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My First Show!


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My first show is this sunday- I did a mock up of my display in my yard.  I am having a difficult time opening the canopy (you can see aside it is not set up) Good thing I didn't wait until the last minute to try it.  Somebody mentioned that they used bags or boxes of clay as weights. I don't have weights at the moment but i have clay.  How would you suggest I go about doing this? Is a whole 50# box needed or do I need to go with a 25# bag? Thanks!!  

 

 I would also love if you have some pointers or obvious display mistakes I am making.  

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I think the plaid fabric detracts from the pots, do you have more of the off white?  Also, just some simple blocks of 4x4's to elevate some of the pieces on the flat tables will help.  If you have used same glazes on several pots, grouping them together will give a unified look .   If you have plates or shallow bowls, a plate stand will enhance their look. Have a good time, take food and Tylenol  , and keep smiling!  Let us know how it works out.  Good luck. :) 

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I have gold but not another off white. The tent/canopy will have white walls, do you think it will look plain or better with gold?  Do you see something specific that should be re arranged? I got some "potted plant stands" that I used on some of the bigger bowls to elevate a bit. (not pictured here)  I am so nervous that nobody will walk in my booth, and if they do they will tell me I am out of my mind.  (which I am, but I don't need the general public telling me) 

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Guest JBaymore

I agree on the plaid fabric.  And the use of some "risers and plate stands, if possible.

 

Also..... iron the beige fabric to get the wrinkles out. Visually distracting. 

 

MAYBE a few less pieces at a time on the surfaces....... feels a bit crowded... can't see the forest for the trees.

 

Lash the clay bags to the legs with rope (neatly).  A number of wraps.  Make it look as "nice" and professional as you can.  Maybe cover with something like a wrapping of the same cloth as the table tops. Eventually...... get more "formal" weights.

 

Never ask any variation of, "May I help you?"  The answer you invariably will get is some variation of, "No thanks.  I'm just looking."  And in saying that phrase... the potential customer has made the mental decision that they ARE just looking at that moment.  Kills sales.  Say "Hi" and ask some sort of leading question like "Do you like that blue one better then the red one?"  Or say "Wow... love your scarf / shirt/ boots/ whatever.  Where did you get them?"  Try to connect with people. 

 

Best of luck.  Think of this as a test....... not the 'be all and end all'.  Take what you learn there and plan on how you are going to do the NEXT sale event.

 

Have some fun.  Smile a lot. You'll feel good and so will the people coming to your booth.

 

best,

 

.......................john

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My first few times doing some selling the same woman came up to me three times and told me how she found my work horrible. Never worked out why the first time wasn't enough for her  :lol: I guess she wanted to make sure I knew her opinion.

 

Some people are strange but there is always somebody in the world who enjoys what you enjoy so look out for them.

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You have a lot going on there which is a bit confusing to the eye.

 

If I was setting up your pots I would group by colour first then raise the special pieces in each colour group up on your crates as a single piece on it's own so it stands out a bit more. I would also pick up some plain kraft coloured gift boxes (the kind with separate lids) from the dollar store to use as low risers until you decide if you want to put some money into buying plexi ones. Can you raise the crates up a bit, what's inside is hiding behind the pots in front.

 

Loose the gold fabric, tea towels, pumpkins and leaves, they are distracting. I would also pull the table covers down to the ground on the front and tie off or tuck under the corners so they don't trip people. Also, the carpet is nice, as long as the edges don't trip people.

 

Your second setup with the turquoise pots grouped together looks good, this colour blocking is what I would go for with each section of pots. If you don't have enough of one colour to make a grouping then put those pots with similar colours. I would also take the mugs out of the bowls. This is where little risers would be good, bowl in front with mug on a riser just behind it.

 

Also, I would put out your business cards.

 

Take some pics of your booth when you have it set up the way you like it, makes it easier for next time. Good luck and have fun!

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First of all, best of luck on the show!

I think you are headed in the right direction with groupings.  I would still recommend a little breathing space between the groups (even a couple of inches will keep the display from looking cluttered).  That may mean putting fewer pieces out at first.

Also, a couple of others have recommended some intermediate level elevations.  Something about shoebox height may be all you need to soften the transition from tabletop to the wooden crate height boxes.

 

You will, of course, give us all a full report from the show when it is over, right??

 

Paul

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Where are you going to be? And where do you plan to do wrapping, bagging, sales receipt, etc.?

 

First shows are . . . trying. And, you will likely get some feedback you really don't want to hear; just remember, it is not personal. You'll know which to ignore and which to think about and act on for future shows. Keep a notebook to jot down ideas that come to you during the day.

 

Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the day as best you can.

