Testers for Craft Fairs

[kinipela]

I'm planning on doing some craft fairs later this year, and hope to have my lip balm and lotion ready by then. Do any of you offer testers at craft fairs? I was thinking an unscented mini-pot of lotion. For the lip balms, just a note saying to try on hand only. Both obviously marked "Tester".

[BLSoaps]

I'm planning on doing some craft fairs later this year, and hope to have my lip balm and lotion ready by then. Do any of you offer testers at craft fairs? I was thinking an unscented mini-pot of lotion. For the lip balms, just a note saying to try on hand only. Both obviously marked "Tester".

I offer testers of lotion, usually a few of them, scented in my best selling scents. It's always the scent that draws them in first, then they're amazed by how good it makes their hands feel. But always the scent first! LOL!

As for a test of the lip balm, even with how you're suggesting it, I still got the heebie-jeebies. Sharing a lip balm is something I only do with my husband, and sometimes my mom (like if I go to her house and forget mine). But a stranger? Never.

I've tried to figure out how to do samples of the lip balms, and the only thing I could think of that might work was to make lip balm drops. Use a pipette and drop onto something that it won't soak completely through. I was thinking wax paper or freezer paper. I'd probably precut them into squares, and drop into the middle of the square. Then once they were cool, I could stack them into a fairly organized pile.

I've never done this, so I don't know how well it would actually work, but it might. I don't do craft shows. I found, unfortunately, it wasn't the right market for me. Part of the problem was there were very few products that they could test without access to water. If I had water, I did lots better, but that's hard. Without a helper to help haul water, I wouldn't even attempt something as simple as a wash bowl.

So this might work. But I'm guessing you'll have more customers that will be grossed out by sharing the lip balm, even if it is only on the hand, than you'll have think the single use squares are weird. If I could figure out a way to make them portable like that, I'd probably try it. Instead, I just hand out lots of lotion and soap samples in the meantime! LOL!

I hope your shows go well!!!

[Crafty1]

At craft fairs I have a tester station set up with a bottle of each lotion and/or body butter in each scent that I am selling at that time.

For my lotions, since I don't use pumps, I put a pump on each tester and I actually assist the customers with body butter samples by scooping a small amount onto a popsicle stick. I also do the same for lip balms. I place a small amount on the stick and the customer puts it on their lips using their finger. this has worked for me for quite some time.

As for giving out samples, I only give out free samples of soaps at craft fairs. I normally have many baskets of those already packaged in a glassine bag, labeled with scent, ingredients and where to buy. HTH

[singleyellowrose]

Another idea for lipbalms is to get some flat tooth picks. Dip the tooth pick into the lip balm while it is still liquid.

Set in styrofoam to cool. Once cool, bag and label. Then you can ask your customers what flavor they want and give them their own little sample to use on their lips and then can throw away the toothpick.

[DeJae]

I pour a narrow strip of lip balm and then cut them into tiny squares.

I put them in a flat tupperware, then put freezer paper on top and then another layer and so forth. If they want a sample of lip balm, I have tooth picks, I jab one in the tupperware and hand it to them with a small napkin.

Other samples, I have one fragrance in hand lotion, one fragrance in sanitizer, another fragrance in Body Butter, I have a cup with those little dip test spoons next to body butter that says, please use spoons, do not put fingers in body butter and never have had anyone do it.

My lotion is a pump and my sanitizer is a snap cap dispenser.

November I am doing two shows and first time doing bar soap.

What I want to do is have a sliver of soap so they can smell it, then I have trays with the bars in them, they can't touch the bars but they can pick the bar they want by pointing to it, then I will pack it up for them.

I will offer, soap boxes, muslin bags or decorated paper wrap.

[buck]

Thanks for the great ideas on samples for craft shows!

[kinipela]

These are all GREAT ideas, thanks everyone!

[spatreats4u]

I offer testers...I also always have a full open jar of whatever it is I am seeling so people can see what they are getting. I use little spatulas for individual use or malibus. People come cuz the scents drive them to the table:D

[RobinInOR]

I have a little section for testers, and for lip balms I just have an unopened tube for each scent lined up. No one has really wanted to test the feel, they just use it for sniffing to see if they like it. If someone really wanted to use it, they usually just rub it on the back of their hand. It's too much trouble to do anything else.

Lotion I have my testers in 8 oz pump bottles (which I don't sell, I only sell 4 oz disc caps). Facial serums/cleansers I've got bottles open but I've got the dropper - I put it on their hand. Oatmeal scrub I've got another open container so they can smell and feel the texture.