She did WHAT??

[botanica]

Ok, I've been doing shows on and off for about 8ish years. I just got back from a show and had something happen that was a first. So, I got there a little late to set up...we were frantically trying to get everything together--picture it....3 tables, about 20 boxes everywhere, candles and stuff going where they need to go, but everything is chaos. In the middle of this, the lady next to me says, "Could you cover up the back of your display because it's not good for the effect of my display". I stopped short and just looked at her. Is she serious? What she was talking about was the back of my gershel risers, which if you have them, you know they have lettering on them and are open. This is something I would have done anyway, but first things first, right? I told her that I would try if I had time. So, when I finally got to the point where I could do this, I go to cover them, and when I wasn't looking, she had put three little cloths, with my candles on top of them to hold them in place, to cover up the back of my display. I couldn't believe that she would have the audacity to actually TOUCH my products and change my display. I confronted her and told her that she was very rude, and that she should never touch someone else's display without permission. She told me that she was doing it to "help me". I said, hey, lets keep it real, you were trying to help yourself. She said that she does a lot of shows and that she tries to make friends with her neighbors. I told her that a good place to start was not to ask your neighbor to change their display in the middle of frantic setup, and then change it yourself without permission. Mind you...if I wasn't 8 months pregnant, maybe I wouldn't have reacted to this the same way....I bet she won't touch someone else's display again, what do you think?

Anyone else have a good craft show story?

[Candybee]

Hey I use the gershal bros. step risers. I know exactly what you are talking about.

I can't believe that lady did what she did. What nerve! I think you did the right thing. She may think twice about touching someone's displays again.

[Scented]

Bet she does it again lol!

Actually if it wasn't helping her display then she should rethink her layout ... not you.

However, we have the gershels and cover them too. I don't believe we've had a neighbor redo our set up for us, just do other things like tell people why they shouldn't buy from next door ... stuff like we don't carry bubble gum in essential, natural oils and they do ... etc.

[botanica]

Exactly! The show wasn't even open yet, we were still setting up, and she didn't think I was going to cover them so she did it herself. It's not my responsibility to make sure your display looks its' best!

[I love candles]

I would have reacted the same way - there is no reason to touch someone else's display! I did a show this weekend and watched a guy a few rows over constantly looking at the booth behind him. Wonder if he was thinking of changing it

[Grumpy Girl]

You could have always beat her ass down and claimed pregnant hormonal offset insanity.

Bet it would hold in court.

[carol k]

i'm glad you told her. you were totally in the right. i feel that i paid for this space i own it for however long the show is. now if it had been me i would have left it open just to piss her off.

i always have this one bunch that i set up with at a few shows. she comes down all nicey, nice then the next time we see them she has stolen my ideas. i just simply can't stand people like that. i've been dealing with these people for almost 6yrs now.

[Vicky_CO]

That is not to bad I have had worse happen.

I think the most annoying thing is when a fellow vendor tries to use your tables or displays to set their drinks and food on. I have that happen more times than I can count. I get rather rude about that one okay I get really nasty. That last time it happened I picked up all the food and drinks and set it in the middle of their booth on the floor. I told them next time they did it I would dump it upside down in the booth. They had the balls to get upset with me.

Next most annoy thing is thinking they can crowd in to my booth space because they did not leave enough room in thiers to sit down. I usually just look at them and point to thier booth only a couple of times have I had to tell them to get out of my booth space.

[ForHisGlory]

You could have always beat her ass down and claimed pregnant hormonal offset insanity.

Bet it would hold in court.

You're a mess!!!

[Meridith]

Once when DH did a show at a church, as soon as the show was over, the church people were trying to hurry the vendors along to get getting their stuff packed up because they had a set up for a wedding reception to be held the next day and wanted the tables. The church people were mad that the vendors were taking so long to get packed up since they were told they could have the room when the show ended. Apparently they did not understand that the vendors needed time to pack up.

They kept coming over and "helping" the vendors pack up in an effort to move them along faster. Once a vendor's stuff was taken off of a table, they'd take that table for their set up and stand there and stare at the vendor if they were still in their way. DH told them several times to keep their hands off of our stuff but they wouldn't listen. Finally, when they weren't looking, he took all their table cloths and packed them up in one of our boxes. The church folks were going nuts trying to find their table cloths so they could start covering the tables and get them moved where they wanted them. Once we packed up our last crate and as we were walking out, DH opened the box he'd put the table cloths in, took them out and set them on a table right smack dab in front of them and told them, "Here's your table cloths. I told you not to touch my stuff" and we walked out. Needless to say, we never did that show again.

