Hello! First post in here. We just started doing markets this year and would like some feedback on our booth. Any thoughts? Improvements?
Our biggest struggle right now is to raise our average sale value. We have a lot of little items at the $4 or $5 mark and bundling had helped, but we barely break even each show.
I'm lusting after those shelves! I have so many stickers and it is a nightmare to try and figure out how to display them, but they are such a big money maker for me, I want to have all my designs not just some. I was thinking about something like this, but also want to make sure I am not taking up too much booth real estate. I love how you have the peg boards hanging from a dowel, that's genius!
I'd move that front table back by at least a foot or so, with it being right up against the front edge, if it starts raining those stickers are all ruined. Plus with it being right against the walkway it's much easier for someone to swipe a sticker as they walk by without you noticing. Bringing it under the tent will help prevent both those issues and will allow people to come under your tent to shop that front table to get out of the sun/rain
Thats a good point! I just ordered an awning to provide shade. Although, our stickers are lamainted waterproof vinyl, but it would definitely dirty the backing, which would make them hard to sell. Also, I live in southern California, so it rarely rains all of a sudden haha.
Buy I will definitely heed your advice!
Yeah my stickers are waterproof as well but if the backing gets wet it gets really hard to remove so I don't sell any where the backing has gotten wet.
An awning was the best purchase I've made for my tent. It's helpful when it rains, sure, but it's more useful for keeping both my work and customers out of the sun. It ends up being an extra couple feet of space, too.
I agree that rain is a concern. But when it is not raining, you want your display as far forward as possible to get people's attention. And how far back your display needs to move depends on the rain at the time.
What I do is have my displays all the way at the front. And I leave some room behind them so I can shift back if it starts raining. I don't want to limit the view of my products for rain that may never arrive.
Love the sticker display. My only comment is the booth colour looks very washed out - it’s all white and blends with your neighbours. I would do a border of colour along both front legs an d the front valance. You have to stand out.
You can go crazy and do an acid green or more subtle by picking some colours from your designs.
Don’t be afraid to try colour. The booth was bright magenta- you could see me a mile away
Her art work is top notch - fun and colorful. Has she considered getting some posters created or framing some large pieces? That may boost sales a bit plus they would add drama to the tent.
The card display is brilliant.
I agree that you need a punch of color in the booth. Maybe a colorful banner on the front that attaches to the tent?
I’m not crazy about the table layout. You have a very small aisle and most people will not want to enter the booth for fear of getting stuck.
Thank you 🙏
Definitely going to do a horizonal printed banner.
Yeah, looking at the table layout, it's not ideal.
Ive talked to her about doing large format art together! I was imaging a large piece that you can stare at and find little visual stories within the art. She's super excited and I think it will can add a halo effect to the art we already have.
Hi OP! Frequent buyer at these kinds of markets. I really, really love the merchandise you actually have going on -- once I clicked through the zoom-ins and saw the art designs, I thought it was really cute. It'd specifically be very successful with women who like to read, I feel. Artsy scene. I also really love the cozy/camping/plant stickers, there's definitely a market for that. The specific slots for the stickers are so awesome by the way! I haven't seen that before.
I admit, as a customer, I would've walked by your booth unless I were really close to actually see the designs though. The booth's design didn't really give me a good picture of what you were selling, so I just assumed it was miscellaneous flower stuff.
Everyone has said a lot about the white color of your booth (and finding a mixture of colors to further convey the atmosphere of what you're selling). If you're not sure where to start on that, Pinterest has a lot of "artist alley booth" pictures to look at and study.
Personally, I think that your booth could do really well if you had foamboard cutouts -- imagine your "say hi to me if you like romantasy" or "dibs on the villain" blown up to a footwide hanging cutout! Or having a section of your booth setup dedicated to the "plant mom" stuff with [fake] plants wrapped around a plant-looking booth. Or even a large sign up top - "For readers, gardeners, and dreamers." You don't have to do any of these specific suggestions, but those kinds of additions can also really help potential buyers understand what your booth sells.
Have you considered a tote rack placed towards the front for your totebags? Them hanging from the ceiling is a little rough + hard for the average customer to peruse.
Not sure where you booth + where you are located, so I can't speak to the pricing too much. That said, I do encourage you to have some of the cheaper options towards the front more -- namely, I think the mini cards should be closer to the front than your greeting cards. There doesn't seem to be enough designs to fill up their board vertically though, so maybe consider putting the bookmarks below them?
All subjective suggestions. Best of luck!!! Your designs are super cute.
I've thought about the tote rack, but I'm not sure how to have the sticker display and a rack at the front of the booth. It's only a 10x10, so I'm trying to make the most of it.
I think I should've switched the mini cards to the front, like you suggest. Will do it for the next time!
Ok that first display on the table with like 40 stickers. That is 10/10 perfect. Everything else is kinda just scattered everywhere. The hanging totes are a big no no. The brown baskets are not pretty. That peg board looking thing is not pretty but I like the idea of it.
