County Fair Booths

[joe]

Greeting Router Heads


I was intrigued by the post Brad W. made about his experience with selling routed signs at his fair booth. He didn't have much success and I could tell he was disappointed. I'd probably throw in the towel. However I'm convinced this topic deserves some investigation.

First off let me say there are lots of Farmers Market and county fairs which are well attended. People are now looking to buy fresh food and custom products. And they have CASH.

To get folks to stop and look at the product there should be plenty of examples. I've briefly touched on that topic at http://www.signtalkforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=54 and wanted to investigate more on the idea of temporary Booth Design. It should have a creative header. Perhaps using light weigh materials like Gator Foam and coating it out with a hard shell. I like having prices posted too. Everyone wants to know “How Much” and there should be order forms also.

Does anyone else have experience with this market? It seems like a natural way for a newbee to get started. I'd love to get into this business. I'd shrink my operation to the garage and make little custom signs. There'd be plenty of time to catch a nap or two during the day.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[bob_s]

Joe
I agree with your concept, but I think it must be highly regionalized. We were recently traveling in Seattle Washington and visited Pikes Marketplace. I felt like I was back in college, 1968-74, it was a giant crafts scene with people buying pottery, leatherwork, wood carvings, etc.
Now that we are back in Atlanta Ga I don't think the local market would support 5 percent of those sales. However if the products were oriented towards SEC football, hunting and fishing motifs, and other local interests they might stand a chance.
Another issue is the micro economic issues of the local area where the fair is. A vacation destination area has a lot higher percentage of people with an extra $25 or 50 in their wallet than a fair in a city like Atlanta with a high unemployment rate. I think those issues must be considered as they can be the difference between a profit and a frustrating loss.

[joe]

Bob,

Glad to hear you have a nice vacation. You know, the term Vacation isn't good. The route word is Vacate. I like the english tern, "They've gone on a Holiday".

You're absolutely right about economic zones. This country is huge and there are zones where you have to be careful. The better side is the major part of the US has lots of un-taped markets. If it's soccer, football or any kind of athletic events there may custom markets there. How abotu "Custom Man Cave" signs with athletic logo's or something like that.

We've all enjoyed the V Carved signs by Eric Erickson. It seems as though that kind of sign might sell well in you're area. But the point is, most people on this forum don't put their best foot forward. If you want to make this a business it will require showing the work. Customers will not come looking. I'd rather put a hook in the water than sit at home. Your bate is the answer. I like following the leaders. Those are the fellows who are cleaning up and doing well. One of these guys is Joe C. on the Letterheads Forum. He has a nice little, tare down, booth and lots of good sample to choose from. Two days a week at the local fair and he's done for the week.

Some of our good router buddies need a good swift kick in the kaboose.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[tuck]

Bob,


Some of our good router buddies need a good swift kick in the kaboose.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

I'm one of those guys, Joe! I keep thinking of ideas to keep myself afloat, only to succumb to that "It'll never work" devil inside my head.

I have said before that the sports market is a huge one and good "Man Cave" stuff will always sell. The problem is licensing. People want their team's logo on the design and that's a no-no without a proper license from said team, which can be difficult to obtain from the college ranks and extremely expensive from the pro ranks. You just about have to be a millionaire to obtain an NFL marketing license.

I may have a way around this problem, at least for college SEC teams, by using the license of someone I'm already doing subcontract work for to sell my own designs and products.

Naw,...it'll never work.

[myxpykalix]

The point i think you are missing about these craft fairs and markets are that if you are going to sell something there it is going to be what we call an "impulse item". Very seldom would people take a card and follow up to come and have something made up. You have to make the sale and deliver the product right then.

So it would have to be priced accordingly and they need to be able to walk away with it. What i would so is have a small Buddy set up in a trailer and have several blanks with some designs or edges already made up so that you make the sale, take their money, drop their address into your design template and cut it while they are looking around at other stuff. Then is 15-20 minutes they come back and its done.

I saw a neat youtube video a few years ago about a guy who had a trailer set up and made small signs like that by hand in 5 minutes and him making the sign was part of his "act" and he entertained while doing it. It was a fun video to watch, i have since lost his link.

The point is you could set up a laptop or small video to show a sign being made which would create some interest.

thats how i would do it...:eek:

[bleeth]

I agree with Jack. Years ago I saw a guy doing it with a router pantograph. He had a route of flea markets, etc. Made his living with it.

You could do this with a table top or the desktop too.

[kartracer63]

Joe,

It's funny that you bring up this topic now.

