Working the shows Wednesday - Jewelry Displays

This post is a "reprint" by request from at least two of my Followers:

Jewelry Displays

This display by Avocado Creations, demonstrates the effect of upright jewelry
table displays, a hanging earring display and the overall impact
of a neat, uncluttered table display.
(See http://www.avocadocreations.etsy.com/.)

Up first this week, is some display information that pertains specifically to jewelry vendors. Because of its size, jewelry is often hard to display in an eye catching manner. Your display needs to catch the attention of those passing by and draw them closer to get a look at your terrific merchandise. In most cases, jewelry displays best on a solid colored background. The contrast of dark colored velvet or velour gives many pieces a visual pop. (Velour tends to be a more "easy care" fabric than velvet but has the same visual effect. It is also usually cheaper.) Many sellers believe something with sparkle will make the jewelry look brighter but my personal thought is it takes away from the product.

This display shows how a busy table cloth pattern can really take away
from the jewelry displayed on it. the bracelets laying on the table simply seem
to disappear amid the print. Even the hanging necklaces that are not against
the fabric seem to be less impressive just by proximity to the busy
pattern - kind of "guilty by association."

Very few pieces show well simply laying flat on the table. We have addressed varying the height of the display in earlier posts but in the case of jewelry, angling a display is also important. Jewelry boards can be leaned up against an easel or a higher shelf. This allows necklaces and earrings to hang giving the same effect they will give when worn by the buyer. I have seen folks create their own necklace displays by forming low cones from tag board or card stock, draping them with lightweight fabric and then hanging the necklaces over them creating an upright display. (Again, this varies your display levels.) One attractive display had some interesting pieces of driftwood and a few very large conch shells sitting on the table with necklaces draped over them. They really caught my eye!

Many upright earring display racks can be purchased very inexpensively in stores such as Walmart, Dollar General, and others. I have seen a number of vendors make their own jewelry boards using a picture frame and backing the frame with window screening or plastic canvas mesh. They then prop these frames upright and the earrings hang easily on the mesh.

Rings are somewhat difficult to display without a commercial ring display case with the foam inserts. You can make such displays using a piece of 1" - 1 1/2" foam rubber cut to fit a box lid. Using a box cutter, you can then form slits in which to display the rings. This looks best when the whole display is then propped at a slight angle toward the front of the table. I have also seen rings shown very effectively in a terra cotta flowerpot saucer filled with colored fish tank gravel, sand or even dried beans. The rings are simply set upright in the gravel. Another creative display involved hand silhouettes cut from heavy cardboard and spray painted in solid color with the rings displayed on the spread fingers. The hands were attached to small blocks of wood to hold them upright.

One of the most creative bracelet displays I've seen lately involved stuffed, long formal gloves (the kind that go almost up to the elbow). They had a few simply laying on the table with the bracelets on the "arms" and had one or two supported by dowels standing in an upright position with the bracelets pinned in place. The jeweler told me she bought them at a consignment store shortly after prom season for only $1.00 a pair. She had dyed them dark colors - black, navy and emerald green to best show off the bracelets. They were getting a tremendous amount of attention.

It is important to keep jewelry displays clean and uncluttered looking. Too much, jammed too close together will cause all of the items to simply blend and make it difficult for customers to appreciate the beauty of each individual piece.

Working the Shows Wednesday - Bits'n' Pieces

This week's comments are a collection of little bits of advice about doing shows. None are large enough to justify their own post, but are important enough to mention.

Show Log Book

As you do shows, you should maintain an ongoing record about each show. I keep mine in a loose leaf notebook. Include all the basic info, the full name of the show, date, contact info for the show director, space price and any other expenses (application fees, electrical fees, etc.) I note total sales, and total expenses (hotel, tolls, food, etc.) I now add a photo of my display at that show. (I just snap it with my pocket-size digtal camera and print out on my computer. ) Make notes as to any details about the space, i.e. lumpy ground, poor lighting, excellent location, near restroom, etc. Is there anything special you want to remember about this show? (great food, top-notch entertainment, un-Godly heat or humidity, unsupervised children running amok, etc.) Was there one product that was really moving well? (You'll want to remember this next year.) I also attach a copy of any Mapquest directions I used and any notes about a different route or any detail about getting there. I always note the total mileage to the the show and how much gas I used. (When gas was at $4/gallon two summers ago, I eliminated a few shows based on that one item.) Sometimes I attach any paperwork sent by the show committee about layout, etc. If you decide to do this show again next year, this information will be very helpful.