[MissMary]

Ya'll are making me regret signing up for a few holiday shows!!!! I can't believe people can be so disrespectful. These are other vendors and should know exactly how you feel? IF someone sets stuff down in my stall, I'm going to take something off THEIR table every hour on the hour and tell them it's what I'm charging them for RENT, since *I* paid for this stall.

[Scented]

The best ones are always the ones who crowd into your space, but those are also the ones who get their booths pushed back into the space they bought.

I think you need little rising cardboard signs for dividers. Only pull them out when the vendor is an ass ... and you could just slip it up there with say a great moon shot.

[Di_in_AZ]

I once had a vendor build his easy up on my booth area. It was clearly marked on the ground and they were also parked in the space behind mine, which was also reserved for me. I told them they would have to remove their easy up and their vehicle. I got the response that they didn't think that I would mind if they were over just a few feet--and that they needed to park their to set up. So I just told them no problem, I would have the show organizers speak to them because I paid $175 for that space and parking area. They moved out quickly Just pure ignorance.

[so-soy]

I would have reacted the same way - there is no reason to touch someone else's display!

Yep, I'd have left it wide open to ruin the look on their side just to spite em!

[theoldehearth]

Oh my... some of the stories here!

We just did a huge event recently at the local rink facility. As my DH & I arrived, we noticed not one but TWO 2' x 2' power supply units taking up half of the back drapery wall. On top of that the neighbours behind us backed a couple of their chairs into our booth besides the power units taking up even more of our space. It seems minor but when you have a small cash/bagging table, one chair, 8 ft table, two large shelving units and a stand up display crammed in a 10' by 8' U shaped layout that I paid $250 for, every square inch counts!

Needless to say I put up a big stink about it and the organizer had one of the power units moved into the back neighbour's booth which prompted them to move their chairs back further into their booth. The vendor lady had one nasty dirty look on her face. During the whole two day event they pretty much sat in those chairs (you can kind of see through the drapery). At one point a helper of theirs poked her face into our booth, looked around and closed the drapery. How rude!

As we were packing up, once the drapery & fixtures came down I was shocked to see how much garbage (uneaten food, drink cups) & crap laying on the floor and they left it like that!

Out of all the shows we've done over the last four years, that was the first I've ever dealt with.

[southernsoy]

That is not to bad I have had worse happen.

I think the most annoying thing is when a fellow vendor tries to use your tables or displays to set their drinks and food on. I have that happen more times than I can count. I get rather rude about that one okay I get really nasty. That last time it happened I picked up all the food and drinks and set it in the middle of their booth on the floor. I told them next time they did it I would dump it upside down in the booth. They had the balls to get upset with me.

Next most annoy thing is thinking they can crowd in to my booth space because they did not leave enough room in thiers to sit down. I usually just look at them and point to thier booth only a couple of times have I had to tell them to get out of my booth space.

I go to a farmers market a couple saturdays a month and I have had the lady who is in charge of this (she's also a vendor and is always next to us) leave her drinks, keys, papers, phone, ect. on our table. I would like to hide them but I dont wanna get kicked out. Oh she's also had the nerve to tell me I was too young to be married and have a kid. Yeh that was a bad day.

[Maggie]

I paid extra for electric at a 2 day show 2 years ago. It was held in an old high school gym...now being used as a community center. The electric outlets were up high on the wall by the window...2 places to plug in...so I sat my tart burner on the window sill with the cord hanging down.

Came in the next morning and found my tart burner sitting on my table and the woman beside me had plugged into both. I walked over to her and said I see you are using both sockets...I paid for one of those so you will have to unplug something. She said that she couldn't.......LOL. I said...well...I paid $10. a day just like you did so something HAS to be unplugged. She just stood there staring at the outlet...like maybe somehow a third socket was going to appear. Finally she said...ya know...I brought an adapter along just in case but I left it in my car...I'll go get it. Off she went and sure enough she had one. So it all worked out. But I'm thinking she KNEW someone else needed to plug in but she just went ahead and plugged in all of her crap thinking......screw the other person.

[RNSandSCENTS]

You could have always beat her ass down and claimed pregnant hormonal offset insanity.

Bet it would hold in court.

That is not to bad I have had worse happen.

I think the most annoying thing is when a fellow vendor tries to use your tables or displays to set their drinks and food on. I have that happen more times than I can count. I get rather rude about that one okay I get really nasty. That last time it happened I picked up all the food and drinks and set it in the middle of their booth on the floor. I told them next time they did it I would dump it upside down in the booth. They had the balls to get upset with me.

Next most annoy thing is thinking they can crowd in to my booth space because they did not leave enough room in thiers to sit down. I usually just look at them and point to thier booth only a couple of times have I had to tell them to get out of my booth space.