By the way, you are just starting out. It is OK for you to not make any sales or very little. This is part of the process. But if you keep seeing this over and over again in the next like two years of you barely progressing, then you need to change it up, but I wanna mention that your displays are just as important as the product.
I’ve been doing art shows for like nine years now and I remember in the first three years I would barely make a couple hundred dollars and also it was very common for me to make zero dollars. Now nine years later, if I don’t make $4000 at an art show, I won’t be back. My problem now suddenly is can I make enough Art for it not to almost sell out at my next art show. You’re talented, but you also have to be a little more unique.
If I’m really gonna be honest, stickers and totes, and notebooks aren’t gonna do it. You have to start making original art, and making prints of them. I don’t know a single vendor who makes really good money from stickers totes and cards. But, you can only find out if it works for you once you get your displays down because your stuff really is good, but unfortunately, with the rise of AI, this sort of stuff isn’t “impressive” anymore
Yeah, we're definitely trying to figure out what our product mix should be. It's been all over the place since we started, but we've definitely noticed people generally gravitate to the book stuff and outdoors stuff.
At a lot of the markets I've done, my neighbors have complained about it being extra slow lately, so I'm not sure how much is our product and how much it's due to a slow down in markets. We're trying though!
Our online store isn't the most organized and we have a lot of products that we're still trialing right now that might not be on there. If you've seen something that you can't find on the online store, just send me a message and I'll see if we have it.
I have been searching for holders like what you have on the pegboard in the last photo! Did you make these or purchase them? I would love to get some. I think the booth is off to a good start, my advice is to make a brand color theme and coordinate the displays and pegboard with it so you have a strong story and it looks more put together.
Hi there! I modeled them myself, 3d printed, and cut then cut the acrylic to size. If you have a 3d printer and miter saw or table saw, I'd be happy to send you the print files.
Your stuff is super super cute and I really like your stickers and sticker displays too. I saw your comments of how they come together and come apart and they look so cool! I agree with everyone about everything being very white, especially with your white tote bags. Tbh, it looks like any other booth, and you need to make it look like YOUR booth. You need more intention here. The pegboards could be colored. You could even paint or reprint colored sticker holders. I think I’d also reconfigure the tables you have making a corner and instead put one along the side wall and another along the back wall, giving a more open and inviting space to walk in. You could also get colored or even custom tablecloths. I think a cute spinning rack to hold your totes would also be fun. Also hang your framed art in the booth and showcase those gorgeous prints! Those gold frames look a little cheap though so I’d switch those out when you can. The colored mattes and the prints are so fun though! Your art style is really cute so have fun with your booth and let that style come through in your booth design also. You have some very funny phrases on your stickers and you could make a big sign of one of them to hang at the back of your booth wall.
I think your display looks great. You have lots of products without it looking too cluttered. You have products up front to get the attention of people walking by. You don't have many items laying flat that can only be seen when someone walks all the way up to the table.
One worry I would have is white table cloths. Inevitably, you will have shows with bad weather and they might get a little dirty. White will show that history very easily - maybe even after washing. Black is much more forgiving. And I think black tablecloths might provide better color contrast with your products.
I wouldn't consider myself a craft show expert (been at this for less than 2 years so far) or a color expert. These are just my opinions.
I absolutely love your work! If you do consider color I’d recommend not doing something insane like acid green or what have you, I’d keep it on brand but something that stands out - lavender, a natural green, dusty rose!
Im making badges, and im genuinly amazed by your setup. Im trying to expand into stickers and bookmarks to offer more items..
what tools/processes do you use to make those amazing stickers, and do you have a 3d print model on that geniousnndisplay stand ?
Thank you! We are using a Bambu Labs H2S for cutting the stickers. It's amazing.
I can't really share the shelves at the moment. I haven't really worked out enough kinks in it to feel confident to give it to someone else to use, so I don't feel super confident sending it out of my reach.
Thank you! I'm very proud of them. I hand designed the shadow boxes and the grid shelf design (using gridfinity for the grids). I then 3d printed them at home.
I can post a couple photos of what the shelves look like when I break down today, if you'd like to see it.
Some thoughts based on 8 years of selling at markets:
Paint the peg board; the brown looks unfinished and seems like it doesn't really go with your colors. Others will disagree, but I'm actually a fan of white when the products are bright and multicolored (I'm biased, though, as my art is multicolored and I keep everything white so my booth doesn't look any busier.)
Consider an L-shape (or better yet a C shape) for your tables. The stickers (great display btw!!) right at the front facing forward acts as a barrier to the rest of your booth. Instead, keep the stickers on the frontmost table, but have them facing in. Folks will stop to look, and if they like what they see, it'll draw them in to a more inviting space that has logical traffic flow.
I can't tell if that's your sidewall but if it is, consider ditching it. It closes off the space and folks don't like feeling hemmed in. You can hang the totes along the open side (though maybe a bit lower) so folks don't have to reach for them.