I've just signed up to do my first craft show on July 2nd & 3rd in Chetek, Wisconsin. They have a large community festival over the 3 day weekend and I'm told it draws quite a crowd. I've never even been to a craft show before now. My sister goes to craft shows regularly and will usually bring $200-$300 in cash and intends on spending every penny.

As somebody else stated earlier, she also says I'll need to make some generic signs that folks can buy on the spot. Even though my real intention is to promote my "Custom Carved Signs", I'll take her advice and make a pile of inexpensive generic signs.

"welcome" "welcome to our cabin" "gone fishin' " gone fishin'... be back for huntin' " "wipe yer paws" "liquor in the front... poker in the rear" (well maybe not that one) anyways... you get the idea.

I've already got my 10'x10' easy-up canopy, 6' folding table with a nice cover, and I've figured out how I'm going to display my signs. I'm going to hang lattice from the canopy frame and will hang the signs on the lattice.

As long as you're interested, I'll do a series of posts of everything I'm doing to get ready for the craft show. I'll also follow up with how the show goes and what sells and what doesn't, and what I did right and what I'd do different for the next one.

[CNYDWW]

What really works well is reinforced lattice corner pieces that the canopy legs set inside of. It also helps the canopy last a loooooooooot longer. Been there, done that.

Regards
Randy

[kartracer63]

Randy,

Can you explain what a reinforced lattice corner is?

And, how would you put the canopy legs in lattice?

Thanks

[CNYDWW]

I'll draw something up quick give me a few minuets.

[CNYDWW]

Basically just a triangular 1x2 frame covered on all sides with lattice. The back side that would be pointed in doesn't go all the way up so you can get to the legs on the canopy. Stretch out the canopy then set it on top of four of the corner pieces and lash the legs of the canopy to each. Then just hang signs etc on the corner posts for weight. Keeps the wind from tossing the canopy all over the place.

[kartracer63]

Nice idea Randy. Thanks for the drawings and explanation.

[CNYDWW]

Not a problem, glad to help.

Regards
Randy

[zeykr]

Take a lot of small, easy to carry items under $25. Generic signs sell well, but don't make them the same style and quality of materials as your custom signs or it will cheapen the custom ones you really want to sell. Or price them the same as your custom signs if they are made the same.

You'll always get some people expecting you to make them on site so they can pick up at end of the day. Hand them your brochure and tell them the design process and that you'll ship finished sign to them. Take a deposit to cover your design time, as a fair percentage won't follow through and you can end up doing design work for free.

Craft fairs vary a lot. A well organized one with visitors ready to buy and you can bring in thousands a day. A poorly organized and attended one and you can sit miserably in the sun or cold and not cover your gas. That said, they can often be good and inexpensive advertising even if sales are not too good at show.

Farmers markets and county fairs are different animals from craft fairs.
County fair can be decent advertising, but sales at the fair usually not great. Farmers Markets they are usually there to buy vegetables with WIC or Food Stamps, they may buy some cheap wood products but not usually looking to pay quality prices for quality goods. I'm sure mileage varies depending on the area and size of the market.

Reading over this I may sound a little down on fairs and I don't mean too. There are several in the area I wouldn't dare miss and some I've been to I'll probably not attend again. It takes a while to learn what sells (watch the people at the fairs and try different things and have a variety) and which events are worthwhile.

I'll usually try any fair once, depends on how it goes whether I'll do it again next year.

[steve_g]

My two cents…

In my limited “Arts and Crafts” show experience it would seem that I’m really selling myself rather than my goods. You have to be a “people” person… an extrovert if you will…an unnatural act for me. Lots of examples ranging in price from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars are necessary to show your full range of ability. Typically more sales are generated after the show than at it for me.

Steve

[dvmike]

My father in-law and I are partners in a weekend flea market hardware store near the Cherokee reservation in western NC.
We sell hickory replacement handles , latches, caribeaners, bird houses , antique farm tools, Case, Buck, and other knives.(about 1000 pocket and hunting knife inventory) etc, etc .
The store is inside and allows us to leave everything set up in diosplays etc just like an ordinary harware store. In fact I just drove 2 hours home just a few minutes ago.:(
About a year ago I put cards and brochures on the counter, and we immediately started selling banners , coroplast , and poly metal type signs by order. I recently made a sign with the name of the sign shop out of Duna and hung it, and we are starting to get interest from locals as well as the summer time Floridians who invade to Carolina mountains.
One lady from Florida owns 4 HRBlock franchises , and we are discussing making her signs and shipping them . Then she will have them installed.
I am in process of making 6-7 signs of different caliber to creat a full spectrum display, from a hand routed plank ,to full on V-Carve , Gold leaf, and 3D.
I'll let everyone know how it works out !