Price Tags

Be sure to have prices attached to or posted for every item you are selling. Customers tend not to ask. if they can't see how much it is, they simply move on. It is bad form to haggle or negotiate with customers at a show. It is acceptable to make a deal if a customer is buying multiple pricey items. It is also frowned upon, and often prohibited, to post "clearance" signs or "end of season sale" signs. "Show Special" on a specific item or group of items is acceptable if posted in a dignified manner. (For example, a single earring display stand with a 3"x5" card reading "Show Special" would be appropriate.)

Cash/Checks/Other
Know ahead of time what payment choices you will accept. Be prepared for those payment methods. Have adequate change available. Do not expect customers to have exact change. If you will be charging sales tax, have a sales tax chart readily available to allow quick and accurate calculations. Have pennies available for that purpose and do not attempt to "round off." It is unprofessional and illegal.

If you are sharing a booth with another seller, discuss before hand how money will be handled and how combination purchases (things from both of you) will be packed, etc. If it appears to be one display, customers will not expect to deal with each of you separately.

Attitude
Regardless of what happens at the show or why, maintain a cheerful and friendly attitude for your customers. They won't buy from a frowning, grumpy vendor. (They just may run for the hills.) If sales are slow, do not whine. Your customer and neighbors do not want to hear it. Stay upbeat. You can always cry all the way home or beat up your pillow before turning in for the night. SMILE, it really does help sales.

Be ready on time...
If the show starts at 9 a.m. be ready to sell at that time. Allow plenty of time for set-up. If possible, be ready earlier than the opening moment. By the same token, never close down before the appointed break-down time, regardless of how bad sales may be. (The exception here is devastating weather. We've all been forced to accept defeat from time-to-time.) Breaking down early hurts both your fellow crafters, your reputation and, most of all, your potential customers. Many a person has returned to me late in a show to purchase that bigger item they needed to think about. Many like to see everything at the show before making their buys. I've also made many sales because I was the last one standing when latecomers came by.

Display Pics
Take pictures of every display you do. Review them later and decide what works and doesn't work. Don't count on your memory to recall how you did it last time. Many show applications also require pictures of your display as part of the jury process so you will be prepared.

Most Important:
Have plenty of stock of product. Take more than you could possibly imagine selling. Have it all tagged with information identifying you so they can get in touch with you for more. Drop business cards into every bag.

Part IV of Craft Show Marketing Series

**NOTE: Part V of this series will also deal with Displays and will be posted on Friday.
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So, you’re now officially about to do your very first craft show. You’ve done your research, asked all the right questions, been accepted and paid your money. You now have a goal date looming out there in front of you. Now, you need to prepare.

In addition to producing as much merchandise to sell as you can, you need to think about your display and gather what you will need to show off your work to its best advantage.
Since this article is geared toward those doing their first shows, I will not suggest you go out and a spend a fortune on the perfect display rack. Such commercially available racks and stands are quite costly and should only be invested in when you know you will be doing a large number of shows and you have determined that the item will truly show your products off in such a manner as to “pay for themselves” in sales. Many great and effective booths have consisted of a very basic, single table display or with a few basic display pieces that were found around the house.

If time permits in the weeks before your show, visit a large craft show specifically to look at how folks are displaying their wares. Look to see what displays attract your attention and why. Which ones seem to get the attention of the shoppers? What pulls the customers over to the tables? Will any of these ideas work with your merchandise?

Many craftspeople will be glad to discuss where they purchased a display rack or how they made it, as long as you approach them when they are not busy getting set up or waiting on customers. **Never interrupt a sales pitch or approach a seller who seems to have a booth full of customers. Wait until there is a lull in traffic. Also, do not simply take photographs of a booth you like unless you have spoken with the seller and asked their permission.

(You can check out Seaside Quilts' merchandise at www.seasidequilts.com.)

Now, armed with some ideas, take inventory of what you have to work with and then beg, borrow or make do. Aha! You thought I might say “steal,” didn’t you? I can’t condone that. However, if a great piece is sitting out at the curb with somebody’s trash or hanging at the dumpster behind the mall… Well now, that’s just up for grabs.)

Basics
At an absolute minimum, you will need some sort of table, a chair, a sign and a tablecloth.

Tables
Determine which and how many tables you will be using for your display. Be sure they are solid. Customers will bump, lean on and otherwise shake your table. Wobbly displays will fall over, damaging the merchandise and possibly injuring a potential customer. If the table is not solid, figure a way to stabilize it or find another table. **Remember, you need to be able to transport and handle the table. Keep size and weight in mind.

