Buying A New Shelter For Fairs/festivals

[wildrose]

Nighthawk, had I stayed exclusively w/Ren.Faires I'dve bought from Panther. Great selection and site. You've certainly done well by it!

[Nighthawk]

Nighthawk, had I stayed exclusively w/Ren.Faires I'dve bought from Panther. Great selection and site. You've certainly done well by it!

Nice thing about the Panther stuff is that you can get just a fly and a couple of poles. That will give you essentially the same as the EZ Up tent that you had, except that it won't get crushed when it get hit by a microburst, like the St. Andrew's Society tent... On the other hand, our blacksmith's tent took that microburst and just smiled at it. That's actually why I suggested them. The simple flys are so universal, and so incredibly durable! The Shetland... That's not so universal! It's deffinately in the realm of reenactor, which is why we're making it! So what kind of fairs do you go to, if I may ask? And what kind of work do you do?

And as to us having done well by Panther... You have no idea, until you actually see our camp! We have 1 pavilion, 2 of their biggest marquees, the blacksmith's fly, and my baker's tent, which we're retiring this year. We have done VERY well with our Panthers, which is why I always suggest them. They take a lickin' and keep tickin'!!

Edited August 21, 2010 by Nighthawk

[wildrose]

I'm jealous of your set up! The biggest events I've done are, in order:

#1. Steppin'Out, a 2 day street fair in Blacksburg, VA.

#2. PA Renn.Faire in the Lancaster area (2 weekends out of their run)

#3. NJ Renn.Kingdom, a 5 weekend event in North/Central Jersey. (did the whole run a few years)

Here in Radford, I sell at the Farmers' Market every Sat. morning from Apr-Oct. Other than that, I usually do small, in door events. The nearest major Renn. faire is in northern VA, and isn't feasible for me at this time. Hopefully some time in the future, I'll get back into the faire circuit; I really miss it!

Most all of my work is Celtic themed. I make everything from keepsake boxes to Bible covers and notepad holders to wallets and the like. Pretty diverse really.

[Nighthawk]

I'm jealous of your set up! The biggest events I've done are, in order:

#1. Steppin'Out, a 2 day street fair in Blacksburg, VA.

#2. PA Renn.Faire in the Lancaster area (2 weekends out of their run)

#3. NJ Renn.Kingdom, a 5 weekend event in North/Central Jersey. (did the whole run a few years)

Here in Radford, I sell at the Farmers' Market every Sat. morning from Apr-Oct. Other than that, I usually do small, in door events. The nearest major Renn. faire is in northern VA, and isn't feasible for me at this time. Hopefully some time in the future, I'll get back into the faire circuit; I really miss it!

Most all of my work is Celtic themed. I make everything from keepsake boxes to Bible covers and notepad holders to wallets and the like. Pretty diverse really.

Nice! I've been thinking about doing things like that this off season. I do mostly reproductions of historical pieces- pen holders with ink horn and the like, basic leather armor, sporrans, things along those lines. I'm actually making one of these:

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O133556/pen-case-and/

It's on it's second incarnation. We'll see how Take 2 turns out!

So what's it like doing ren faires? Is it lucrative? I've never done any. I just work in the historical reenactment community, which in a lot of ways is a lot like the old barter economy- I make the blacksmith a belt, and he makes me 2 belt buckles (or in reality, teaches my son to make the belt buckles!) I actually had the thought that I should set up a booth a mile up the road from the Colorado Renaissance Festival because buying into it is so expensive, and they don't just let you do one or two weekends. It's all or nothing, and it's just me by my lonesome making product, so there's no way I could make it lucrative, which is why I ask how you make out.

Oh, and one more thought- since you have sold at ren fests, you may have an insight. I've been thinking about making leather whiskey bottle coozies that are made more or less the same way as bracers. Think that would sell?

[Suze]

don't know about the whiskey bottle cozies

but around her they are getting good money for cozies sized for water and soda bottles.

sort of like a bracer with a bottom and a belt loop attachment - with a snap so you can get it off your belt if you want to.

[wildrose]

I do think drink holders would sell. One thing I've not done, but have seen, is leather mugs. That is something that can take special materials to do right though, and isn't really my "cup of tea".

What I've found about Ren.Faires is that other vendors still do the barter thing - and I love bartering, so that's fine with me. Also, customers seem to come especially to spend. I have made more in one weekend at such events than elsewhere. It's not like a church/school fair, which are a dime a dozen around the holiday season. It's a special event, catering to a special crowd. And that crowd seems to be the big spenders. At least, that's my experience!

[Suze]

yeah finding the "whatever you put in a leather mug to make it waterproof" is not easy

although I had another friend make a leather mug sized to fit a soda/beer can

no bottom - just a thick ring of leather to keep the can from falling out. (and so you can push the empty out of the mug)

it mostly hides the can

[Nighthawk]

don't know about the whiskey bottle cozies

but around her they are getting good money for cozies sized for water and soda bottles.

sort of like a bracer with a bottom and a belt loop attachment - with a snap so you can get it off your belt if you want to.

Yeah, Amerikilt sells those with loops sized to fit a 3 inch wide kilt belt. Been considering getting one, but I recently aquired 2 horns, so I think I'll make myself a drinking horn instead.

[UKRay]

I just invested in a new EZ-Up style tent from Gala Tent here in the UK and was delighted with the way it coped with the Welsh rain. Really strong construction and it didn't leak a drop in virtual monsoon conditions!

The picture was taken after a long day trading so there wasn't much inventory left!

Ray

[Bard Skye]

Nighthawk, had I stayed exclusively w/Ren.Faires I'dve bought from Panther. Great selection and site. You've certainly done well by it!

I don't know if a re-enactor can beat a Panther.

I've had a 18 x 24 ft classic pitch marquis with 7 ft walls for over 10 years now. Not the brilliant white it used to be, but otherwise in perfect condition after a *lot* of hard use and storms. I love it! I just wish it didn't require 2 people to set the main poles....

With the weather like it is here in Western Washington, the main Bardic Circle has been held inside it on more than one occasion.... <g>

Skye