[myxpykalix]

I agree/disagree with Ken Z. You don't want to make signs that are as good as your main line of signs because people won't want to pay for the bigger/better signs
I don't think you will get many customers who will want to buy and have shipped but he may be right. Some craft fairs are **** some are great.

And if you are going to do this you absolutely MUST be a salesman as such and be able to make people want to buy your product. If you sit there and act like a "cashier" you might as well not bother.

Not saying you have to ride a unicycle and juggle 5 signs at a time but you do have to interact and be a salesman.

I make a bunch of stuff for one of my daughters and she goes and sits at the fairs and sells. If you don't feel comfortable as a salesman find someone and make a deal and let them sell for a percentage.

[tuck]

I'm of the belief that pre-making generic products like what Eric is talking about would be the way to go vs. hauling a Buddy Bot all over tar-nation, setting up, hoping everything works right with the Bot, that you remembered to bring everything (where is my 3/16" upspiral? Oh, NOOO!) and that there is a good enough turn-out and demand for custom, personalized products. My inclination would be to leave the Bot in the shop and bring pre-made products that a lot of folks are gonna like. I wouldn't have a choice anyway, as I don't have a Buddy but a PR96. I imagine even hauling a Buddy around could be a real chore and you'd have to have some help and they would need to be compensated.

[joe]

Good on you Randy. Your free standing displays show crativity. I've seen something like these used by Joe C. He quickly set them up for the displays. Looks good. Joe also has a pop us canopy cover to shade his booth. People gather inside to see his examples, fill out the order forms and look over this portfolio.

I'm proud of our Eric. His signs say "Buy ME". I hope he keep us informed about the July sales. I like his brochure idea's also.

If you find it necessary to hock your signs, you'd better find something else to do. There are some fellows who rout while you wait. No CNC on the market can keep up with them. It's a Flap Jack mentality and they will clean your CNC clock. You can't set type, generate a toolpath, or route as fast a these boys. But I think some CNC people want to compete. I got to laugh! These fellow are experts and fun to talk to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN_7pTTZ5N8&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN_7pTTZ5N8&feature=related)


Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com/)

[bleeth]

He is fast Joe but he can't v-carve!
The other day the UPS guy was delivering a package and I happened to be cutting some Corian out so I waved him to come back for me to sign as I didn't want to take my eyes off the machine. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the router doing it's thing.
Remember your reaction when you saw your first CNC cutting?
Seeing a sign being cut, or at least lettered is a huge attention grabber and could be the best sales tool there is.
I don't know that actually committing to purchasing a Desktop or finding an older Tabletop would yield a very fast return on investment for someone who wanted to hit the craft circuit with the other expenses (travel, booth space rental, etc) but I do think that having customers see it happen in front of them will drive traffic to the booth.

Bob: If you actually wanted to have a go at it maybe Atlanta isn't the right spot but Myrtle Beach could be and so could Highlands! Just a couple hours away.

[cowboy1296]

Well Eric it seems you and I will both cut our teeth this 4th of July. I have bought all my stuff and am making signs/artwork to show. I am in the mountains of Colorado so there will be vacationers in town. But for now this will be a learning experience for me. My biggest concern is over pricing my stuff but have been told by others that i am not. Its a 3 day event with the prices being reduced on the 3rd day if I should over charge. Let us know how it goes.

[joe]

Dave,

Most guys on this forum probably agree with you. But Suzzie home-maker only wants a "Welcome Home" sign and could care less about the noisey eqiipment. They're probably more impressed with the guy hand routing than the ugly, noisey, and expensive machine. I think that's a loosing idea. It's been tried out at several annual fair grounds with little success.

The sample film I posted is V carving. It's just not 2.5 carving. Makes no difference in this case. They're more interested in price.

Now lets see:
What kind of sign can you make for $40.00 and how many can you turn out in a day? A good order form to take back to the shop is the way to go. Perhaps some of our group will share their pricing. That way we don't have to do the ring around the rosey. Everyone thinks I'm too expensive except me. Over the years I've noticed lots of router people who are proud of how cheap they can work. They never gain much respect and seldom perculate to the top. It's a perscription for failure. If your a big company and have the financial muscle, cutting prices makes sence. It's a killer for the small guy. Cheap means failure, quality means success. It's a mental thing!

