Craft Show Today - Saturday

[crazzie]

I believe the Holiday shoppers are out! Totally exhausted up at 5:00am home at 6pm. Sales were excellent. Was a little nervous received a phone call from a gentleman who purchased a candle from my show - my first thoughts were oh no he is not happy. Ends up he called to tell me how he loved my candle! He had it burning all morning. Wanted me to save him 5 more candles in the same flavor. My scent of the day - Monkey Farts!

[Kitn]

Congrats that is great!!

I am doing a 3 day show, started out slow last night today was fabulous, I hope tomorrow is another good day..The shoppers are out for sure.

[WicknScents]

I did a craft show today, it was a small one but I think I did well overall. The thing I couldnt believe and you all will get a kick out of this.. A scenty dealer was there and she bought my melts, said they smelled better and was referring everyone over to my booth

[MaggieMay]

Way to go everyone on great sales...

[pleasureridgecandles]

Glad to hear some are having great shows!! We had one yesterday and it was ok. We'd done that one in the past and done much better in previous years. That seems to be the theme right now going on around here. It seems like people just don't have much money right now as crowds are down and what crowds there are have little money to spend. Everyone I've talked to at these shows (whether they are selling candles, soaps, jewelry or anything else) have noticed the decrease in shoppers/sales. Hopefully this will pick up soon.

The show yesterday my parents worked since I've been working double shifts at my job. They were set up right next to one of those wickless candle reps and apparently she was not thrilled about being next to some competition. Mom said all day long she was getting nasty looks and the lady had this selling pitch to everyone about how no one should buy candles as they are so dangerous and how their melts (or wickless candles as they call them) are better than any other out there. They last longer, they smell better etc etc etc. And of course the usual how their melts will only work in their warmers. At the end of the day she said she heard her complaining about how horrible of a show she had. Wonder if the lady will attribute her lack of sales to her over the top, bad mouth all the competition attitude she had.

We never bad mouth any competition and have had many of their customers ask us at various shows how ours compare to theirs. None of us have used their brand so we don't make any claims that ours our better or anything. We tell them honestly we've not used theirs so we can't make claims of comparasion. I usually tell them buy one and try and compare for yourself. I've had many of their customers switch over simply by them comparing for themselves. Now I've had many people tell me they weren't happy with the other brand, they didn't last long, they weren't strong enough or that they simply stunk. But I never tell other potential customers that. I'd rather they try for themselves and see which they like better. Oh another thing the lady was using as a selling tool was that unlike candles you can't burn your house down and that their wax is body temp so if your dog or small kid knocks it over it won't burn them. And if your dog or small child gets the notion to eat the wax it won't hurt them as it's a food grade wax. I gotta say that's a new one I've not heard before. :rolleyes2

ETA- wanted to mention this was a show that all vendors had to provide pics of us making our products as this was supposed to be a handmade only show. But the above mentioned rep was there, thirty one and a couple other reps reselling. It annoys me that they make the handmade people jump through hoops to prove we make our prodcuts and then they allow the resellers in. I guess they do that b/c they don't have enough handmade vendors.

Edited November 20, 2011 by pleasureridgecandles

[adillenal]

And if your dog or small child gets the notion to eat the wax it won't hurt them as it's a food grade wax. I gotta say that's a new one I've not heard before.

This I heard yesterday too. Except the man was saying fruit wax and I had to ask him to explain since I could not figure out what he meant. I couldn't figure out how they were making wax for melsts out of fruit. The same wax they spray on fruit. Oh. Isn't that paraffin? Anyway, interesting sales pitches from Scentsy.

My show was down but then instead of 2 soapmakers, we had four so had to share the wealth so all things considered I guess I did OK. I do melts in portion cups and those sales were slow but I sold several warmers which is no big deal since I only keep them to show off the melts.

[Candybee]

Glad to hear some are having great shows!! We had one yesterday and it was ok. We'd done that one in the past and done much better in previous years. That seems to be the theme right now going on around here. It seems like people just don't have much money right now as crowds are down and what crowds there are have little money to spend. Everyone I've talked to at these shows (whether they are selling candles, soaps, jewelry or anything else) have noticed the decrease in shoppers/sales. Hopefully this will pick up soon.

