JoelR Report post Posted June 28, 2011 I am thinking of setting up a stand next June at Mechanicsburg PA's Jubilee Day. It is the longest running and largests single day street fair on the east coast and only 8 blocks from my house. If I decide to set up a stand, I would like to have a few high-end belts (gun weight, horsehide lined, sharkskin, etc.) available but I see belt length being something to contend with. I do not have a store-front and I don't want to make a bunch in differnet lengths and end up with expensive belts in specific lengths that I need to find a way to sell off after the fair. I was thinking of making these belts before hand by punching the tongue holes and finishing off the toungue, and stitiching (with a machine) everything but the final buckle end. I figured this way I could measure the customer on site, pull the stitching to allow skiving of the buckle area and then hand stitch the buckle area back up, punch the holes for the buckle and chicago screws and seal the end in a few minutes to have a belt that was sized to the customer without having the customer wait too long. Other option would be to finish everything except the stitching and buckle area and do everything mentioned above plus stitching the entire belt while the customer waits but this would require me moving my sewing machine, getting a power source and having the customer wait longer. Kind of on the fence on this one and figured some of you may have been through this or have some good ideas. Thoughts? Suggestions? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris of WV Report post Posted June 28, 2011 I am thinking of setting up a stand next June at Mechanicsburg PA's Jubilee Day. It is the longest running and largests single day street fair on the east coast and only 8 blocks from my house. If I decide to set up a stand, I would like to have a few high-end belts (gun weight, horsehide lined, sharkskin, etc.) available but I see belt length being something to contend with. I do not have a store-front and I don't want to make a bunch in differnet lengths and end up with expensive belts in specific lengths that I need to find a way to sell off after the fair. I was thinking of making these belts before hand by punching the tongue holes and finishing off the toungue, and stitiching (with a machine) everything but the final buckle end. I figured this way I could measure the customer on site, pull the stitching to allow skiving of the buckle area and then hand stitch the buckle area back up, punch the holes for the buckle and chicago screws and seal the end in a few minutes to have a belt that was sized to the customer without having the customer wait too long. Other option would be to finish everything except the stitching and buckle area and do everything mentioned above plus stitching the entire belt while the customer waits but this would require me moving my sewing machine, getting a power source and having the customer wait longer. Kind of on the fence on this one and figured some of you may have been through this or have some good ideas. Thoughts? Suggestions? Maybe leave the tongue instead and make it to their size? Might be shorter than having to stitch and finish the buckle end. Then, you wouldn't need the electricity, just your punches and maybe some dye/ a burnisher to finish it off... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Report post Posted June 28, 2011 Hi Joel, In my experience, you set there for an hour or two with your thumb in your ear selling nothing and watching folks come by kicking the tires, then for the next 3 hours, you sell 20 or more belts an hour. You need to have a lot of stuff made up and ready to go and then take orders for specials. You need a board made up with the different buckles made up on belt ends and a way to switch them out of finish them quickly. A show can be tedium to terror and nothing in between. You will need someone to work the front (sales/orders) and someone to do any leatherwork. If you do leatherwork at a show, you will be constantly bombarded with questions. You get questions like where do you get the leather? By the end of the show you start telling them you keep a few head of steers behind the house and go out and carve off a strip when you need it, it grows back in 5 or 6 weeks. Art I am thinking of setting up a stand next June at Mechanicsburg PA's Jubilee Day. It is the longest running and largests single day street fair on the east coast and only 8 blocks from my house. If I decide to set up a stand, I would like to have a few high-end belts (gun weight, horsehide lined, sharkskin, etc.) available but I see belt length being something to contend with. I do not have a store-front and I don't want to make a bunch in differnet lengths and end up with expensive belts in specific lengths that I need to find a way to sell off after the fair. I was thinking of making these belts before hand by punching the tongue holes and finishing off the toungue, and stitiching (with a machine) everything but the final buckle end. I figured this way I could measure the customer on site, pull the stitching to allow skiving of the buckle area and then hand stitch the buckle area back up, punch the holes for the buckle and chicago screws and seal the end in a few minutes to have a belt that was sized to the customer without having the customer wait too long. Other option would be to finish everything except the stitching and buckle area and do everything mentioned above plus stitching the entire belt while the customer waits but this would require me moving my sewing machine, getting a power source and having the customer wait longer. Kind of on the fence on this one and figured some of you may have been through this or have some good ideas. Thoughts? Suggestions? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rdb Report post Posted June 28, 2011 At a good show, you wouldn't have time for any of this. Even doing just single layer belts, there's barely enough time at many points in the day, to just lop off the end and size it, or cut a buckle end. If something takes 5- 10 minutes to complete, and you have 3-4 possible customers lining up with questions, or wanting something, but have to wait...fuggedaboutit. It sounds like you can't afford to have a great deal of stock. You might want to build as much as you are comfortable with, and do a demonstration of some sorts, then just take orders. A good display of gunbelts may require at least two of each color and size (3 colors max, 32-44 in sizes)), possibly more. That would probably be about 40-50 belts. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoelR Report post Posted June 28, 2011 Good info from all. Thanks. Main issue I am having is I do not know what kind of response I will get at this type of show. Most of the vendors are food vendors and a large proportion of the attendees are kids and teens. So, maybe I just need to go with a worst-case scenario and follow rdb's advise and start stocking up on the belts. And, Art, you have been quoted! LOL... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ferg Report post Posted June 29, 2011 My wife and I have done many shows with many kinds of merchandise we manufactured. First RULE for shows: Know who/what the attendees are. Teenies don't buy anything with much value when they are shopping a show, they may tell Dad about something they saw that cost more than $5.00. Unless your show is a juried show you have less chance of selling medium to high end stock. I would make a bet with you, there will be a Dude selling imported trash for less than you can buy the leather. I have never kept track of how many shows we have attended. We sold everything we hauled a few times. Most, we covered our travel expenses. We don't do them anymore, we hate the hours you sit waiting and standing talking to someone that has no intention of buying anything anyway, he is probably waiting on his wife. Reality sucks! ferg Good info from all. Thanks. Main issue I am having is I do not know what kind of response I will get at this type of show. Most of the vendors are food vendors and a large proportion of the attendees are kids and teens. So, maybe I just need to go with a worst-case scenario and follow rdb's advise and start stocking up on the belts. And, Art, you have been quoted! LOL... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whinewine Report post Posted June 29, 2011 My wife and I have done many shows with many kinds of merchandise we manufactured. First RULE for shows: Know who/what the attendees are. Teenies don't buy anything with much value when they are shopping a show, they may tell Dad about something they saw that cost more than $5.00. Unless your show is a juried show you have less chance of selling medium to high end stock. I would make a bet with you, there will be a Dude selling imported trash for less than you can buy the leather. I have never kept track of how many shows we have attended. We sold everything we hauled a few times. Most, we covered our travel expenses. We don't do them anymore, we hate the hours you sit waiting and standing talking to someone that has no intention of buying anything anyway, he is probably waiting on his wife. Reality sucks! ferg Certain shows are just flea markets with a different name- if they have lots of 'arts & crap' like rubber band guns, plastic canvas stuff & 'Pittsburgh Stiller' posters & crying towels, among other high class items, you're not going to sell much, if anything. If the vendors are mostly food vendors, take a guess WHY they're there & guess where the money is going to go... Just ask me- been there, done that, sold not enough to even cover expenses...Seriously, I do hope you do well on this. This year, it seems the economy really does suck & fewer people are buying- except for the food they stuff in their mouths. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ABC3 Report post Posted July 10, 2011 I've set up booths at Glock Matches and the like but learned, real quick, that the only way to sell "custom" belts is to just take orders and make them when you get back to the shop. Take several samples of your work, let them pay you there or send them an invoice along with the belt.. But I felt it really didn't pay to set there all day and sometimes two days. Certain shows are just flea markets with a different name- if they have lots of 'arts & crap' like rubber band guns, plastic canvas stuff & 'Pittsburgh Stiller' posters & crying towels, among other high class items, you're not going to sell much, if anything. If the vendors are mostly food vendors, take a guess WHY they're there & guess where the money is going to go... Just ask me- been there, done that, sold not enough to even cover expenses...Seriously, I do hope you do well on this. This year, it seems the economy really does suck & fewer people are buying- except for the food they stuff in their mouths. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