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[Acmeaviator]

For what it is worth here is my $.02 on selling at farmers markets and craft fairs.
My wife and I have produced pottery for a few years now and sell functional work to a few local stores, at local art and craft fairs and about once a month at the downtown farmers market. We have a pro grade pop-up tent, nice displays, a pretty sign (made on the Bot) and price points from a few bucks to $100. Potters in this part of the country (southwest Ohio) are a dime a dozen so we always have a few other potters to contend with. Anyway after a few years at it many sales still feel like a **** shoot lol. Some days (like yesterday at a local winery) we set up, sit all day and sell $100. Painful. Other days we set up and sell $1000.
What selling in the area HAS done for us is build name recognition and "brand identity". We sell much more via our website now than when we first started and have many more repeat buyers. We purchased a new kiln and brought all the production in house. This year we began to actively pursue commissions and had good responses that were aided by our growing portfolio and recognition.
Ultimately like others here have said success comes from consistency, quality, and determination. It takes more than one show, or even one season of shows, to begin to turn that corner.

[joe]

Brian,

You have good .02 cents.

It's true you need to be represented more than once to reap the benefits.

When you show up the first time your product may not be right. Every one wants to think they will be a hit success. It seldom works that way. One of my friends was goofey about 3D carving so he bought the carving packages and made a couple dozen carvings to be sold at our local Golf Fund Raising event. Every thing sold except his wood carved animals. He was crushed.

One of the golfers asked if they were hand carved in asia!

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[bleeth]

Seems to be a lot of interest here as well as different opinions. That's a good thing. Many years ago I worked the "farmer's market" circuit for a while with a friend (Think summer vacation from school time). We were selling candles, beads, and other hippie stuff that "is not intended for use with illegal substances". Never made much but we did make enough to get by and enjoy the summer. Two guys running around Central Florida in an old post office van with flowers, rainbows, and "US MALE" painted on it. Lot's of fun.
Point is that even though this is designed to earn some money you will do better if your attitude about it comes across as "I'm not only having a good time doing this but you will have a good time remembering where you got it"
I would imagine that just as results can vary by region there could also be quite a difference between farmers markets, flea markets, county fairs, and craft markets. I would make sure I had a nice "post card" business card with photo montage for people to take with them. The price for getting those done now is really a bargain.

[blackhawk]

Hello All,

I am the one that Joe mentions that first posted on the signtalkforum. On top of what I posted there, here are a few few more thoughts and takeaways that I had. Again, my perspective is from only doing a single craft fair, so my experience is limited.

As an example of pricing, I made a 3/4" thick 10-1/2" x 18" cedar sign exactly like the one that Eric uses in his profile pic above. My show was at the local lake, so I had it read "The Gilbert's 208 Lake Drive". I put a tag on it for $40. In 8 hours, I had three people seriously look at it and only one placed an order.

I agree with Joe, that taking a Shopbot with you to a show would be difficult. (In the case of my show, it was impossible, because they did not provide electricity and generators were not allowed.) You would have to have someone helping you take orders and talk to the customers. I think that if you had very much business, you would have to be at the Shopbot non-stop. Of the whole two orders that I got, both customers were fine with waiting a few days for their sign.

I didn't make up generic signs to sell on the spot. But, If I had, I have the feeling that I would have sold very, very few. It is worth a try, but I wouldn't go in with 50 "Welcome" signs, maybe 5 at the most.

[rej]

i have been watching this with some ideas.
i have alot of show experience.
i own property here in indiana and we have one of the largest shows in the u.s. we have one million people walk in front of our yard in 10 days.

there are 4 sign booths here, all hand router.
only one does alot of business. he uses a font something on the order of madfont.

he applys paint to almost all of his signs, and he never uses cedar, all redwood. his display is 16 feet high, 20 feet wide. eric's signs would be the style, with paint added.

almost all of his signs are custom.
most customers do not see him cut. but being an artist, he works with them to do custom artwork.
if you want to compete with these guys, good luck.

maybe that was too harsh.
i just don't want anyone to get all gung ho and spend a ton of money to try to re-coup booth rent. doing shows is very expensive and losing money is a real part of it.
the only people who haven't lost money at a show are the people who have never done very many shows. rent at our show is at least 500.00 for a 10x10, and the best spots are 1000.00. then there is camping or motel,food,gas, and long lonely days if it rains.

[blackhawk]

Robert - How does the guy at your show apply the paint? Does he use a paint mask and spray, for example? Just trying to understand how quickly someone could carve, mask, paint, and dry the paint in order for quick turnaround on the same day.