The show yesterday my parents worked since I've been working double shifts at my job. They were set up right next to one of those wickless candle reps and apparently she was not thrilled about being next to some competition. Mom said all day long she was getting nasty looks and the lady had this selling pitch to everyone about how no one should buy candles as they are so dangerous and how their melts (or wickless candles as they call them) are better than any other out there. They last longer, they smell better etc etc etc. And of course the usual how their melts will only work in their warmers. At the end of the day she said she heard her complaining about how horrible of a show she had. Wonder if the lady will attribute her lack of sales to her over the top, bad mouth all the competition attitude she had.

We never bad mouth any competition and have had many of their customers ask us at various shows how ours compare to theirs. None of us have used their brand so we don't make any claims that ours our better or anything. We tell them honestly we've not used theirs so we can't make claims of comparasion. I usually tell them buy one and try and compare for yourself. I've had many of their customers switch over simply by them comparing for themselves. Now I've had many people tell me they weren't happy with the other brand, they didn't last long, they weren't strong enough or that they simply stunk. But I never tell other potential customers that. I'd rather they try for themselves and see which they like better. Oh another thing the lady was using as a selling tool was that unlike candles you can't burn your house down and that their wax is body temp so if your dog or small kid knocks it over it won't burn them. And if your dog or small child gets the notion to eat the wax it won't hurt them as it's a food grade wax. I gotta say that's a new one I've not heard before. :rolleyes2

ETA- wanted to mention this was a show that all vendors had to provide pics of us making our products as this was supposed to be a handmade only show. But the above mentioned rep was there, thirty one and a couple other reps reselling. It annoys me that they make the handmade people jump through hoops to prove we make our prodcuts and then they allow the resellers in. I guess they do that b/c they don't have enough handmade vendors.

`

I feel your pain. Sales have been bad the last couple of weeks here. I've been doing shows every weekend since May and can say that overall sales are way down compared to last year. Yes some shows have been good but overall for the year my sales are way down.

Plus I am seeing more affiliates at "handmade" only craft shows. I know that many small crafting companies have quit, gone out of business, or simply closed and moved on so the promoters are filling the shows as best as they can. I see more and more affiliates like Scentsy, Pampered Chef, etc. in craft shows now more than ever. I am also floored by some of their sales pitches-- by people who don't make the product or know what goes into it or the science behind it (if any) and just blindly promoting it like they are suddenly experts. Makes one sick to the stomach to see it.

[crazzie]

I was listening to the Scentsy reps sales pitch. The lady was asking why he didnt have a melt going and he said because they are so powerful all the crafters complain that it is annoying to smell all day. Funny when people came in my booth they would say what smells so good. FO was Winter Wonderland

[adillenal]

Come to think of it, I have never seen a Scentsy booth that had a warmer on with a melt in it. Wonder if that is a Scentsy thing or a craft show thing? I know I have been at shows where there were candles burning as long as the booth had a fire extinguisher. Guess that policy would vary.

Course they can smell my soap in my booth.

[pleasureridgecandles]

I've been at shows before where they did have their warmers going and I couldn't smell a thing. I watched the lady dump an entire package of them in the warmer and never did smell a thing. When I walked by her booth I could faintly smell something. I normally don't have any going in the warmer b/c most of the shows here you have to pay extra for electricity and they don't allow open flames. But I always have people come and tell me my booth smells so good. Now if you can smell my stuff without it even going what's that say when you can't smell the competition when they have a whole pack going...

Sadly I think many of these craft shows are going to end up biting the dust. We've heard many customers complain about the reps being allowed at these shows. They say we come to craft shows for handmade items not the other stuff. They said the shows that allow the non homemade products are boring and they won't return the next year.

[adillenal]

Sadly I think many of these craft shows are going to end up biting the dust. We've heard many customers complain about the reps being allowed at these shows. They say we come to craft shows for handmade items not the other stuff. They said the shows that allow the non homemade products are boring and they won't return the next year.

I agree. I do one large expensive show that is held in three buildings. The third building always has the newest vendors. There is one that has been there for many years and requests it because people tell her they start at the 3rd building to shop the new stuff. This show is also gradually becoming more and more resell though. Sad since the promoters don't get around the show enough to be able to listen to customer comments.