 Re: going to our first craft show/ fair
I remember our first show, I cautioned Deb to not be too disappointed if she didn't sell much. Neither one of us got any sleep the night before. I had to work the day of the show and she was home by the time I got off work. She managed to keep a straight face as I asked her how she did. She sold out. the entire inventory (dolls, at the time). Jubilation.
The next show was a couple months later and we were well prepared, more inventory, better displays a wider range of products to appeal to a greater number of people. We had it locked. We didn't even make lunch money that day, first snow of the season, poor advertising, the venue hosts had polarized the community a bit, etc.
Ultimately, you win some and you lose some and, sad to say, the blow to your ego doesn't ease with time. After a good show, you are on top of the world, after a poor show you ask yourself why you are in this business at all.
One suggestion, someone previously mentioned a gameboy for the slow times, in my experience (admittedly, not in the T-shirt trade but in a lot of craft shows ranging from the local church to juried shows with a multi-year waiting list) the customers really like to see you doing something with your craft instead of isolating yourself from them with your head down over an lcd screen. Even doodling a new design shows the customer that you are involved with the product. In this day and age of imports coming in by the shipload, many customers are looking for something created by a real human being. |