Do you have any example on the prices that he charges?

[harryball]

Do what you want but...

If I go to a show and stand there with stuff piled around me I find nothing generally happens. If I talk and interact and generally look stupid for the kids, we sell a little more. If I stand there and build bat houses, flipping the drill in the air, spinning screw drivers over my hand, making intentional laughable mistakes, making stupid jokes while letting the kids paint little freebee bats we do the best.

Learn how to make people look at you and keep looking.

/RB

[rej]

HE CARVES, SPRAY PAINTS THE LETTERS, THEN SANDS IT ALL OFF.
THEN PAINTS BY HAND THE ARTWORK, THEN CLEAR COATS.
MANY OF HIS SIGNS ARE MAILED TO THE PEOPLE.
HE IS USUALLY HERE FOR ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE SHOW FILLING ORDRES.

THIS GUY IS A FULL TIME PRO, DOES 30 OR MORE SHOWS PER YEAR.
IT IS HIS ARTWORK THAT GETS THE ORDERS.

HERE IS HIS SITE http://www.fairsigns.com/ (http://www.fairsigns.com/)

HIS PRICES ARE OK, A LITTLE ON THE HIGH SIDE.
HE DOES SEVERAL LARGE SIGNS AT 300.00 PLUS.

[burchbot]

If I needed a sign., I would go with Eric The signs on the link look like they came from a fair.
Dan

[rej]

they look like they come from a festival because it is a festival.
eric's signs are very nice, if not better, and would probably sell.
but i'm telling you, people like the redwood.

it is a harder wood for sure.
about a week before the show, a box truck arrives with two huge skids of redwood, so i know he does pretty good.
he is also a redwood distributor if you need any.

if i were new at shows, here is how i would start -

set up at flea markets. rent is usally 30.00 or less, our largest one here is 3.00. have a great display and take orders. i would have my laptop there with aspire on it to design what they want in front of them. you are out very little so the pressure is off. if you have never done a show with high rent and expenses, then you might not know the feeling of going home several hundred in the red.
it is a bad feeling.
i wish you guys nothing but the best. good luck and have fun with it.

[joe]

Thanks to everyone for all their good idea's.


Saturday morning I'll wander down to the local Framers Market to see if it's possible to find a vendor willing to share a booth. Some of them seem to be a little shy of products and might welcome the idea. Another thought would be to have them do all the sales for a nice fat commision. That way I could have several County Fairs going at the same time.

I'll need a few photo's to show them what I have in mind.


Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com

[myxpykalix]

Hey Joe also check out the "arts and crafts" section of Craigslist and put an ad in looking for someone to share a booth and let them have half the booth for selling your products or something like that. I got interest from several people when i did that, it turns out my daughter wanted to do crafts so i have her selling (she gets a 50% gross sales profit) but its family so i can handle that:D

[Acmeaviator]

Joe while you are there you should speak with every vendor about making signs for their booths - maybe even take along a sample. I made a 10x20" sign for my wifes pottery booth and it looks great on her 10'x10' popup.

[joe]

Brian,

The Farmers Market here is open from 7Am to 1pm. Each booth is selling their vegetables at a fevored pace. No time to takl about anything. I'll only be able to look at the booths and get a few cards.

My saturdays aren't open for more work, so I'll need to find a good place to represent my product. Looks like a good place to start.

Joe
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[michael_schwartz]

The difficult thing about selling by price is that there will almost always be somebody who is willing to do it for less. Take a look at some of the prices for routed wood signs on ebay. No offense intended if somebody here sells there :D

CNC equipment is becoming increasingly common place. Its how you you set yourself apart and stand out that will become increasingly important.

The local farmers market in my area would likely be a good venue. Lot of fine crafts, art, and handmade items. Its definitely on the more upscale side compared to most. I have considered setting up a booth but you have to apply and commit to an entire summer. I am opening up a small 200 square foot gallery at my shop on july first, and I can't be 2 places at once.

[joe]

Michael,

I agree with everything you've said and good luck with the gallery. It will pay off in dividends.

Isn't this a great craft! There's plenty of money to be made while having fun.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[cowboy1296]

The canopy is up and the truck is loaded. This is a 3 day event and as early as yesterday I could tell that more people were in town then normal. I will give feed back on my experience.

[kartracer63]

I'm ready to go too. Good luck Rick!

I'll post photos and comments on my experience at some point.

[CNYDWW]

Good luck guys.

Regards
Randy

[kartracer63]

Day 1 of the craft fair went alright. I didn't get rich today, but I sold some signs and took orders for some too.

