanda take some pics of me pouring candles. I'll put a little picture album together and set it on my table at shows.

Great idea...I had planned on doing this back when I first started, but never got anyone to take them. I think I'll definitely do it now. Maybe this'll help people to stop asking crazy questions!

I am organizing a show in June also.

Great idea with the goodie bag! I think I'll use that one. I already have some handouts, etc., and a contract to sign. Contract just states basics like if they do damage to the room, start a fire, etc., that they are responsible. Also a questionaire for them to fill out and turn into me at the end of the show- what they liked/didn't like about the show, could be done next time to improve, etc. I can put goodie bag and paperwork together.

Any ideas of other little things for free or low cost that I could put in goodie bags?

Are you giving them the contract the day of the show? You may want to have some kind of registration form for them to sign up for the show and with it include some verbage about damage, theft, etc. That way it's signed and taken care of before your show.

I got the candy at my local dollar store and each vendor (38 in all) had a few pieces in their bag. I also, got the water on sale, each vendor had 2 bottles.

Are you having a raffle of any kind, maybe give each vendor a "FREE" raffle ticket.

I'm wondering if retail sales are just down due to the extremely high gas prices and such lately. Even grocery store trips are killing my budget these days.

I think this is definitely the case for some. Especially those shows that may be in rural areas. My last show was in section of town where people have money and it's right in the same area as a mall. People could walk from the hotel to where the show was. So, it worked out.

I had something a little similar at my show the other week. When telling people that my candles are handpoured (and also when they saw my sign saying they are handpoured), people didn't believe it. I had one lady say, "There's no way you poured all of those!!!" I'm like, Lady, I didn't do it all in one week or one day, you Ding Dong!! I also took put several of my votives side by side and some votives from PartyLite side by side to show that mine were all just a slight bit different, hence the handpoured. And that PL's were all the EXACT same.

I think the ones who are surprised that we actually made the products ourselves are ones who may not like quality products. Or they may be looking for the "handmade" look that some items show.

Personally, I love it when there is help to carry in and carry out all those heavy boxes of candles.

Nice to have a coffee cart brought around before the first morning, when we're adding those last minute touches to our booths.

Also, one of the promoters I use always does a small "goodie" bag for the vendors - a small notepad, pen, 2 or 3 miniature candy bars, tax chart, application for the next show, etc.

I contacted the local boy scout group yesterday and they jumped at the chance to help and to use the event as a fundraiser for them, so that's all set.

There will be pastries, coffee, juice for the vendors during set-up.

Everyone will get a goodie bag. For the last show I did, everyone got a bag w/ their name on it (It served as the "place card" for their table as well), and inside it had 2 bottles of water and a few miniature candy bars. They loved it!

One door? That they all can't get close to at the same time? YUP!

I've only been to one show that had helpers and it was such a blessing - I wasn't wore out before the show even started!

There are 3 sets of double doors to come into the hotel and 4 sets of double doors to get into the ballroom where the show will be.

Organize a group to help the vendors carry their product.It could be a good fund raising vehicle for a church group or H.S. Most vendors would happily pay a small amount and love you for the consideration. Just my thoughts.

I've been thinking about doing something like this. The door that the vendors pull their cars up to is about 10 feet from the door to the room we'll be in. Would that be a waste to have helpers for that little distance?