:laugh2: :laugh2: Alrighty then.... :laugh2: :laugh2:

[botanica]

That's hilarious!!! I love it!!!!

And yes, Grumpy Girl, I was thinking that my almost toxic hormonal level could be used as an excuse in the court of law if I needed to take further action. (:

Once when DH did a show at a church, as soon as the show was over, the church people were trying to hurry the vendors along to get getting their stuff packed up because they had a set up for a wedding reception to be held the next day and wanted the tables. The church people were mad that the vendors were taking so long to get packed up since they were told they could have the room when the show ended. Apparently they did not understand that the vendors needed time to pack up.

They kept coming over and "helping" the vendors pack up in an effort to move them along faster. Once a vendor's stuff was taken off of a table, they'd take that table for their set up and stand there and stare at the vendor if they were still in their way. DH told them several times to keep their hands off of our stuff but they wouldn't listen. Finally, when they weren't looking, he took all their table cloths and packed them up in one of our boxes. The church folks were going nuts trying to find their table cloths so they could start covering the tables and get them moved where they wanted them. Once we packed up our last crate and as we were walking out, DH opened the box he'd put the table cloths in, took them out and set them on a table right smack dab in front of them and told them, "Here's your table cloths. I told you not to touch my stuff" and we walked out. Needless to say, we never did that show again.

[CrystalClear]

Oh, I could tell you TONS of stories! I just love craft shows :: snickers ::

I will say, that my biggest pet peeve, and easiest/fastest way to get on my bad side is taking up some of *my* booth space. I don't care if it's an inch, a foot, or a mm...it's mine! That and the people not leaving themselves an "out". Meaning, they set up their whole booth but don't have anyway of getting in and out of their booth, so they think they can just walk in and out of my booth to get to theirs. That pisses me off to no end!

[VerticallyEnhanced]

I have probably mentioned this a few times. I think it would be hysterical if someone would do a documentary about craft shows. Especially those that are a monthly gig that have a lot of regs. They could film over the course of a year. I do a show which is a monthly show, but I only do it in December. I have been doing it for several years. There is a lady there who sells roasted nuts and everyone calls her "the nut lady" because she is just flat out crazy! I actually look forward to the nut lady's shenanigans. That same show is just a peyton place. There is one gal who gives me the scoop every December...who has slept with whom, who got in fights with whom, who got kicked out, etc. It cracks me up!

[theoldehearth]

I have probably mentioned this a few times. I think it would be hysterical if someone would do a documentary about craft shows. Especially those that are a monthly gig that have a lot of regs. They could film over the course of a year. I do a show which is a monthly show, but I only do it in December. I have been doing it for several years. There is a lady there who sells roasted nuts and everyone calls her "the nut lady" because she is just flat out crazy! I actually look forward to the nut lady's shenanigans. That same show is just a peyton place. There is one gal who gives me the scoop every December...who has slept with whom, who got in fights with whom, who got kicked out, etc. It cracks me up!

Yes that is what we need...a reality show on craft events,lol! Pure drama. Oh man can you imagine? A camera from every booth recording conversations and actions.

We could call it The Worst Crafters, or Crafty Wackos, Crafty Critters just to name a few, lol.

[botanica]

Yes! My husband and I both said that a couple of years ago when we had another "experience" at a week-long show where the only other candlemaker stole our spot (after day 3) and lots of other vendors came over to help us set up, give us free stuff like lighters to give away with our products, etc. out of sympathy. You can't make this stuff up! Pure crafty drama. It's fun to watch from a distance....

I have probably mentioned this a few times. I think it would be hysterical if someone would do a documentary about craft shows. Especially those that are a monthly gig that have a lot of regs. They could film over the course of a year. I do a show which is a monthly show, but I only do it in December. I have been doing it for several years. There is a lady there who sells roasted nuts and everyone calls her "the nut lady" because she is just flat out crazy! I actually look forward to the nut lady's shenanigans. That same show is just a peyton place. There is one gal who gives me the scoop every December...who has slept with whom, who got in fights with whom, who got kicked out, etc. It cracks me up!

[Candybee]

Yes! My husband and I both said that a couple of years ago when we had another "experience" at a week-long show where the only other candlemaker stole our spot (after day 3) and lots of other vendors came over to help us set up, give us free stuff like lighters to give away with our products, etc. out of sympathy. You can't make this stuff up! Pure crafty drama. It's fun to watch from a distance....

What do you mean the candlemaker stole your spot on day 3? Don't you leave your booth set up at this show?

[botanica]

No, as ridiculous as it was, it was a first-come first-serve spot each day. We had to set up and tear down each day--for five days straight. We don't do that show anymore, for really obvious reasons....