Ready for the kentucky state fair

[genek]

Tina and I are finally loaded and ready to leave to go set up for the Kentucky State Fair. I finished packing the trailer this afternoon. We have about $70,000.00 dollars worth of inventory plus all of our inventory. All of the storage boxes are marked so that I will know which box has what.

[scottp55]

Don't sell out to quick Eugene or you'll be Whittling spoons to sell :)

[genek]

The Kentucky State Fair is the biggest and longest show that we have done.

They expect over 600,000 people it is for 11 days from the 14th to the 24th.
We have to be at our booth by 10 a.m. each morning and must stay till 10 p.m.

I have not clue as to how well we will do. We have never done a State Fair before.
We tried to figure out how much and what products that would sale the best.
Hopefully we have chosen correctly.

[genek]

Don't sell out to quick Eugene or you'll be Whittling spoons to sell :)

Rules for the fair if we sale out, we still have to stay and take orders. We have to be in our booth no matter what for the full 11 days.

[mikeacg]

I wish you the best of luck with this Gene! I have learned so much from you so far but the longest show I've done this year was a two-day one at the Tahquamenon Logging Museum (and I did great!). Can't wait to hear about your experiences!

Mike

[myxpykalix]

Rules for the fair if we sale out, we still have to stay and take orders. We have to be in our booth no matter what for the full 11 days.

Well if we see you there sitting on your hands we'll know you sold out but PLEASE don't expect any of us to feel sorry for you!:eek::D
Those are the kinds of problems most of us would like to have:rolleyes:

[curtiss]

Will there be a web cam (or Skype) on your set up ??? Good luck.

[genek]

Will there be a web cam (or Skype) on your set up ??? Good luck.I do not have a web cam and if I did not sure it would work.

[genek]

We are set up. We may not have brought enough product. Had no clue that where we were setting up was in the Midway section. Talking to some that have done the show before, Most say they sale out in the first week. A fudge maker that is near us Made $87,000.00 last year. Every one in the Midway section says it gets supper busy and supper crowded.

[Ajcoholic]

We are set up. We may not have brought enough product. Had no clue that where we were setting up was in the Midway section. Talking to some that have done the show before, Most say they sale out in the first week. A fudge maker that is near us Made $87,000.00 last year. Every one in the Midway section says it gets supper busy and supper crowded.

At least you can eat fudge and take more orders if you sell out :)

[genek]

First day over. Nothing to write home about. Was about the same as a normal show today.. Ten more Days to go.
will keep you posted. More credit cards than anything.

[genek]

2nd day over still nothing to write home and brag about. The sales are about in line with a normal show. My take on the State Fair so far.
If you sale beer, food, water, candy and china made products you do really good. Other than those things wood products that are made in the U.S. sale as normal regardless of the show.

[scottp55]

Eugene, Same thing at the big fair we're at. First day was yesterday, but Kirks set up in a gymnasium "Craft" show and it's the wrong locale. 13 days to go with 2 more locations to try. Dad and I driving up today and visiting our Amish wood suppliers shop on the way. Should be interesting to see a complete furniture shop run by a diesel powered flywheel/driveshaft running under the floor to drive belts/pulley system.
Hang in there Eugene, Weekends might be better:)

[genek]

Dead tired have not counted money at this time will count tomorrow.. wore down supper busy.

[genek]

WE have had a death in the family My Uncle in Florida Passed away. Not sure if we will be staying at the Fair. Depends on if they do a autopsy and how long it takes to get the body back to Kentucky.
.

[dmidkiff]

Sorry for your loss, Eugene.

[POPS 64]

Sorry for your loss , strength to you and your family.

[genek]

It has rained on and off all day. Sales way down from Saturday.
We actually closed early today. Tina and I went out for a good supper for a change. Made just a little over 175.00 today.
Sales below normal show today.

[genek]

Monday's report. We did better On Sunday in the Rain than what we did Monday. I feel asleep four times because it got so slow. Starting to think that a state Fair is not for the Art's and Craft. At this rate We will be Lucky if we Clear our Motel and food expense.
Have meet a lot of nice people, but most come to the fair to see livestock, to eat and party. Today is supposed to be clear and hot no rain in the forecast

[genek]

Tuesday report, sales below what a normal sale would be today. It was Senor
Citizen day. Starting to form an opinion of the show. Unless you are one of the following vendors you do not do very well. Food and Drink hold Number one Position, Beer and Wine the Number two position, China made products Number Three position, Rides and games Number four, Craft and Arts at the bottom. People come to the Fair to Drink, Eat and Have a Good time. Not to buy ART and CRAFTS. If the sales does not Pick up We will be lucky to break even. Just in Motel bill's alone We Will have spent over $1,600.00 and as if this morning we have not yet paid for the Motel, Not counting our food and other expenses. I will probably judge this show on our first round. Where as Normally I do not form a opinion of a show until I have done the show three times.

