Trunk Show success!


What a great time! It was a nice and steady night until about 9:15pm, and the last of the ladies left the building. The credit card option was hugely successful! Almost everyone paid by credit card, and I had no problems at all with the Square. 



People seemed to link my set up. Bona from the gift shop who was selling the Vessel International amber jewelry beside me, joked that my tables were on steroids because they were so tall! :)  Lighting was quite poor and shoppers had trouble seeing the colors of the beads.


A few showy pieces sold, including the butterflies necklace!  But I have plenty of jewelry to be listed over the weekend. All in all it was worth the time and effort. And it is nice that I have a lot left for the sale that starts on Monday.



Regrets: 
Didn't bring boxes
Could have brought more lighting
Didn't save enough space on my table for a wrapping station
Could have used an extra helper
Didn't have enough props- I really missed having that window
Should have made more earrings with silver wires
I think my 2 tables should have been against the wall, making a bit more room between my tables and Bona's tables. Stuff on the table against their table didn't really get a lot of views.  Things sold more from the front facing table.

Every show like this is a learning opportunity, which is also why I'm sharing this information here. I know many of you have shows or would like to have shows like this, so I do hope these details help you in planning your next.

I guess now it's time for clean-up. Ugh. The studio and dining room is a huge disaster area.


I hope to get this all done this morning because my bead soup arrived and I can't wait to play! Look at the delicious beads that Kate sent me! I love the color palette and it's kind of funny that we both picked similar colors to send each other. I wonder if Kate has her beads yet.



Comments

  1. I am so happy to see it went well for you. The tables are beautiful! Along with the bead soup. I bet whatever you make will be beautiful! Have a wondeful time cleaning up!

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  2. You've got a great setup! I've always loved your earthy look with natural elements and vintage props.

    I have a problem with the lighting at the gallery I show at because it's a long way to the nearest outlet and the lighting in the gallery is quite dim, especially after the sun goes down.

    Like you say, every show is different, even though I set up at the same place using the same props. It's a never-ending process.

    Enjoy your bead soup! What lucious colors there are, and the clasp is awesome! I can't wait to see what you make with it.

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  3. I am glad you mentioned lighting; I wouldn't have thought about it. Maybe a power strip, too, in that event. When you say you didn't bring boxes, what kind of boxes -- for jewelry, or bigger ones for yourself to carry things in? I also like your sign. That's something I wouldn't have thought of, either.

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  4. A beautiful wash of colours Kate sent you! Looking forward to what you both make! Your table looked great. Very relaxed and inviting looking! Really like it.

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  5. Shows like this always have the good and the not so good and being able to assess what was lacking and what worked well means next time you can take a different approach. Mind you, when you are working with a set up that you are given you sometimes have your hands tied. The nice thing is being able to see people's reaction to your work and having your name out there in a different media venue. Glad though that overall it was successful.

    I love your bead soup -- those colours are summery melon-licious!!!

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  6. I was wondering how it went! So glad you had a successful show. I'm glad to see your list of 'regrets' too. It's always helpful for everyone to know what works - and what doesn't.
    I have a feeling that if I were able to offer the credit card option at my shows, I would probably be more successful too. Something to think about for the future...
    Happy success! Have a great sale!

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  7. That sure is a juicy fruit mix in the heart of soup / would like to eat some ;)

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  8. This is the first time leaving a comment . I love your style and am glad your sales went well. About the boxes, I use beautiful pouches for shows because they take less space to carry and look very nice. Every show is different. Good idea raising the table. I've always think of doing it but haven't yet. Great beads. Yummy!

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  9. Love your comments on doing shows! Good to know that the Square worked well for you. I might give it a try.

    I did indeed get my beads and am working on my post to show them off. I love them. LOVE THEM!

    It IS funny that we sent a similar color pallette.

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  10. I love how you listed what worked and what didn't work for you. I agree each show is a learning experience and I love also learning from others ;) What credit card company option did you use? I have a couple large shows in a month and have yet to start taking cc's...

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  11. I can't wait to see how my square works out! Good tip about the sterling ear wires. I have to get on that.

