Selling at Renaissance Faires

[hivemind]

Art, many of these shops at ren faires work on a sort of "apprenticeship" system. This means that there's a guy who owns the shop, and he takes in "apprentices", then works them like dogs for little pay. The bonus for the apprentices is that they get to learn how to make the nuts-and0bolts stuff, and that they can usually get into the faire for free. There's a whole lifestyle that goes along with being involved with big production faires in the US. Many of the vendors and performers are free-spirited, off-the-grid type people who travel around the country from faire to faire. Lots of the vendors and performers from the faire I took the pictures at (Sterling Renaissance Festival, near Oswego, New York) will pack up their stuff after seven weeks in Sterling, head back to where ever home is for a week or so, then they'll head to Pennsylvania for Penn Ren, and spend another eight or so weeks there. Then they move on to another faire. But anyway, suffice it to say that most of the vendors at the faire have a whole troupe of "apprentices" slaving away for them simply for the privilege of being inducted into the faire lifestyle. They're the 21st century version of carnies or a traveling circus.

As for the presentation bit, the shops at Sterling are hampered by having no lighting. They're not allowed to use electric lights at all, nor visible cash registers. They hide their credit card machines below the counters and write out hand receipts for most everything. The smaller shops, like the guys selling the butterfly barrettes and the nicely stamped belts and pouches, actually are better off than most in their small three-walled booth. The larger a shop gets, the more enclosed it gets, by necessity, and the darker it gets.

[Daggrim]

OK, I've been doing Renfaires for 4 years, single weekend, and multiple weekend faires, and here's my experience with merchandise display. The display is critical. I'm not even speaking about quality of display material, but about just where and how the merchandise is displayed. You absolutely need a feel for how a customers eyes will rove thru your space. I have doubled the sales of certain items by moving them to a different location in my tent.

It needs to be absolutely clear, at a glance, just exactly what the item is, without asking them to read anything. I have separated my headbands and my chokers to opposite sides of my space, because no amount of signage would help people tell them apart. Lotsa people were trying to get small chokers around their heads. I'm the same way in a strange space. There's so much to see that I just look at the objects.

Also, clutter is deadly. When I layed out thirty headbands, people ignored them. They looked cheap. When I laid out fifteen headbands, they looked more valuable, and people bought them. I also use visual ques to separate similar objects into distinct groups. I lay each group on a different color tablecloth. Simple, but effective.

Also, the heights of the displays need to have variety. I have about 5 different levels for the eye to roam across. My display materials are plain, decorated with spots of colored fabric. Really nothing expensive, or fancy. Mostly it has to be mobile and collapsible.

Y'gotta keep experimenting. Over the run of a 5 weekend faire, I tuned up my display constantly, after observing how people walked thru my space. Eventually, I had it dialed in, and people were exploring my merchandise with ease, and missing nothing. Ideally, it should almost work automatically, with the merchant not needing to guide people around.

Daggrim

[Daggrim]

One last thing...shoes. I make turnshoes, but I'm swamped right now. I'd recommend the following website. Lady Oren's prices are very reasonable, and her product is a good one. She doesn't attend RF's, so her overhead is tiny, and keeps her prices down. http://ladyorensmedievalshoes.com

Dag

[Prince]

I kinda skimmed this so if I'm repeating something forgive me. I think it bears mentioning that not all fairs are period. Some are fantasy and/or a blend between fantasy and history. The Texas Renaissance Festival is one of the largest in the US, I think it's the largest in land size (in the world I think, with something like 54 acres) and second in rank something with else (like patrons/visitors, number of shops, can't remember) I could be mistaken either way but it's definitely big and it's a fantasy and historic themed fair. Fantasy more towards the Middle Earth tone vs. a SciFi fantasy. Pretty nice fair all around.

But I happen to have a bad taste in my mouth since I sort of partnered with someone pursuing a venture at some festivals and lost a very large sum of money. So I may be biased when I say working a festival changes the experience for the worse. Kills the fun of it. Sounds like you don't have the same idea many have of thinking since it's so fun to attend a fair, it must be wonderful to work it. It can be but it's not all fun and games for sure. I was mainly an investor and didn't do many sales but from what I did do and what I observed it's mostly standing behind a counter, answering ridiculous questions (though granted we were selling custom swords and armor and most people have many misconceptions about them so it likely wouldn't be the same for more general items) and beyond that, if you don't have hired help, good luck with a rest room break or food break.

To my knowledge regulations are pretty technically strict, probably to cover the fair owner's basis, but you can get away with a lot if you don't cause problems, or if you do cause problems and if you're well liked you can get away with stuff too lol.

As I said, I lost a lot of money, but that's not due to lack of patronage or clientele, mainly it was due to my business partner getting wrapped up in nonsense and never taking care of business, so that aside, I think there is a big potential for profit at fairs. I may be providing some products to a vendor at the fair there this year so I'm still willing to stick my foot in the door to see how that goes. Frankly though, I have no interest in managing a shop. Online sales are good enough for me to stick with just that, and I can choose my clients as a bonus (I get some odd requests after all). But some extra revenue at the trade off of tedium, making a load of basic stuff, might not be a bad thing if it pays off well enough. At the festivals i know of, there are permanent buildings instead of tents. Still some tents here and there, but most of the buildings are built as a facade of historic construction. Most buildings are owned privately by each different business though the fair retains rights to seize the shops at their will (sounds dangerous but if they did that, nobody would work their fairs so it's not a big risk). The shop I was involved with I believe was priced at $28K. Pretty sick huh? Especially when you consider it's only used 6-8 weeks out of the year. So while there's a lot of profit to be made, it costs a lot. or it can anyway. plenty of people just haul in carts and set up tables here and there.