Table Covers
Once you have selected your table(s), find appropriate tablecloths. Tables should have floor length covers on all selling sides. (* Many shows actually require this.) In most cases, solid colors are preferable. A busy table covering will usually detract form the merchandise displayed on it. There are, of course, exceptions. I have seen crazy quilts, camo or other themed cloths work well with specific products. You will need to take an honest look at your table and determine if your creations “disappear” on any such print.

Many people use flat sheets or pieces of inexpensive fabrics for their covers and simply pin or tape them in place. (*When draping the table, remember to pin the corners flat as a loose drape can create a tripping hazard for customers which can spell disaster.) Whatever you use, they must be clean, unstained and pressed to look professional. If using multiple tables, they should be matched, or at least, color-coordinated. (*If you choose to continue doing shows and will be using the same tables, I suggest making fitted cloths for your tables. They are simple to make and save loads of time during set-up.)

Chairs
You will need something to sit on at your booth. It is unlikely, you will be able to stand throughout the entire show. Your chair/stool should be neat in appearance, somewhat compact (space is always at a premium) and should be something you can get up and down from easily and quickly.

Sign
You really must post some sort of easily viewed sign telling folks who you are. They need to be able to remember whose booth they saw that perfect gift at so they can come back and get it before leaving the show! You are a craftsperson. You can make a sign. It can be fabric, tag board or wood but it needs to get your name out there in front. It should be large enough to see from a short distance and clear enough to read easily. It should not resemble the daily Jumble. Most of those sellers in these pictures have done this well.

Making the most of your table space:
Most of us need to use very inch available when setting up our displays. It is both eye-appealing and effective use of space to create multiple display levels on top of your table. This can be accomplished by adding shelves, table top racks and building up levels with the use of boxes.
Charm City Soaps, has one of the most effective, basic displays I’ve seen. She uses one small table with several low shelves supported by solid boxes to create some height. The display is neat and pulled-together and looks inviting. She has visible signage so we know who she is and there is a price guide posted. She can keep extra stock under her covered table and even has room to display samples. (Interested in seeing more about Charm City Soaps? Check out www.charmcitysoaps.etsy.com.)

Avoid simply plopping your merchandise in flat piles on your table. They won’t catch the eye of a passer by and lots of customers will do just that - pass right on by. Flat fabric creations can be difficult to display but there are simple ways.
Rachel of Seaside Quilts uses baskets to create visual interest on her tables. This picture shows her creative display of burp cloths. (Check Rachel's wares out at www.Seasidequilts.com.)

What if your merchandise is not table-oriented?
A lot of merchandise simply doesn’t show well on a table. Some things need to be up where they can hang and be seen. Some folks have found a simple clothing tree works well for this purpose. A simple clothing rack like many of us use at home can be used for displaying clothing. (This pic is from www.artifacthandmade.etsy.com) Others have figured ways to string a clothesline (This works especially well if you are using a canopy. You can run lines from one support leg to another and then simply use clothespins to hang items.) (More on hanging displays in Part V of this series on Friday.)

Don’t have a tent or canopy?
While some shows require tents/canopies, they remain optional at most events. (Tents will be addressed further in Part V of this series on Friday.) While they are wonderful additions to help protect against the elements and provide all kinds of display opportunities, there are other solutions if you don’t have one. An attractive beach umbrella can create a simple and cute effect while still protecting you and your merchandise from the sun. Sara has also used hers to help display her purses (Extra stock and other colors are displayed flat on the table but there are eye-catching hanging pieces.) She has also designed and built a very simple stand-alone stand to display her purses in an easy to view manner. (Sara does not have an active online sales presence at the moment but can be contacted through Craftster using the member name of Dishwasher 182. I’ll keep you posted on when and if she sets up shop in the near future.)

This is just a start. There is so much more to say about displays. Part V will be posted on Friday and will discuss more display issues. Jewelry display is a subject unto itself and I will address that in a separate post. I will also discuss some really unique, more involved displays in a separate post. These will not be part of the Marketing Series but will run in the next week or so.

Display Rules to Keep in Mind:
1. Be sure whatever display pieces you use are stable. You do not want them to fall over when bumped or if the wind blows.
2. Keep the appearance of the overall display neat and put-together. Color coordinate your display. Avoid a cluttered appearance.
3. Be sure you can handle the equipment. Keep weight and bulk in mind as you need to be able to transport and handle these pieces.
4. Keep your set-up flexible. While billed as 10’x10’, a space may not be perfectly square or there may be some other factor to consider and you may need to juggle a bit.

Be sure to check in on Friday for more display information in Part V of this Marketing Series.