Blue light special at craft fair...

[jenn-]

cheesy, brilliant, or no one remembers the concept?  I've signed up for my first craft fair of the season and yesterday I saw an idea at another type of fair that I thought was brilliant.  The people had placed battery operated rotating blue lights on several items that they were selling.  I was drawn to them like a moth to the fire (thank you Kmart for that Pavlovian response).  Now I am thinking that I want to put an item on sale every hour, or every time it sells, using the blue light to draw attention.  Does this sound like a good idea?

[kewb]

I think it is cute but I am old enough to remember.

[Kerileanne99]

Will you have access to a PA system?

You could totally cheese it up (as well as clue in younger shoppers) by announcing 'Aaaaatention craft fair shoppers, we are ....')

 

I was a kid when KMart and blue light specials were a thing. My mom was a crazy woman when it came to great deals. Some kids are taught that if you get lost in a store you go to the front and find a customer service desk/rep. We STILL have a running joke that if you lose my mom in the store you just look for the flashing blue light:)

[lllll]

nm

[happi duck]

I think it depends on the vibe of the event.

 

I like to attend shows that are billed as "arts and crafts" and blue lights would not fit that atmosphere.

[Caroline]

I think it depends on the vibe of the event.

 

I like to attend shows that are billed as "arts and crafts" and blue lights would not fit that atmosphere.

I agree with this. I think it would bother me. But I might attend less flashy events, so to speak.

[Spryte]

I'm going to suggest that you go the other way and highly value your work. People aren't buying something made in China, they aren't just buying it for the look or the item. They are buying a piece of art, and in doing so they are buying a piece of you. Dress the part. Be the part. Talk. Be interesting. Give them something to remember every time they look at that piece you made. Make it valuable.

 

To qualify: I grew up in the art show scene. My mother is a metal sculptor and started when I was 3. I'm 44. She's still going strong. At her peak, she did 38 shows a year. High end, juried shows. Her work is amazing, by the way, and she's quite well known now. My teen years were spent working for other artists, selling at shows. When I faced health issues that made my chosen career impossible, I fell back on art. Supported myself completely for 4 years going to shows. So, I'm not an expert, but I've got a lifetime of experience.

[jenn-]

I'm going to suggest that you go the other way and highly value your work. People aren't buying something made in China, they aren't just buying it for the look or the item. They are buying a piece of art, and in doing so they are buying a piece of you. Dress the part. Be the part. Talk. Be interesting. Give them something to remember every time they look at that piece you made. Make it valuable.

 

To qualify: I grew up in the art show scene. My mother is a metal sculptor and started when I was 3. I'm 44. She's still going strong. At her peak, she did 38 shows a year. High end, juried shows. Her work is amazing, by the way, and she's quite well known now. My teen years were spent working for other artists, selling at shows. When I faced health issues that made my chosen career impossible, I fell back on art. Supported myself completely for 4 years going to shows. So, I'm not an expert, but I've got a lifetime of experience.

Unfortunately I live in an area where people want handmade items at made in China prices. I picked on of the only 2 shows that require handmade only items and actually polices the policy. All the others around here allow resellers and the $50 handmade purse isn't going to sell next to the $5 knock offs. Even still competition is steep so prices have to reflect that. As I sell crocheted items, I have to figure out how much they are willing to spend and cross that with making something of a profit. If I lived in a higher end world, my pricing could reflect that. This is more of a "fund my hobby" business, then a "survive on my income" business.

[Catwoman]

You might want to check with the show organizers to see if something like that would be permitted. I could imagine that the flashing lights could be quite bothersome to the exhibitors near you, and if the organizers are trying to create a "quality" atmosphere, I doubt they would allow the lights.

 

It sounds like something you might do at a flea market, but not a craft show.

 

(But I do remember the fun of blue light specials! :))

[MercyA]

What if you used some pretty, twinkly, seasonally-colored strands of lights to decorate your space instead? My eyes are definitely drawn to sparkly lights.  :001_smile:

 

Hope it goes well for you and you have fun!

