Two Brunettes as you have seen is just getting started with their shop. There has been some items here and there, but we are really getting going these next couple of weeks-- and with that we are attending our first show! If you are around the Syracuse area it is, The Salt City Urban Art & Craft Market on October 24th in the Case Warehouse building.
I have had so many questions running through my head, and have done so much researching and knew there was no better way to find out answers then to ask some of the most talented people in the business!
.: Danni of Oh, Hello friend, always has the most stunning displays and presentation of all her items! I know I would walk up to her table and buy a million things!
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1. In your opinion what are the most important things about presenting your booth?
I think some important things are to make sure your booth ties together with your brand... Think about the way you want your brand and products to feel and portray and build a nice display table based on that feeling. Of course, make sure you display your products nicely so that they are visible and catch people's attention.
2. How do you choose the best way to show off and display your products?
This was definitely a challenge for me because I sell jewelry .. and a lot of it! So I needed to find good displays that show off jewelry so people can view it easily. I purchased some display items to hang the necklaces and lots of vintage plates to display buttons, rings, earrings, etc. I've found that building levels within your table is very helpful. Maybe placing a couple boxes on the table and covering them with fabric - whatever works to get different levels going on your table.
3. Where do you find some of your items to display your products?
90% of my display items are from thrift stores! It is so nice because it makes them unique and a special vintage find :) I know Ikea, Container Store, and Target have great things that you can use for tables..
4. For shop owners displaying at their first shows what would you say is a good amount of product to stock?
Great question. When I first started doing research on shows, a lot of helpful advice I found was to bring the amount of items that you potentially could make the most profit on. Meaning, Bring A LOT! If you want to make $500 in the show, bring $500 worth of products. Obviously if you only bring $200 worth of goods, the max you can make is $200 if you sell out ;)
5. What creative tips can you give for signage and how do you display your shop name?
I ordered a 4' by 6' banner from buildasign.com and try to display it above my table when I can. I also display a little sign in a cute frame on my table.. The name is also on all my products so I try to keep it all well-branded so people know it's me. nothing too creative but it gets the message across.
6. What is one piece of advice that you have learned from displaying at shows that you can pass on to fellow artists?
I would probably just say BRAND BRAND BRAND. When people stop by my table, they either read my brand outloud "oh, hello friend" or if it is someone who is familiar with my store, they say "oh, I know your store" verses someone saying "what is the name of your store?" .. If you can come up with a good eye pleasing display, people are going to notice and stop by your table. It's definitely an art: creating a display that is eye-catching while being able to display your products in an aesthetically pleasing way is no easy task! Don't just lay things out - find creative ways to display it. For stationery and paper goods, I would get easels and frames to display my designs. Cute boxes to hold cards, etc. :)
.: Smock, one of the most successful lines of eco friendly letterpress stationery, and invitations always has the most stunning work -- check out their display from NSS
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1. In your opinion what are the most important things about presenting your booth?
To create a complete environment that is reflective of the product. Our Creative Director, Amy Graham Stigler, always takes great care to select colors and display items that are in keeping with Smock's branding and Smock's image as a really fun yet elegant eco-friendly stationery line.
2. How do you choose the best way to show off and display your products?
Ease of set up and cost are essential considerations. You also want the complete line to be comprehended relatively quickly so that buyers see the full range of offerings. It's important that buyers can easily see what's available to them without having to work too hard to figure out what your line is all about.
3. Where do you find some of your items to display your products?
We scour the web for interesting ideas and definitely make the most of places like IKEA, places that offer affordable, durable and stylish furnishings. This year at NSS we had a larger booth so Amy thought carefully about the layout and the pieces we purchased so they can be used again and again. From year to year we'll keep it looking fresh with cool finds on Etsy or vintage pieces that work with the Smock look.
4. For shop owners displaying at their first shows what would you say is a good amount of product to stock?
This will largely depend on how many products you have in your line, but make sure to pack at least one of each item, and a large handful of extras for creative display. If possible, it's a good idea to have a few of each item (depending on size, of course) so you can have more than one person at your booth looking at things at the same time. You'd rather have too much and have to whittle down what you put out than end up with an empty-looking booth.
5. What creative tips can you give for signage and how do you display your shop name?
This past year at NSS, we used a bent wire sign we purchased on Etsy. It was handmade and just really unique. We love supporting independent artisans so this was a really cool collaboration. The best advice for signage is to make sure it's large enough for people to easily read as they pass your booth and fits in with the aesthetic of your products.
6. What is one piece of advice that you have learned from displaying at shows that you can pass on to fellow artists?
Adding a few special touches makes all the difference – flowers, lighting, textural details...imagine you are designing a space where you actually want to spend time. From a functionality stand point, make sure you have everything you need to promote your brand and fill orders; basic office supplies like a stapler and tons of pens, big stacks of business cards, and a place to stash the business cards you receive from visitors to your booth. (You will be surprised how many business cards you hand out and receive!)
.: Julia of Red Otter, creates simply the cutest hand bound books! All her different colors and patterns are really shown off by her table displays. It all really incorporates the look and feel of her products!
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1. In your opinion what are the most important things about presenting your booth?
I believe that the overall “feel” of the booth will either draw people in or dissuade them from coming near. I liked trying to make my booth “homey,” cozy, full of beautiful things.
2. How do you choose the best way to show off and display your products?
For my second show I started collecting items that seemed to fit together. They all had a vintage feel, but were painted in soft pastel colors. I knew that I was going to need a number of containers as well, so I used my large collection of cigar boxes and hand-thrown pots to fit in between my bigger pastel items.
3. Where do you find some of your items to display your products?
Garage sales, TJMaxx, and Goodwill. I tried to make sure I didn’t spend too much on the items that were going to display my items. It would have been counter productive!
4. For shop owners displaying at their first shows what would you say is a good amount of product to stock?
Make sure your booth displays an abundance of your stock. Whether it’s large paintings or pillows, or little earrings, make sure your booth gives the impression that you are well stocked. A sparse table actually detours customers.
5. What creative tips can you give for signage and how do you display your shop name?
I tea-stained a number of tags and tucked them into my journals to list the price and the name of the journal. I also used scrap pieces of illustration board and wrote the name of the item and price in a big pink pen and stuck them into my containers—sort of like candy signage in a big bowl.
6. What is one piece of advice that you have learned from displaying at shows that you can pass on to fellow artists?
Keep re-arranging your items throughout the show—it keeps things fresh and allows for more of your items to get the prime spot! And smile—it draws people in!
Thank you guys!! You are all such an inspiration!
Thursday, July 22, 2010 
I going to use the expression jaw dropping, because frankly my mouth fell wide open when I came across these Cathy Waterman beauties. I am not a huge jewelry gal but these rings, besides the price tag, totally do it for me! Great find Alyson! 