I don't know your exact situation and what size of fair you are checking out but talk to the fair's crafts coordinator to see if you need to be jurried in and if he/she thinks your products will have a good chance of selling, or if the market for your item is flooded, etc. They can usually help you with tips. Your best bet is to call the fair office and ask for the coordinator or someone who can answer your questions. The UK fairs may be entirely different than over here and the advice given may be incompatible.

[UKRay]

Daggrim, many thanks, that has to be some of the most useful advice I've seen on this topic. I firmly believe that anything I can do to raise the perceived value of the goods has to be worth a shot. Your comments about reducing clutter and just laying out a few items to raise their value bears out my own thinking and gives a practical way to achieve more sales. Have you found any particular colours useful when laying out goods on a cloth? In other words, which background colours produce most interest and hopefuly the best results?

The height thing is also very interesting. How do you achieve the different display heights? Have you any pictures of your stand so I can understand this better?

Azmal, thanks for the advice. I have been talking to a number of show organisers / craft co-ordinators as you suggested and they have been very helpful.

More stall pictures guys - please!

[Daggrim]

Um, I'll have to look into my stored pictures for any examples of my displays.

As for colors...I mostly just find a color that looks good with the product. I bought lots of fabric remnants, and just keep them on hand. I use mostly solid colors...the patterns tend to camouflage the product. Royal blue, wine, forest green, rust. I also use small, inexpensive, one-foot square felt pieces purchased from a craft supply store, for accents. Navy blue, red,yellow,tan, green, etc. I try for a rich display of color. Makes the shop feel warm and inviting. I don't like small cutesy decorations. I just "paint" the shop with broad brush strokes, and let the product be the decorative details.

Oh, and mirrors! I make things for people to wear, and have up to 5 mirrors of different sizes placed so all that anyone needs to do is turn their head to see themselves. Finally, I place some really nice displays outside the building or tent, with a conspicuous mirror. It's a magnet!

Daggrim

[Daggrim]

Oh, different heights. I use anything for height changes. The boxes or tubs I haul stuff in, sitting on a table, and covered with a cloth. A small bookshelf set on top of a table. A wine rack. A board suspended by ropes. I even display a couple of my helmets on the top of coat racks, or pole lamps, suitably modified. Thrift stores, my friend...thrift stores.

Dag

[hivemind]

To my knowledge regulations are pretty technically strict, probably to cover the fair owner's basis, but you can get away with a lot if you don't cause problems, or if you do cause problems and if you're well liked you can get away with stuff too

That's pretty accurate from what I have seen. If you're a squaker or a problem tenant, they'll make things uncomfortable for you, enforce their regulations to the letter, etc. If you're quiet, make an effort to play by their rules and don't rock the boat, no one will call you on things like a few discreetly placed halogen spotlights up in the rafters.

[emmab1973]

Michael, the costume issues are a concern for me as I don't know much about period costume and it seems such an integral part of these events. I would like to do things properly so has anyone got any advice for a beginner? What will 'pass muster'? What is to be avoided at all costs?

What about period shoes - where can they be purchased - better still, does anyone have a medieval shoe pattern they would share?

Thanks for all your help guys!

Hi there,

I'm new to this site, and not really into leather work, although I do work with suede for costumes. I am a small one person business making medieval style costumes at affordable prices for LARP/LRP, re-enactment, druids, etc. If you are interested in a basic costume for when you sell, one of the easiest things to wear is a long belted tunic, over plain tracksuit bottoms, a short hooded cape and Ugg boots! It really depends on how realistic the fair holders want you to look. Something like the pictures below would do:

If you are after affordable costumes, please take a look at my site, www.dragonsfieldcloaks.co.uk. I take custom orders, and most items can be made within 2 weeks! I am based in Newport, South Wales, although I grew up in Ludlow, South Shropshire! (I lived there between 1977 and 1989, left when I was 16; maybe we know the same people!)

If you are interested, there is a re-enactment fair at Caldicot Castle, Monmouthshire, on 12th and 13th September. There will be traders there, although not as big as some fairs, and it only costs £35 for the weekend! Have a look at www.theema.co.uk for further details and to book. They ask that you make your stall look medieval, but are more flexible than some as to how

Regards,

Emma (Law)

[fishguy]

I did a couple of years selling on a very casual basis at SCA events here in the U.S.

Didn't sell a lot, but then again I did not have that much invested. Interestingly I found that after people had seen me at 3-4 events, they started buying stuff, even though my stock had not really changed. I also noted a distinct break between craftspeople who were actually making the stuff they sold, and people reselling stuff from China or lawnmower blade swords from Pakistan. Drives you crazy when you spend a bunch of time researching historical pouch designs, make the patterns, cut and sew them, and then watch someone look at it, put it down and go buy one across the way that is laced together with a cheesy metal hook clasp.