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  12. I knew that butterfly piece would flutter away. Congratulations, and thank you for the show tips they will come in handy, I have two shows in October.

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  13. I love your soup, those colors are great!

    Congrats on doing well at your trunk show. It's really inspiring to see all of your pieces together like that. I wish I had your level of creative energy, or maybe it's just a fearlessness I lack. I don't comment much, but I never miss a blog - your blog was in fact the impetus to start my own. Anyway, in spite of the omitted window, your display still looks very good!

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  14. Lorelei, so glad it was a success! It looks great on the pictures. If I would ever do a show, or have an open house, I would go straight to your blog to search for good - no excellent tips on what to think about, and to get inspiration for beautifully laid out tables. You really are amazingly generous with your experiences and thoughts. Thank you so much for sharing it all!

    That fabric looking like wood is so awesome (she said with envy in her voice). One thing I thought of when you have so much table area as you had this time, is to put the mirror more centrally so that it is easily accessible from all sides of the tables. Hm, and lighting must be a tough issue to deal with. I wonder what you can do in advance to be more flexible in that area. So did I understand correctly, that you brought your own table feet to raise the tables slightly? Clever!

    Your bead soup looks soooooo yummie. I wanna eat it!

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  15. Congrats on your show's success! The display looks gorgeous!

    When I do shows I keep notes of things that would have worked for next time. I always bring my box of findings and tools for last minute swaps or fixes ;)

    Glad to hear your square rocked! When I went to the outdoor art walk here EVERYONE was using them!

    The soup looks delicious! Happy creating!

    xo Genea

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  16. Glad your show was a success, appreciate you sharing your regrets with us, yes it is a good learning opportunity. Good luck with the sale on monday and looking forward to seeing your bead soup creation(s).

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  17. I'm so glad to hear that the show went over well. I know you put a lot of time, effort, and stress into prepping for it!

    I can't wait to see what you make with your bead soup. The color combo is very interesting. And how funny is it that you sent each other similar palettes? My partner and I did the same thing last year.

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  18. Glad to hear your trunk show went well! Square is awesome. It made all the difference for me when I started using it, as most people only carry credit cards. Your displays are really lovely! I also use driftwood and tree branches in my booth design as nature is my biggest inspiration! I created some really beautiful necklace stands with vases, plaster of paris and branches. I am happy to send you a photo with instructions-just let me know :) Too funny-my studio and dining room are in the same condition after a craft show! Thank you for sharing your experience.

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  19. Hi Lorelei
    This is my first time leaving a comment- I never miss a blog so I feel a little like a stalker (!).I have tried to comment in the past from my smartphone and each time I goofed it up and it didn't go through!
    I absolutely LOVE your work and your blog. I feel like the day is not complete if I don't check it.I am glad your show went well and appreciate your generous tips. I will be at the Beadfest in Philly too. If I see youthere I just may tap you on the shoulder and say Hi!!

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  20. Glad it went well. Shows are much harder than they look. Thanks for all the info!

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  21. Congratulations on the successful show! I've got one coming up, so it's nice to hear a tale of success to inspire me as I run around like a crazy woman getting ready...

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  22. I have not been blogging much for some time. I feel out of the loop. I just wanted to say congrats on your trunk show. I admire those of you who do this. It's a lot of work.

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  23. Hi Lorelei, i love your set up it's coming along nice...sorry i didn't get a chance to send you pictures of my set up my daughter borrowed my camera and deleted all my pics b4 i got a chance to load them into the computer and i have't set up since then..a few tips for you i purchaced myself a small patio set you know the little round tables with 2 folding chair type...i use that behind the display tables and use that as a wrapping station and instead the the long sting on your price tags that's what i use to do too then i found they would get all tangles i use some crapy jumprings i had that are too week to use in jewelry i use them to attach the price tags and you don't even need pliers to open them and then they are neatly attached close to the piece. I'll take some pictures of the trays i use for my pieces to give you some more ideas for diplaying on your table. Looking good though. ttfn Lana :)

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