Show well below what I expected to do each day.

[tri4sale]

Tuesday report, sales below what a normal sale would be today. It was Senor
Citizen day. Starting to form an opinion of the show. Unless you are one of the following vendors you do not do very well. Food and Drink hold Number one Position, Beer and Wine the Number two position, China made products Number Three position, Rides and games Number four, Craft and Arts at the bottom. People come to the Fair to Drink, Eat and Have a Good time. Not to buy ART and CRAFTS. If the sales does not Pick up We will be lucky to break even. Just in Motel bill's alone We Will have spent over $1,600.00 and as if this morning we have not yet paid for the Motel, Not counting our food and other expenses. I will probably judge this show on our first round. Where as Normally I do not form a opinion of a show until I have done the show three times.

Show well below what I expected to do each day.

When you fist said you were doing this show, that was my first thought. Just from the State Fair here in NC, people don't go for the arts/crafts, they go for the Food and rides.

Hopefully you can at least break even and then try to look at the positive and the inventory you'll have already made up for your wholesale customers! Christmas just around the corner and you've got inventory ready to sell!

[kartracer63]

Eugene,

Sorry to hear it's not going well.

Please post a few photos of your booth and surroundings so we get a better idea of your environment.

Better luck today!

[bleeth]

Well they can't all be winners, but knowing you there will be some valuable learning gained. With all the shows you do you may spend less annually on an RV to pull your trailer or a "toy carrier" RV with built in garage. After all, for you it's a business deduction as well! Depreciation allowance is a wonderful thing.

[genek]

When doing a new show it is a guess as to how well one will do. I had crunched the numbers on previous shows, I keep records of every show I do. This helps me see if I need to stop doing that show for a while or to keep doing the show. Russ is right I can write off my losses. Every show is different each has its good points and its bad points. You can not control the weather, the economy, or anything other than your own space and product.
Some Years shows do better some years they do worse. I have seen a major drop in sales across the board since we have gone into the recession. Arts and Craft people are the first and last to feel the impact of the economy. During this time people do not have a expendable income. I will try this latter after the economy has improved greatly. I have learned a few things from this show.
1. Pay for indoor space. ( You are not subject to weather or the heat. ) People stay indoors when the temp hits the 80's and when it is raining.
2. choose and pay for a location that the majority of the people come in at. This way you get the first chance at any spendable money.
3. During peak times the phone based card readers are extremely slow (if you can get a connection at all) Too many people on their phone in a small area and it over works the net work.
4. Have more relief personnel to re-leave yourself.


I still have picked up some commercial customers and that is a big plus in doing any show.

[genek]

Today was Much better More people by our booth, rained for less than a minute today.. got show during the heat of the day. Sales above normal art and craft show today. We also picked up a large commercial account today. The School for the Blind Saw our Quality of work and asked us to make 50 items for them.

Had several other potential wholesale customers ask how they could order product.

Part of the reason we do shows is to pick up wholesale customers.

[scottp55]

Hey Eugene, Glad it picked up for you seeing as you skipped regular shows to build up product for this one. If it's not a big secret---what was the School for the Blind interested in, as we started out trying educational stuff for Children who are Blind. Hope it stays good.:)

[genek]

Hey Eugene, Glad it picked up for you seeing as you skipped regular shows to build up product for this one. If it's not a big secret---what was the School for the Blind interested in, as we started out trying educational stuff for Children who are Blind. Hope it stays good.:)
Scott they want games made out of wood about 7 different games and they want 50 each. Mostly they want our toys made a little larger and in a way they can feel them to play them.

[genek]

Todays report. Sales way up.. Was a good day till about seven this evening then the storm moved in and Killed the rest of the evening. We had to wait till almost ten to be able to leave.

Talking to People that were set up inside. Inside sales are good. Several that were set up inside came out to see our booth and product. All of them said that with my Product I should have been inside, and that I would have totally sold out if I had been inside. One of the People that came out made wooden toys and games, He sold out Yesterday. Tina and I have talked about the show all week. We think we will try it again Next Year and this time spend the extra bucks and be inside. We have had a good time and we have gotten to meet several new people and have picked up several new customers... today's sales was more than what we have made all week. Two days left. Then I will count the money and see how we have done.

Forgot to mention that Yesterday that a Ham sold at auction for two Million dollars the company that bought the ham for that price was B and B Foods... Think Next year I will smoke a ham and enter it in the contest. The person that fixed the ham go 60% the rest went to charity. Boy what I could do with that Kind of Money....

[curtiss]

Congrats for sticking out the event, I hope your wife is still happy...:)

If you have passed out a lot of information, that effort might show a return later.

