Struggling to sell at fairs

[Kimkie]

I have been doing craft fairs for some years now, evolving my stand every time. My work is delicate and feminine and does not shout loudly to be noticed. I want to improve my stand's selling ability but I do not have funds to spend on fancy cabinets.

I have researched blogs on show stands but they all seem to cover loud bold jewellery on wire racks or cushions and throws. There seem to be no ideas for displaying 'quality' jewellery.

Any ideas anyone?

Many thanks in advance

Kim

[Obsidian Butterfly]

Hi Kim
I'm with you on lacking funds for expensive cabinets for display, but when I do craft fairs I display my quality jewellery on jewellery trees which I made myself using air dry clay from a local craft shop and then painted black. I also think its important to have clear precise signs that advertise your jewellery as quality. Signs are equally as important as your stock as they are what lead people to your stall. especially as your jewellery is delicate.

Hope this helps :)

[Kimkie]

Thanks Laura. I do have a banner and matching business cards, my stand looks understated and neutral. Perhaps I should go for overstated lol.

[pearlescence]

You need to work out whether the customers who are likely to buy your work are going to craft fairs. If they aren't then no amount of marketing will get more than a sprinkle of sales. What is the average and largest spend at these events? Do people come ready to open their wallets?

[art925]

Be creative with everyday objects around you, not just in your jewellery making. My atelier is art925, so I spray paint old picture frames, put together with painted mdf makes a good display, be imaginative. I have also canibalised simple wooden CD racks from Ikea. You would be surprised!! (I let the beaders use racks). I have also used old wooden fruit crates painted and get this wine bottles, that was a fun night...!

But in the end all this is pointless if your customer is not present at the fair. I know in the UK there are so many craft fairs. I only attend a true critiqued art fair; where possible, by invitation only then the marketing draws in a better customer. In the end, most of my sales come following the event, people have seen me at the fair then visit my atelier the following week. Remember marketing is an important part of your business. Dont be put off if you are not selling your stand out, talk to the visitors to your stand, look at the jewellery they are wearing, this will give you an indication of their style, ask them what appeals to them, it is not your work that is wrong, you are in the wrong place. I provide loads of postcard sized flyers, photos and logo, a bit of information about yourself on the back, also provide flyers of other fairs you will be attending if you have no fixed studio, then people know where to find you.

Stay confident with your personal style, changing your style to suit a populist market is selling yourself short. If you have little cash to invest in your business, then all you can invest is time... so take it, use every opportunity to gather information, it is free market research and that is priceless.

[Kimkie]

Thank you for all the helpful hints and ideas. I suspect that I may be trying to sell in the wrong places, but I live in the back of beyond and choices of venue are limited.

I've been making jewellery for a long time, because it's what love to do, but it would be nice to make a profit too lol

[Tabby66]

Wow! art925, what great advice and such a good perspective to adopt!
Thank you.

[Kimkie]

Thank you Art925 for taking the time to reply in such depth! Much appreciated.

Plenty of food for thought there :-)

[caroleallen]

It's also a good idea of blow up some images of your designs and use them to decorate the walls of your stand.

[Petal]

It's also a good idea of blow up some images of your designs and use them to decorate the walls of your stand.

That's a good idea Carole; it will show the detail and craftswomanship ;) of the delicate pieces being made.

[Paul Townsend]

Have you looked at Pinterest - they have some great ideas for jewellery display that are very cheap to make

[CJ57]

You can buy the cabinet most galleries use in IKEA for around £40, they have a wooden top so then you can also screw angled spots to the top. I think good lighting makes all the difference. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80269122/

Like Carole, I do blow up pictures and it's amazing how much time people spend looking at those and then come back to look at your work with a different eye

[Wallace]

Have you looked at Pinterest - they have some great ideas for jewellery display that are very cheap to make

It is interesting that you pick a thread that is three years old to reply to. Maybe it would be good to introduce yourself.

[CJ57]

It is interesting that you pick a thread that is three years old to reply to. Maybe it would be good to introduce yourself.