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I like your work. I went to a recent "upscale" art show an every pottery had a unified body of work... no variety, each booth was the same glaze, color and motif from wall to wall. A lot of it was very nice, but it was clear I wasn't the target market. (These were more artist potters than functional, even when most of their work was bowls and cups. Nothing was under $100.)

 

I like booths like yours, where it's an eclectic mix, a little something for everyone, and lots to entertain the eye, and surely there's something in there I can afford to take home. ("I love this piece, but do you have one in blue?")

 

On the matching bowls and mugs... are those sold as a set? I'm not sure I like how they're displayed. Tipped over isn't a flattering look for a mug, and I'm afraid it's going to discourage picking up either of them. I'm sorry that I don't have a better idea about how to display them as a set, though. (I do have an idea, but it involves little wooden crates and shredded paper.)

 

You've basically got two "levels" of display... I think you could use a third, between the table and top of the crates. Just some small blocks of wood as pedestals, for instance. Or a more even distribution of small-in-front/tall in back. Picture 2, with the pink goblets does this. Picture 1 (with the face bowl) is kind of a sea of uniform height on the table level.

 

I *like* something of an apparent mish-mash of work, leading to a feeling of discovery when I find nice pieces that weren't immediately obvious. But a good mish-mash is a work of art in itself. :) That's a skill you'll have to develop with time, just like throwing and glazing.

 

John hit it before I did... no wrinkles! If your display isn't the height of elegance and likely to win "Best Display", customers shouldn't remember it. (And I've wondered if those high-end booths that *are* winning awards for their display fixtures and arrangements aren't hurting themselves somehow, if I remember the booth display more than the work.)

 

Find a way to fasten down the corners of your table coverings to the legs of the table so they don't whip around in the wind. Someone here ought to have some good advice on how to accomplish that.

 

Good luck and have fun!

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Regarding weights -- I use PVC pipes, capped at each end, filled with sand. For the top, I drilled a hole and put in an eye-bolt. I attach the weight to the canopy using a bungee cord to the rings at each corner. I secure the weight against the canopy leg with a short bungee. Depending on the diameter of the PVC, you can go heavy, medium, or light. Some fill the PVC with cement. An easy afternoon project for another weekend.

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I group pots by forms-that way the mugs are all in one spot bowls in another-I do tend to spread larger to midsize bowls everywhere but all small forms are grouped together by form.

Gold is better than plaid -get the wrinkles out you can store on a cardboard roll after ironing.

If you can add more elevation changes to your flat tables that would help.

OK enough 11 hour stuff.

Mark

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Ok I will try to group colors more if I can. The mugs in the bowls are breakfast sets sold as a set, the other mugs and bowls are individual. I am concerned about removing the gold because the crates and wood board on top of them are unfinished wood. I will ditch the tea towels and some pumpkins. My plan is to have a bowl with candy and business cards. (I have Caramels and chocolates). I was trying to create a thought in their heads of using the functional pieces, but I think i went overboard.

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This is what it looks like to have not settled on an aesthetic yet. I try a variety and like so many styles.

Keep these pictures and pull them out in a year or five or ten . . .

I recently gave a presentation about the development of my pottery business. I included some old slides from the late 90s. Definitely keep your photos. You will get a big kick out of them later.

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You are going to do great for your first show!!

Your booth doesn't have to be perfect the first time around, they are works in progress. This is a great start. The pointers about ironing, levels and thinning your display have been said. I would only add that clustering items in odd numbers is a trick a lot of merchandisers use in retail, and can help your eye move amongst the objects easily. You can fuss with this in between customers. Do you have a friend that can help you with your tent for setup and takedown? I needed it with mine the first few times.

+1 for the updates!

Good luck.

Cal

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this will be too late for you to read before the sale, but it only echoes what everyone else says.   the reason the tablecloths should touch the ground is that they will hide the stuff you need but do not want seen.  bags for all your sales, lunch, trash and everything else that accumulates.  

 

by the time you see this you will have had a great time seeing the public's reaction to your super pots.  the face pot had a lot of comments, all positive, right?  that lovely pale blue is probably all sold out by now no matter what pot it was on.  

 

what was the first thing sold???? ^_^

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The fall fair is tomorrow - so I got the message. I go to set up this afternoon. I will definitely try to get the tablecloth to go to the ground. I worked on more levels last night and took a few pieces out that didn't fit. Pictures tomorrow when it's all up and running! What do you take along for change? I have a square and hope to use that for the most part. Also planning to have an apron with my cash and cell phone in it. I also purchased a portable cell phone charger in case I run low on battery charging a sale. I have paper gift bags and tissue paper to wrap the items. Plan do do that on my lap since I am out of space. But I have a crate for the bags and any extra items I need like spare price tags, spare rope, an apple scented candle to make them subconsciously think fall, scissors, etc.

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