Maker's Market | July 11th, 2020
After almost a year of preparing to host a booth at the Downtown Valdosta Maker’s Market, I was finally ready.
I was all prepped and ready for January, then I found out they don’t start the market until spring. Spring came around and so did Covid, so the April market got pushed back month after month until they were ready to open back up in July.
In order to be ready I needed a ton of supplies on top of inventory to fill the booth:
Easy-Up, sandbags, chairs, cooler
Table, tablecloth, and personalized table runner
Booth signs and backdrop
Displays for inventory - risers made of recycled boxes, a jewelry holder, a keychain display, a bowl, and hooks.
Ipad, speaker, square card reader, and cash for change
Bags, bubble wrap, tissue paper
Stickers and business cards
Tape, zip ties, string, pliers, and backup pricing signs and stickers
I packed some supplies to work on piecing together necklaces and keychains while I was working the booth but it turned out to be unnecessary.
I brought $100 cash in ones, fives, tens, and a couple of twenties. That seemed to do the trick.
This was my first market so naturally, I was over-prepared and overpacked.
I set up the whole booth in my house a few days before so I knew how I wanted to lay out the table.
My husband Dustin made me the sturdy jewelry stand out of stained wood and spray-painted steel pipes.
The green displays are all moss-covered, each is a wood plank, a cardboard piece, and a recycled shipping box.
Rocco and Nasa approved.
Dustin wasn’t going to be able to help me on the day of the market because he had to work so I practiced setting up the easy-up alone in the front yard.
Day of the Market - July 11th, 2020
The Maker’s Market starts at 9am so setup starts at 8am. Luckily I found my spot easily and set up everything within the hour. I struggled a little bit with the awning but besides that it everything went up without a hitch.
I brought some extra signage for fun and this ended up being the only market I did that at.
The main booth sign in front of the backdrop was made of foam board and glittery stickers. It was too finicky and flimsy so after this market, I decided to work on a better sign.
I collected a few emails at this event by offering a discount on the website and I gave away free Greetings Outer Space stickers.
The first thing I sold was an eye of providence keychain, something I sculpted after one of Robby’s drawings.
I sold a ton of necklaces, keychains, and rings. My favorite was watching people’s faces light up while looking at the Planetships.
Thankfully a fellow booth host helped me take down the easy-up because by the time the market was over the Georgia heat/humidity was at an all-time high and I was wiped.
Overall it was a super successful market. The instant gratification of people’s positive reactions to my work and purchasing is so satisfying and uplifting.
