Am I Taking Too Much to Shows?

[Alajane]

Can most of you get all your "stuff" to shows in one vehicle? I always fill up the bed of my husband's pickup with tent, tables, display shelves, cooler, toolbox, and the miscellaneous odds and ends I need for a show. Then I fill up the back seat area (with the seat folded up) with jelly jars. Then I fill up the trunk of my car and back seat of it with more container candles--usually some seasonal types, and other miscellansous boxes of containers.

I've often thought I could scale back to nothing but jelly jars because that's probably 80% of my sales, but people "ooh and aah" over the displays of other "prettier" candles and I think that's what draws them into my booth to look--then they end up buying the cheaper jelly jars! I don't know if they would even stop to look if I didn't have an interesting display at the front of the booth.

Just wondered if most people have to take two vehicles--with today's gas prices it's something to consider--tomorrow's show is 45 miles from my house, so that's 180 miles of gas consumption with round-trips in two vehicles!

[Guest EMercier]

That's alot!, but you can never have too much! I wish I could take that much. I don't have the luxury to take two cars. I wish I had a bigger car to do so. Sometimes I want to have more. IMO I don't think that's too much, but with gas prices as they are, you have to make a decision based on if it's worth it.

[MichelleOH]

I usually fill my Tahoe:shocked2:

[Janelle]

I usually fill the bed of my BF Dodge pickup. I think I take too much sometimes.

[KristinesShower]

When we first started to do shows, we took everything! I mean the whole place & I have 6 different products and 30 scents!!

Since I now have a few shows under my belt, we now only bring our top 10 scents (we usually bring more candles because we almost sell out every time!) Then I have a table that has an array of products in our other 20 scents, so people can smell them. If they want to order them, I have a nice order form on that table with a big sign that says FREE shipping for all orders over $25.00 today only!!

It really works well for us & I also tell them that they can expect it by the end of the week, so that really lures them in... OR they just say nah, I will just get these instead lol It's a win/win!!

[Alajane]

I think I was just looking for validation and so far I'm overdoing it!!

[KristinesShower]

Don't get frustrated! You live and learn

We would load THREE vehicles when I first started shows, so that may make you feel better lol

[Alajane]

Unfortunately, I must be a slow learner--this is my third year to do shows and I still can't figure out what to cut down on!!

Thanks for responding,

Jane

[foxhill]

From your description it sounds like you are only filling up your car with the actual product, which is what most of us do. tents, tables, coolers, etc take up way more space but are necessities for outdoor shows. I don't do outdoor shows but for the shows I do I take approximately 20-30 cases just of candles. I use crates in my display so I pack them as well with whatever I can get in them. The big show that I do I set up for the night before and then I take more stuff with me the next day, little odds and ends and my necessities bag. I don't think you're taking too much, most of us take as much as we can squeeze in.

[Alajane]

Being able to fold them back down after the show should help some with my transport space. I packed up last night and have 31 cases of jelly jars, and probably about 10 cases of miscellaneous containers. If we could only take product, it sure would be simpler!

This is making me think about the first "show" I did--it was just a very small free show outside Wal-Mart. All I took was a couple of folding tables and spread out the candles on them. And, strangely, mine was one of the best displays there!!

[Janelle]

Don't get frustrated, I have a show tommorrow, and I think I counted (if I'm right) close to 40 cases of just 8 ounce jelly jars alone. then I've got 5 ouncers, 10 ouncers and 16 ouncers, plus everything else that I make. It does take up alot of space, not to mention the tables, the tent, and the crates I use for display. I usually pack about 3-4 jelly jar boxes inside the crates, so that saves some space. This is my 2nd year doing shows and I slowly phased some stuff out that wasn't selling, like the travel tins. they don't sell well in this area for some reason. Don't get discouraged!! You'll figure it out. Good luck at your show!! :smiley2:

[Alajane]

You mentioned phasing out what doesn't sell well. What always amazes me is that you never know what will sell. I'll have something that I sell out of at one show, so I make up a bunch for the next show and don't sell any of that!!! But I'll sell out of something that didn't sell at all at the previous show--so I just take some of almost everything.

I usually sell almost no large candles, just jelly jars, but at the last show I did, about half my sales were 18-oz footed Victorian jars poured in 3 layers. I sold almost all I had, then had orders for several more.

Thanks for your response--I really would like to "trim it down" to one vehicle but can't think of anything I don't want to have there!

Jane

[RobinInOR]

Does your pickup have a trailer hitch? Maybe you can find a cheapy trailer that you could pull if this is going to be ongoing. DH just bought us one for peanuts, he and his brother are sharing it.

[gloworm]

That's what we do- the trailer deal. You can really get a lot on a 4x8 trailer.

Glo

[lindsaycb]

Displays take up so much room, a trailer is def. what I need, but I'm too worried on driving with it. If if just going straight, I'm fine, but any backing up would not be in my game plan at all.

I usually do shows by myself, dh will help set up, but the rest is usually just me.

You all must have some serious business going on with so many cases of candles. If I take 20, that's HUGE! How much does everyone sell at a show...on average?

[Dipdiva]

For past shows I think I took way too much! Learning from that, I only take a few of everything that I make. That seems to work for me and my back! If I run out, I take orders.

[ebcandles]

I only take one vehicle but then again Im probably not selling as much as you. 40 cases of jelly jars is ALOT of candles. I have about 8 storage containers that I take with my 9oz balmorals - each container holds 8 jars. Thats it. The rest of my inventory is my B&B.

[Alajane]

DH has a 14-foot (!!!) trailer that he bought for lawn mowers, etc--I think that might be a bit of overkill for lawn mowers, but men think bigger is better!!

Anyway, it has low sides and he keeps saying he's going to build some taller sides for it so we can use it for shows. But like lindsaycb says, I'm definitely not comfortable pulling it and could only use that when he was along to drive.

And I agree, 40 cases IS a lot of candles, but I don't do B&B and live in an area where most people don't make a lot of money so my prices have to be lower than a lot on here, so it takes a LOT of candles to make a good profit!