Well spotted Wallace,I hadn't noticed that, too early in the day!:/

[Wallace]

Well spotted Wallace,I hadn't noticed that, too early in the day!:/

Not at all, it is great to discuss again, and you have some lovely ideas, I am getting closer to doing fairs, so happy to peruse the theme. Just would be lovely that we can say hi to you Paul, if you are here to engage in the forum. ( tsk, I am away for a couple of months and turn into a right grump! ). Lol ;)

[CJ57]

Not at all, it is great to discuss again, and you have some lovely ideas, I am getting closer to doing fairs, so happy to peruse the theme. Just would be lovely that we can say hi to you Paul, if you are here to engage in the forum. ( tsk, I am away for a couple of months and turn into a right grump! ). Lol ;)
He has introduced himself well on his profile page which I read with interest but as I've told him not everyone will and we do like to welcome newbies:)

[Wallace]

I don't remember to visit those pages, although I think I did some sort of profile a while back. Lol... Will go and look, probably at lots now ;)

[Paul Townsend]

Thanks for the welcome Wallace :~:

[trialuser]

Yep, an interesting read :)
Don't usually bother to reply to the welcome threads, seems a bit girlie and I'm naturally a bit of a grump anyway, but that is definitely worth a welcome.

[Tabby66]

Reckon you will have the most visited profile on the site Paul!!! Interesting read, my son lives and works in AbuDhabi, so we visit at least once a year,....but always avoid the summer months!! Look forwards to seeing your work ;)

[Dennis]

Well, you've had your initiation and ragging now Paul. You story chimes with the way many of us started, so well--just welcome to the forum. Dennis.

[Paul Townsend]

Thanks to everyone for my welcome -

I must add that although I have lived and worked in Dubai for over 17 years now, I think the time is very close for us to head back to the UK.

I spent all of my working career from age of 16 with large national companies, and I feel its time for me to try to make money for myself and not someone else.

Hence why i joined this forum.

I have a few business ideas, and wanted to see how feasible they were, and if there was anyone else who was interested in joining up with me.... but for the moment I'm just happy adding my 10p where ever I think it may be useful.

Thanks Again paul AKA Mr beaujangles

[MeadMoon]

I was looking at the Ikea cabinet and found one second-hand at a very good price, but when I went to pick it up it was so heavy that I could not handle it on my own. Since I have no-one to help when doing events, I regretfully had to decline the offer :(

My current display uses three different sizes of clear acrylic square storage jars and an earring (tree) stand. The jars and lids can be used together or separately and very few people realise that they are not purpose built acrylic cubes.

[Wallace]

I was looking at the Ikea cabinet and found one second-hand at a very good price, but when I went to pick it up it was so heavy that I could not handle it on my own. Since I have no-one to help when doing events, I regretfully had to decline the offer :(

My current display uses three different sizes of clear acrylic square storage jars and an earring (tree) stand. The jars and lids can be used together or separately and very few people realise that they are not purpose built acrylic cubes.

that is good to know. I have limitations due to some med probs - so welcome hints and tips. But, there can be too many. I may need to have some professional help (in more ways than one... hehehe)

[CJ57]

The ikea cabinet as you'd expect from ikea is flat packed but it's easier than a lot of their things to build and if I remember rightly only needs and Allen key. I can't lift it when it's built but I have built it myself. It's stored under the bed in between times as I've nowhere to keep it otherwise. I also have perpspex cubes from 3d displays that I also build up, which people seem to prefer to the cabinet at the OS for some reason, but they are a bigger outlay and they need a bit more care because they scratch more easily

[MeadMoon]

Maybe I need to try the pieces when disassembled then. The single pieces of glass are heavy in their own right, but you reckon that one weakling can manage them?

[ps_bond]

Being cheap cabinets, they're not ideal for repeated dismantling. For the ACJW exhibitions we use these as standard (with Purlfrost on the back of them) and the ones that have been pulled apart a few times are significantly more rickety. Oh, and if you're transporting them assembled, pad them at the door & between the shelf supports & the glass, the noise is nerve-wracking otherwise!

Realistically, they're a 2 person carry - not purely wrt strength but also safety. A small sack trolley and a bungee is also very helpful.