I sold $126.00 worth of premade generic signs and sold $478.00 in custom signs.

The first sign to sell this morning was a simple sign that said "WTF!?". I guess I should have made more than 1 of those. I'm going to make a few more signs tonight and hope they're dry enough to sell in the morning.

I gave out a ton of business cards and flyers and could easily double or triple my sales today if even a small percentage of those people follow up later with an order. Lots of folks said they would be getting in touch with me to place their sign orders... We'll see.

I'll follow up on a seperate thread with more details and some photos next week sometime.

[cowboy1296]

I sold simple stuff "welcome to my cabin" and "man cave" sold quick. both were cheap and made out of scrap. I did sell 1 big 3d black walnut sign at a reduced rate to a friend and neighbor, took an order and passed out about 50 cards with a lot of interest coming from a bunch of people. Monday will be the big day with a parade in town and lots of tourists. i was a people person talking my ass off which is not hard for me, luckily with the traffic i could spend some one on one time with several people. did i tell you that my feet hurt and i am tired. bud is going down real easy right now. back at it tomorrow.

[cowboy1296]

NOTE TO SELF: When leaving canopy up overnight, remove the top. My brand new canopy frame is a total loss and i think that the tarp itself is ok, I am too tired to look right now.

Traffic was light. Had a lot of card seekers interested in signs for their houses and business. Had a promise to buy on a marine plaque for tomorrow other then that did not sell a thing.

most of my stuff is a little high end, reaching up to $200. People like it but no one is buying. So learning from my experience, making less expensive stuff for sale makes more sense.

What i thought would be a real show stopper is the local school name and mascot plaque. no one seems to care about it.

tomorrow is another day, a parade in town and should be busy.

[myxpykalix]

As I pointed out earlier or in another thread, these are "impulse items". Make something quick and cheap under $50.00 and you will sell more. This is not to say your product isn't worth what you ask, but moreover are they willing to pay what you ask...obviously not.

Some fairs are juist the wrong ones to go to, some you might sell tons at. As others have said its hit and miss. Good luck:D

[cowboy1296]

You are so right but some dense people like me have to learn by their mistakes. Hell i am self taught on the shopbot so you know i am learning a lot by my mistakes. Although a lot of contacts have been made and you never know when i might get that call or email. this i can not put a value on. fortunately i am not in this for a living but as a hobby. if i made 2-4 large yard entrance personal signs a month for sale i would be completly happy.

some of the next show projects will be to put a 2x6 on the table and cut 3 cute or smart elic signs out of it. one guy i talked to yesterday wanted me to make a entrance sign for his operating outhouse, remember i live in the sticks. i will always display one or two of the high end stuff but the cheaper stuff will be more previlant. although remember i did sell one 15x24 inch black walnut elk scene for a high end price to a neighbor and friend but still below market value.

[CNYDWW]

I knew a gentleman that did primarily scroll work. Signs, plaques, toys etc. He never displayed more then one of anything. Even thought he used to tape two or three pieces of pine together and cut them all at once. His wife did all the painting and finishing. Kept everything neat in totes and as soon as the customer walked away he'd pull out another for display. He always said "find out what they like where and make a few of them. The first things that go are usually what you want most of." I also do a lot of carving and signs for a gentleman that produces slab wood and slab wood furniture. Mostly black walnut and cherry. I let him worry about the sales, i just give him a sheet of graphics and fonts for the custom stuff and have a bunch of material in the shop. I usually have it setup so if he's at a show i'm in the shop. Even if i'm working on another project i'll make sure there's time in the day to pump out a couple signs. If he gets a deposit, he'll call it in and i'll run it through the machine. End of the night he picks up the custom signs, pays for them and goes and seals them in his shop. He's also had me track down local school and sports logos but they never seam to sell.

Regards,
Randy

[cowboy1296]

I have a hundred board foot of black walnut that is still too moist to cut and it might even be next year before it is dry enough. But here in colorado things dry fast. Currently outside it is 5% humidity. But post a picture of your black walnut signs. I am curious for ideas. This one went out to a veterans group and its big. 33x15x2 rings a bell.

[CNYDWW]

You can see some samples of my carvings on his furniture etc. here.

http://redmondsrusticfurniture.com/Products.html

Signs are just live edge planks. Usually reclaimed logs he pulls out of the mud blow downs etc.

[cowboy1296]

Thanks. I work with thick stock also but i learned the hard-way that black walnut can warp. what moisture content do you cut at? I have decided that i am going to cut my stock into 2x3's or 2x4's and glue them back together depending on the grain to help prevent the warping. what i have now is 2 1/4 inch thick but in planning i expect to loose some of that.