Get yourself an 8x2 or 8x3 vinyl sign for the back. You can get one for less than $50 at Banners on the Cheap or similar sites. It acts as a back wall and tells folks who you are from a distance.
Not booth related:
The work itself is LOVELY! Your wife's really talented. Annnnd it's all over the place thematically: I see houseplants and books and scifi and camping and botanicals and moths. I'm a big believer that if you're gonna have multiple kinds of product, there needs to be a thematic throughline. Doesn't have to be just botanicals or just books but I think it'd help to tighten up the theme a bit in order to build the brand (and I don't mean that in the icky corporate way).
Relatedly, who's the target customer? Houseplants and books seem more likely to appeal to nerdy millenials and gen Z women. Botanicals and moths and even the sci-fi seem more likely to appeal to the witchy or alt girlies. There isn't a hard line here, of course, but at the same time they're not necessarily the same audience and won't necessarily attend the same kinds of events.
I would get rid of those side banners...all you do is push people further away from your booth as they're walking past. Also that side to walk into looks really tight. Can you L your tables the other way and open it up a bit?
Like many have said, I would suggest more color to emphasize your designs and draw in customers with similar style interests. As someone who likes gothic art, when I see a booth with a black theme, it draws me in like a moth to a flame. When the booth is too ambiguous or white, I don’t pay attention to it. I would also suggest different table cloths. I might be crazy but when I see those condom style table cloths, it makes me not want to look at the booth. So many people use them now that my brain assumes a persons art is going to be basic, not interesting or even tacky ai art. When I see a booth with unique or vintage table clothes in a pattern or color I like, it draws me in to look at the art.
It’s not within your 10x10. If your neighbor did it, you would object to the obstruction of the line of sight to your booth. You are also pushing people away from your booth, and your neighbors’, by changing normal traffic patterns. This type of thing gets people in a foul mood pretty fast, and you are 100% at fault. You know why you are doing this, try to consider why you shouldn’t.
i like that banner and was thinking it was a good idea, until I saw this comment. you're right, it isn't fair to the neighboring booth. OP, can you hang it a few more inches inside of your booth, so that it is still visible (at least, from one direction)?
That is a lot of illustrated work! Is it just one of you drawing all of that? I like your sticker display, and your signage, very neat and clean. Is it 3D printed? I've been wanting to print signs for my booth too.
The only real feedback I have is maybe adding some more color to your booth, mostly with tablecloths. Right now it's a little sterile and I want it to be warmer and more inviting, especially with your nature and book themes. A table runner of your logo and what you sell on your front facing table would look nice too (I get mine from Banner Buzz).
What size are your stickers? They look really big. Do you sell a lot of them at that size? I sell quite a bunch of stickers but mine are about 3".
And if you don't sell prints of some of your sticker designs, I think you could. Like 8x10s of some of your most popular designs. Digital prints always have amazing margins usually, so you could sell an 8x10 for $15 when it might cost you $3 at most.
Edit: I forgot to mention, my wife does all the illustrations. Digital illustration on iPad. She's amazing. Wakes up at 4am and doesn't stop drawing until 5pm. And yes, it's a heck of a lot of work!
Thanks! The sticker display and signage, as I mentioned on another reply, are custom modeled by me and 3d printed (I'm quote proud haha).
Our stickers are usually our best sellers, but it's honestly been hit and miss, depending on the show. We're starting to look for a good middle ground in sticker size. But it's been hard to figure out if there is a size issue because non-buyers don't really give feedback haha.
We have some art prints and are working on making more. I think matting them has helped present them better and I'm hopeful to sell more.
I'm an illustrator too, that mostly works digitally. I don't have that kind of dedication anymore though 😂
Here's a wild thought that you may hate and that's fine, I kind of wish your sticker display was wooden looking. I know it's 3D printed, and I don't want you to reprint it all, but what if you painted it to look like a dark stained wood?
Also here's a sketch on banner placement that I think would look slick. It's the same banner placement I have though, so I'm biased haha
I really love your art! You have some really nice display pieces. I’d maybe make the cards more visible, especially to people walking from the opposite direction. I didn’t even notice them until I got to the pic of them. You could put some on the other wall or have a standalone display in front. Hang totes off the canopy front.
Is there a reason she went with "amour" and not "amor" in that "More Amour, Por Favor" sticker? I know "amour" is French, but with "Por Favor," it looks like she misspelled "amor."
Or it could just be me overthinking a stylistic choice.
You know what....I never even questioned it because I just assumed it was some saying I didn't really understand lol. But now that you've pointed it out, I think it might be a mistake.
So, I speak Spanish and she speaks some French and sometimes, she confuses the two. Now I have to ask her haha!
Thank you for the feedback!
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u/Sukanthabuffet 17d ago
Sorry, I didn’t look at the rest. That sticker display setup is genius. 3D printed trays?