It’s (almost) show time!

Vending at a large event can be a lot of fun. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to watch people interact with what you make and to collect valuable feedback from customers.

Not surprisingly, getting ready for a big show takes a lot of work.  Making sure you have (more than) enough inventory is just a small part of it.  You also need to figure out how to attractively display your wares, get everything to and from the event, and bring along everything else you’ll need (receipt book, price cards, tape, pens, sunscreen, chairs, and snacks to name just a few).

We’ve been doing shows for a few years now and we get a little better each time.  Here’s a look at some of the preparations for our next show. We’ll be part of the Bazaar Bizarre Craft Marketplace at  Maker Faire Bay Area 2013 on May 18 & 19.

We made new money aprons with a zipper pocket for large bills, 2 main cash pockets, and a pen slot.

We’re bringing a full complement of keychains, including ones made of rubber and car upholstery vinyl.

New product display boxes – the outside is seatbelt webbing (of course!) and the inside is billboard tarp.

Webbing samples for our Design A Wallet experiment.

New hangtags for our seatbelt messenger bags.

Small batch of nylon wallets made just for the show

A new sign. Still needs to be ironed!

Billfold wallets – standard, ID, chain, and zipper pocket.

New display stand for wallet chains and keychains.

Updated price cards.

Small chair for the booth (it’s not quite as small as it looks in the photo)…