AAR on Vendor Night

That is after-action report. I wanted to wait until I got my boxes unpacked (okay, one is still sittting in the kitchen). It was an amazing experience. I was horribly nervous and tired, but it was worth it. I had way too much stuff for my tiny table.....6x3' sounds big, but in reality with as much stuff as I had....very, very small. :) A lot of my merchandise got overlooked, because there was just too much to take in. I didn't have a camera with me...too busy to take pictures anyhow (and the lack of sleep made me whacky...ask Kim Kwan). I think my sister might have taken a picture of my table. I actually did sell quite a bit. I stressed so much about the look of my table...I should have just thrown a few of my UPS boxes on the table and let people dig. I ended up letting people dig through a large box of things because I didn't have room for them in my display. They had more fun digging through that box. :) My vintage Xmas decorations went over the best, I think. Oh, and the $2/pair vintage earrings. My prices were good for an event like this. I had nothing over $20.....if people had been able to see that better....it might have gone as well. I should have posted my price signs up higher.....but I wasn't sure I could use the back wall. I wasn't in the best spot......I was in the very back corner, near the kitchen door.....so it was hard for people to dig for things. At one point, I had three or four women digging at the same time....crazy. :) Crazy good. Some people didn't even get to my table. My prices were good in part because it seems a lot of the ladies were on a tight budget. I was joking with people...."Come back to my table with your last $20....you can get a lot from me for $20"...it was true. Let's see other things that went over well....vintage millinery birds. I was so honored....Mary of Sweetpeas & Snapshots loaded up on birds for a Valentine's kit she wants to make. Another highlight...when Andrea of "One Hundred Wishes" came by my booth, looked and my prices and bought stuff. :) This post is all over the place...kind of like that night. If think I would like to be a vendor again next year......just the shopping to get ready for it will be a blast. I loved selling to all these wonderfully crafty women and hearing what they were planning on using things for later on. I would spend less time fretting over a tablescape...for the type of things I sell and the prices I sell them at...they are not expecting a table like Karla's, Heather's, Analiese's, Carol's and any of the other well-established vendors. I'd do a little something, but nother too extravagant. I would start putting things away and pricing months earlier. I would add the .07 sales tax in the prices.....it was too late for me to do that this year. It wasn't horrible...just a little time consuming. I think I would splurge and get two tables instead of one....that way people wouldn't have to dig on the floor. I would get there at least a day early, so that I could do the unpacking, last minute pricing and fretting before opening night. That way I'd be awake for my classes and vendor night. It doesn't hurt that I'd get to see more of Second Chance Antiques as well. I only got to shop for half an hour and you have to dig there. A place after my own heart. Back to vendor night.....I'm glad I brought bags....I was giving them to people who didn't buy anything as well....Clark had stamped my shop name on both sides of the bag and we slipped business cards inside as well. I did put out a stack and some people who didn't buy, took one. Always have a stash of those at your table. Most of what sold for me was things that they could use in their mixed media art later on. I want to thank everyone who came by my booth (whether you bought anything or not). I had a grand time. If you have any questions..just ask and I'll try to answer them. If you get the chance to do a vendor night/craft fair....do it. The experience alone was great. Yes, I made back my table fee and shipping costs there......shipping for my two boxes back...don't know yet.....Fedex hasn't charged me yet. A lot of the ladies are having problems with FedEx right now. I wish them luck getting it all sorted out. Well, later today we are leaving for MD. I'll try to blog while I'm there.....not promising. Have a great weekend and enjoy Thanksgiving!