[Spryte]

Jenn, your prices don't have to be high to make it a special, valuable experience. I didn't mean to imply that you should price out of your market. Not at all.

 

Another idea, that always increased my sales: get some pretty frames and write in the item and it price with an alternative "deal"... For example: Friendship Angels $8 each or 3 for $15. The majority of people will buy multiples. Also, doing this means you don't put price tags on items - much easier to change your pricing if you find you've under or overestimated your market.

 

One more thing that increased my sales by 50%: a corner booth vs a single. :)

 

I could offer tons more but think perhaps I've over shared here... Just disregard what doesn't work for you.

[jenn-]

Jenn, your prices don't have to be high to make it a special, valuable experience. I didn't mean to imply that you should price out of your market. Not at all.

 

Another idea, that always increased my sales: get some pretty frames and write in the item and it price with an alternative "deal"... For example: Friendship Angels $8 each or 3 for $15. The majority of people will buy multiples. Also, doing this means you don't put price tags on items - much easier to change your pricing if you find you've under or overestimated your market.

 

One more thing that increased my sales by 50%: a corner booth vs a single. :)

 

I could offer tons more but think perhaps I've over shared here... Just disregard what doesn't work for you.

I had prices on signage before I did this fair last year. Another requirement is everything must have a price on it. This is an outside at the park event with the booth fees going to charities in the community. Being outside might make the light less obnoxious to others.

 

I am glad to hear that corner booths provide the biggest help in sales because that's what I have this year. Last year I registered with 6 days notice and was shoved into the nether reaches. This year I'm at a corner booth right up next to the food vendors. Maybe I'll modify my idea and use blue Christmas lights wrapped around my "sale" pedistool (aka the crystal cake display that someone thought I needed for my marriage).

[Catwoman]

What if you used some pretty, twinkly, seasonally-colored strands of lights to decorate your space instead? My eyes are definitely drawn to sparkly lights. :001_smile:

 

Hope it goes well for you and you have fun!

I like the idea of the little twinkly lights, too -- they would be a way to attract attention, yet would still look classy. :)

 

They would also be less expensive to purchase than the big blue police lights.

 

I don't know if they still have them, but Dollar Tree used to carry little fairy lights, and those might be perfect because the strand isn't as long as Christmas tree lights. And they cost a dollar. :D

[itsheresomewhere]

One of my favorite vendors at a certain craft show does a blue light special. She sends out a text or email with the code or free product. She also has a sign with how to get the special on her table. I don't know what your price range is but if the sale goes over $150, she gives a discount of 10%.

[TechWife]

I would not go up to a booth with a blue light, like you are describing. To me it screams "cheap stuff here." I honestly think the best thing for craftsmen to do is to price their products fairly and rarely, if at all, discount their items. I think discounting gives the impression that things aren't really worth the price you put on them in they first place. 

 

The thing is that it feeds the impression that handmade goods aren't worthwhile and if affects how people see every craftsman, not just those who make the goods you are selling.  I recently saw a posting on my neighborhood Facebook page that demonstrates this. The person was looking for a recommendation for "A seamstress who can copy a picture of a dress and sew it without a pattern but is very inexpensive." The poster didn't respect the work of the original designer because they were willing to copy their work without paying for it. They also didn't respect the work of a potential seamstress. Working without a pattern takes experience and skill, not to mention training on pattern construction - not everyone can do it, even many who can turn out beautiful work using patterns cannot sew without a pattern. It would be many hours of work. There is no way to create a pattern and sew a dress "inexpensively" unless a seamstress is willing to sell herself short. 

 

[Tap]

I have seen the little flashing strobe lights used before, and honestly, I avoid those booths entirely.  I find them visually annoying.

 

Little flashing fairy lights (the tiny copper wire strands), or solid Christmas lights wouldn't bother me.  Do you have electricity? If you are outside the fairy lights may not be bright enough, but they are often battery operated so you could move them around easier.  Sometimes you can find wreath Christmas lights that have battery packs, if you can't find them in a regular store yet, you might find them at a craft store like Joanns/Michaels or on Amazon.