Take the wife out for a nice "non-fair food" dinner when you get home...

[dlcw]

2nd day over still nothing to write home and brag about. The sales are about in line with a normal show. My take on the State Fair so far.
If you sale beer, food, water, candy and china made products you do really good. Other than those things wood products that are made in the U.S. sale as normal regardless of the show.

I found the same thing here in WA at builders shows. Liquor, food, flowers. I'm thinking of not doing anymore builders shows. They are tunring into garage sales, with a lot of Kmart shoppers.

[genek]

Congrats for sticking out the event, I hope your wife is still happy...:)

If you have passed out a lot of information, that effort might show a return later.

Take the wife out for a nice "non-fair food" dinner when you get home...
Many shows if you pull out before it is over or time to pull out, You can be blocked from doing that show ever again. Sometimes Show Managers talk and if you have pulled out on one the others could find out and not let you be part of their show. No Matter how bad a show is, never pull out, Things can change and the show could end up being a big profit show.
When doing shows there are no guarantee that it will be profitable. Shows are shows and what you make is not always the same from year to year. I have seen shows that were lousy and then all of a student they are one of the best shows to do.
Tina understands that show are what they are. She understands that some shows I have the chance to go in the hole on. Those shows are tax right offs.

[Brian Harnett]

11 days is a long time, longest I have done is three, only do one fair our local one it is 1/4 mile from my shop, we do OK but juried art shows are all we do besides the fair, the crowd is focused on buying, not being entertained.

[genek]

11 days is a long time, longest I have done is three, only do one fair our local one it is 1/4 mile from my shop, we do OK but juried art shows are all we do besides the fair, the crowd is focused on buying, not being entertained.


Brain Normally Juried shows are all that we do. We got Invited to do the Kentucky State Fair. Not sure at this time How well we did till I count the Money. I know that I have done better at Juried shows. I quit counting after the few days. That way the loss or lack of meeting normal shows would not bother or effect my attitude toward the show. Ones own attitude toward a show can effect the outcome. If one is not enjoying the show the customers notice and tend to shy away from your booth.

Yes people that come to a juried show are there to buy arts and Crafts and not to buy junk products or just for the show.

I will give the total income for the show latter today or tomorrow.

[genek]

Totals for the show. We cleared $2,598.62. To be honest I have cleared more from a one day juried show. However, our location was not the best. We have reviewed all of our thoughts and have decided that we will give the State Fair one more shot next year. However next year we will spend the extra 300.00 for a inside booth. Looking at the figures we only saw about 20% of the crowd. 80% stayed in the buildings where it was cool and the crowd we got on the midway was a crowd that was there to party and have fun not to buy.
The crowd that was buying was indoors where the other products was.
I have always preached not to judge the show by the first show and to wait till you have done the show two or three times. I will stick to my own rule and at least give it one more try. A show this big and this costly one can not stand for it to be a looser three years, but we will try it two times before saying not to do a state fair.

I was in for a shock on how people can and do dress. The one that took the cake was a 10 Year old's tee shirt. It said wet and wild and looking for willie. I could not believe That her parent (who was with her) let her wear that shirt. Some girls shorts was so short that I told Tina that if it was any shorter they would call it a waist band. Some of the tops was so skimpy that and less and they could have called them necklace.

[harryball]

I'm glad it was at least worth while. I know all about "bad locations" and the unbelievable things people do. I was at an event last year and a woman walked by while indiscreetly breast feeding a child that looked to be about 3 years old. o_0

Not much later a young girl walked by with a tight T-shirt (and no bra) that said "These puppies are for REAL" :confused:

I won't even repeat what I've heard some 8 to 11 year olds say. Some of the most profane things. And disrespectful.

I really don't understand what's going on with the way people think sometimes. Not all are bad, but there are some that just need to go to the woodshed.

/RB

[Brian Harnett]

Ones own attitude toward a show can effect the outcome. If one is not enjoying the show the customers notice and tend to shy away from your booth.




Absolutely, some vendors get aggravated and send off bad vibes or visibly complain and want to pack up early, cant force people to buy, as a friend of mine who vends said "sometimes its just not your day"

[Simops]

I was in for a shock on how people can and do dress. The one that took the cake was a 10 Year old's tee shirt. It said wet and wild and looking for willie. I could not believe That her parent (who was with her) let her wear that shirt. Some girls shorts was so short that I told Tina that if it was any shorter they would call it a waist band. Some of the tops was so skimpy that and less and they could have called them necklace.

Same here Eugene.....I don't blame the kids but the parents.....our generation has lost the ability to instil discipline and self-respect in their offspring.....well one cure....bring back National service!

Anyhow better luck next time.....I think not being in the right location is the key here.

Cheers