[rej]

you guys might think about incorporating jimmy buffet type signage into your work.
i know of a vendor who only sells that type of theme, and does 6 figures with it.
they had a booth by me one year in plymouth indiana at the blueberry festival.
that festival runs 250,000 people in 4 days.

they had 2 cash registers running full time.

[cowboy1296]

ok enlighten me what kind of signage is that? a link or picture would be great

[CNYDWW]

He is less concerned about moisture content. Sometimes i get material that's just too wet. That's why i only do V carvings and never more then 1/4" into signs and 3/8" into furniture. His sign material is usually around 1" surfaced. Everything else is up to 3" thick for furniture.

[rej]

not sure this is the same vendor, they have been copied many times.
franscountryusa.com

[cowboy1296]

I had a young former marine yesterday who promised to return to day to buy one of my lower end marine plaques and he did. so for his honesty i gave him a 16% discount. Another old fart former marine (like me) bought one of my middle priced marine plaques. So again not a big sell day but an extreme amount of people seaking my card. this whole thing was a great education and i learned by my mistakes once again.

met a sgt from ft carson and he was extremely interested in my ability to put together a soldier plaque. we had a little in common, so i think based on our conversation there may be a lot of work there.

thanks for yalls help, i am sun burned and tired and bud is going down easy once again.

[dakers]

Joe posted a video of this hand carver on page 2
http://calicowoodsigns.com/

I think one important thing is do what you do with all your heart and all your might. some people may be able to do alot of things with all their heart and might at the same time. not me, only one thing.

Once i was spread too thin trying to make money in areas that had a learning curve, time commitment and expense and was not doing well financially, then i decided to focus and do one thing with all my heart and might and it worked and my income went up tremendously. i focused on what i do best and where my strengths are. i cant focus on alot of things with all my heart and might, only one thing. You may be wired differently.

I can do free hand carving almost as good as you see in the website but it is not my vision for doing something with all my heart and might and hanging in there until it works financially (persistance)

but you can if you are wired to do this.

good luck

[t_vandemark]

My wife and i are going to be doing a Christmas craft and gift show on Nov. 20 at a large hotel and casino in the area with about 200 vendors. I am planning on just basically using this as a marketing tool. We will have some examples and lots of pictures on hand. I have never done anything like this before and really have no expectations but am just hoping to hand out a lot of business cards and info as most of our business is word of mouth. I will post the results after the show.

[cowboy1296]

I too have another show coming up. The high end stuff does not sell to well in my experience. inexpensive signs made out of scrap went like crazy. "man Cave" is a popular one; "welcome to our cabin" door topper was another. Just basic flat signs.

[t_vandemark]

Rick, that is good to know. I might make up a couple of cheaper signs to bring and have availabe to buy at the show. I will post some examples of what i decide to bring. Thanks for the info.

[cowboy1296]

Some of the man cave signs that i am preparing for sale i added coat hooks on each end, of course this would mean that the sign would have to be secured to a stud but that should not be a problem.

[t_vandemark]

Well we did our first show last sunday and as far as selling anything at the table it was a total bust. Sold just one sign to another vendor before the show even started, she thought we would sell out. But all was not lost as we got tons of interest from people who want custom signs for their house and cabins as well as gifts for x-mas. Whether it was from the show or other advertising, over the past couple of days we have gotten 7 signs approved for building and we have another couple still waiting on approvals.
We have another show this Sunday at the same place but its supposed to be about 3 times the size. So at least now we have some inventory already carved to have at the table and can spend my time catching up on these orders.
I hope you guys are enjoying Thanksgiving down there. I was out of town for ours, and missed all the great food.:mad:

[chiloquinruss]

Tyler, just a quick thought. If you have any of the first shows signs done by the time of the second show, bring them with you and put sold stickers on them. This will show the newbies that you really can do what you say and show off more of your workmanship. Russ

[MogulTx]

Just my experience: I work in an industry that is mostly HIGH dollar product. I have attended tradeshows every year (2-3 shows some years) and I have RARELY made a direct sale AT THE SHOW. I HAVE made lots of contacts adn then been able to follow up and close a sale after.... that too is fairly rare. The idea, for me, is not to go in with an order book and come home with orders to build. I am going in to show people a little about my company, let them meet me face to face and to see what is going on in my industry. That is MY industry and MY experience.

