getting ready for fall shows

Believe it or not, I haven't done any shows since December 2010.  Needless to say, there are a lot of things that I have not done to get ready for a show in months.  I've had plenty of time to get ready, but there has still been a lot to do.  I'm doing two shows this fall: October 15 and November 12.  The first one is right around the corner now so I thought I'd share a few things I've been working on for these fall shows.

My sign made it from Iowa.  A few of the letters needed a little repairing, but it will still be plenty functional for this year's shows.

I hadn't properly sorted or price tagged any of my new pieces in months.  It's much easier to set up for a show when all of my inventory is sorted by type/price.  (For anyone who thinks that this is a lot, I have 3 more containers with earrings plus a couple more with bracelets.)  I'm also planning to label the tops of the containers with descriptions.

Now that I have everything sorted, I've been going through one box at a time, pricing items that need tags.  I've used nylon threads to tie tags to bangles and pendants in the past, which has never worked well.  I'm hoping that the ribbons hold up better.  They certainly look better.

I keep a little photo album with pieces that have sold, including custom work.  It hasn't been a huge attraction at shows, but it does get some attention.  I like having it for my own posterity as well.  I have no idea when I last ordered photos, but clearly it had been a while.  Shutterfly sends out free 50 print coupons sometimes so I used one of my recent ones for new jewelry photos.

I'm adding a few new components to my displays, namely so that I can make them more vertical.  I feel like that's one thing that my booth has lacked in the past.  We'll see if it helps.  I'll be sure to take pictures so you can see everything come together.