Going To A Motorcycle Swap Meet

[benlilly1]

I'm setting up a booth with some of my seats. Hopefully I'll get some local business. I have plenty of business cards and maybe if I have time a few side items too. I'll post my next seat when finished in a few days. It's the first basketweave I've done so I'm anxious to see how it comes out.

[paprhangr]

Good Luck at the meet

i like that contrast colors on spider seat

[Tim Schroeder]

Looks great! Good Luck at the show. I wish I could make some money doing leather.

[skeeter]

Beautiful work on the seat. Good luck at the swap meet.

[benlilly1]

Thanks all! The meet is April 28th. I hope I'm ready...

[Bob Blea]

With seats like that I'm sure you will get lots of attention. The seat looks great!

Bob

[Tree Reaper]

You do nice work, best of luck at the show.

[Jimbob]

Ohhhhh, and take a big bag with you....when you going to the swap meet........you will need it..........

for all the orders you gonna get !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gud luck...

Jimbob

[tomt]

good luck and hope you have fun your seat looks great

[scottk1967]

A few weeks back we went to the Donnie Smith bike show in St Paul they had a big swap meet I spent a couple hours digging through piles of old Harley parts, nothing more enjoyable in a Minnesota winter then a swap meet. The indian Larry Legacy was there so I got to see plenty of Paul cox seats, man that guy is good he had one seat that had a metal looking eagle that had some of the smoothest long strate beveling I've ever seen. Lots of tooled seats on bikes in the show but none for sale at the swap meet. The sad part is tooled seats are like bike paint an awesome paint job on my bike may not fit the personality of other people when it comes time to sell it. I know this from real life experience. My thought is keep your seats neutral and appealing to the masses. I'd think skulls are always good. This is a tuff one on what designs to use. A few years back my dad did a solo seat for my chopper that had no design on it and I could not understand why so many people at Sturgis took pictures of it and complimented it. Dad did a great job but it was a plain seat with lacing on the side and Sturgis is full of hot looking bike seats. I would think less is more when your trying to guess what people are willing to pay for. What people say they want is just talk until they get there wallet out. I'm thinking a few small leather items like biker wallets and stuff like that might make a few sales at the swap meet if people don't want to part with there money. Might at least pay for the table. I've tried selling a table of Harley parts at a couple swap meets and you just don't know what's going to happen. I hope you do well your stuff is nice and you deserve to do well.

[dirtclod]

benlilly i hope you kill a bear at the event. A couple of things i would suggest to do from somebody that goes to a lot events to sell is get a card reader from induit or paypal if you have a smart phone to be able to take credit cards. Take 300.00 to make change with a hundred in 5's hundred in 10's and a hundred in 20's. Take your own food and cold drinks, saves you a lot of money.

[Jimbob]

I always take room temperature dark beer and cold pizza to the swap meets....works every time.....

[benlilly1]

Thanks all for the great suggestions....here's the black seat with basketweave pattern. I'm about done working out the final details on packing and what all I need to bring. I don't have my hopes up for selling ANYTHING so if I do that's a bonus. Going for a day of relaxation and meeting new people!

Edited April 21, 2013 by benlilly1

[paprhangr]

I like the basket weave,

Just my beginner observation, i noticed

This seat is little different construction, with pieces joining at a ledge

Instead of meeting in the middle and joint covered by thick basket weave

How you do that

[benlilly1]

Paprhangr, This is just like my other seats. It must be the angle of the photo. Mine always have a ledge. Leather just comes out 3/8" passed the pan. Triple stitch lacing.

[jayjay]

as always your seats are amazing. Have fun and let us know how it goes. I have been going to some bike/car shows and have done well. I always found myself buying something when attending these and it didn't have to be expensive just some thing as a memento of the day, so I started making key fobs with biker related themes just stamped, single color and selling them for $5 and last Saturday I sold 40 of them. Didn't make a killing but handed out cards with each one and they will have some of my leather with them everyday and when they are ready for some other leather they hopefully will remember me.

[benlilly1]

Thanks JayJay! I think you did well even though not a killing. I came in on this swap meet just last month. I wanted to make key fobs but with me working another full time job I don't have time. Since buying my first leather sewing machine I need to get busy on it. I'll be ready for the next one!! I have plenty of business cards to hand out.

[chico72]

Your leatherwork looks great!!

I must admit that i'm not a big fan from spiders on motorcylcle seats but thats just me.

They look great and i'm a big fan of your basket wave seat!!

I made myself a repro bates, with vertical rolls.

I think the sadlle is to high now and i will to do it over with tool leather, you work inspired me!!

keep up the good work!!

chico

[H factor]

Good luck at the show! I've done a few here in Chicago, and its always a blast. Profitable as well. Best of luck!

[benlilly1]

Truck is loaded up...just a few last minute list of items to take. Here are the banners we had made from Staples. Man, this is like moving!!

[paprhangr]

great looking sign for good looks

and buys

[leatheroo]

beautiful seats....sometimes you dont sell anything, but i find the cards you hand out will bring in custom orders.

cheers

[benlilly1]

I sold 1 seat and a few side items. If I had went down on price of another one I could have sold it too. If I had my sewing machine up and running I think I could have sold several wallets or key fobs. No one there had any leather specialty items. There was one booth that had the trinket key fobs and cheap rings which didn't sell too many. I had a great day for business card pick-ups and a handful of people very interested in a custom seat. So I believe I could get a few calls for seats. Very relaxing day and very friendly people. I'LL BE READY FOR THE NEXT ONE.

[Bluesman]

Sounds like you did great. Once you get the lay of the land business will really improve. You were right to not budge on the price. Your products are top quality and are worth every dime. Stick to your guns, people pay for the good stuff. Let us know when the next one is.

[BallisticTip]

You inspire me!!