For you: I would encourage you to: Do everything you can to get orders at the show. Bring excellent examples of things that you think will portray you in a positive light and be consistent about attending shows that should promote you in your area. ( Signs are probably going to be a local thing, for the most part)... CONSISTENCY and getting to know a little about you... that should do the trick.

Something else to think about. Although I attend tradeshows, it is usually the other vendors, in booths, who are our market. Look around at the other vendors. They may be better customers for you than the general public!!!

[t_vandemark]

Russ, Good idea. We will have a few of them done by the end of tomorrow. So we should be able to bring a some of them to the show as examples. Its alot easier to sell something if people can have an example that they can put their hands on, even if they can't buy that exact one.

Monty, that is some great advice. We did find that alot of the really interested people were other vendors. One of them wants us to make a sign for her small business, and others were mostly crafty individuals that can appreciate the kind of work that my wife and i are doing. We bring tons of great pamflets and business card to hand out, and i bet we handed out about 700 of them last weekend.

[Brian Harnett]

My first post since the forum change, I do quite a few craft shows a year not really shopbot stuff but chainsaw carving, I do have a book with some of my signs and furniture.

Juried art craft shows usually make me 4 times as much as a farmers market the people going to these shows are coming to spend money.

Take credit cards I doubled my sales this year just about not many customers carry a lot of cash anymore.

Make your booth stand out, a lot of shows I actually carve at, that gets a good draw I know you cant just haul the shopbot out but booth appearance really makes a difference.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l249/brianharnett/Wood%20Carvings/Vending%20setup/IMG_1714.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l249/brianharnett/Wood%20Carvings/Vending%20setup/IMG_1728.jpg

[joe]

Excellent post Brian,

Your product and method of displaying is as good as I've seen. Thanks to this forum I've come to the conclusion it's a fickle market for CNC routed signs. Your product is creative and I can see how it would do very well. I was close to pulling the trigger and building a mobile sales booth. After keeping a close eye on this forum, over the months, I've come to the realization it's a dicey venture for signs. Your product is attractive and diversified and great for this market. Good luck for the coming year.

I should also thank Ken Z. for his input. We kicked this can around for some time.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com

[curtiss]

Happy New Year Joe... Are you going to take some time and write a book?

Such as.... "It isn't finished until its Finished" ....That would certainly help us all.

[kartracer63]

Hi Joe (and others),

I'm sorry... I forgot to follow up with more information and thoughts about my craft fair experiences.

I ended up doing 4 craft fairs last summer. All of them were profitable and I improved my set-up and presentation at each event.

I found that I had more success selling my "rustic looking" signs at the craft fairs located nearer to cabin / tourist areas than I did near a metropolitan area.

I was also happy to sell a lot more "custom ordered" signs than I did "pre-made" signs. But, I did sell a good quantity of pre-made signs and wouldn't dare show up at a craft fair without a supply of them. All of the craft fairs that I attended, I was limited to a 10'x10' area. So, all of my display had to be contained within my EZ-UP canopy. I literally had neighboring vendors inches away from me. No room to spread out like Brian.

So, I strategically placed some of my "funniest" signs up high and at the edge of my display to get the attention of folks as they meandered by. I could actually read their lips as they were reading the funny signs to the person they were with. I didn't sell many of those signs (because they were kind of "tacky funny"), but it got people to stop and look at my display a little longer. Then they would discover that I also sold "custom" signs and they could have whatever they wanted made to order.

My wife and I dressed well at these events, and we had shirts with my "Custom Carved Signs" logo embroidered on them. We looked professional and trustworthy.

I also have very nice business cards and colored tri-fold flyers that were easily accessible for those that wanted one. Those are a MUST!!!

I had two photo albums full of custom signs I've made for other customers sitting out for anybody to look through. The photo albums were almost constantly being thumbed through by somebody.

I was very pleased to see how many orders I received in the weeks and even months following the craft fair events. Most folks would begin the communications with "I saw you at the XXXX craft fair and grabbed one of your flyers (or business cards). The orders I received after the shows equalled, and in some cases exceeded, the sales from the show itself.

Like I said, last summer I did 4 of these craft fairs... this summer I'll try to do 8 to 10 shows. They're well worth my time.

[joe]

Well, if anyone could do well at these shows I'd vote on you. Your product is just the ticket. If I were to venture in, it would be for the advertising and future sales.

One of the outstanding qualities of this kind of signage is the speed with which they can be made. Highly finished signs can eat up time, not to mention the added cost of special lumber. With that in mind, I've found the more rustic a sign is, the better chance is to make extra money.

Thanks for posting and sharing your experiences.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com