
The Board Chronicles is an ongoing series of articles about the adventures of Mrs M’s Handmade as a vendor at community festivals & craft fairs. Mrs M’s subsidiary, Mr M’s Woodshop, has been approved to create this chronicle for the good of vendorkind.
I’m gaining on my back log of blog posts, honest. I keep whittling away … and SWEAR I will not do an event while not having published the previous year’s blog (and I’m close to that!). In any event, from Sherman Oaks:
This is a main street event for a relatively affluent community in the San Fernando Valley. I’ve tried to find more events in the Valley, this is one … and it’s one day event.
Oh well. It fits on the calendar. Let’s give it a whirl.
New Ideas
- One day event, with a Jeep load in. Going old school for this one.
Observations
- Definitely found getting into the event a challenge. There were volunteers, but I was there on time and the line was, uh, not quite formed yet. Once I got by the guy with the clipboard, the street was wide open. Only a few booths had started setting up. Time to find my place in the world.
- Lots of amateurs here. First timers, even. Not. Good.
- A question that I’ve never been asked before: “What’s a Foodie?”
- Uh … read the sign.
- I want to make spoons. I need to make spoons.
- This event had more than its fair share of shade stealers. It was a hot October day, I get it … but my shade is provided for my customers. Please.
- Worse than a shade stealer was the table swipe by a Mom’s Purse … knocking a board onto the ground. Mom didn’t notice.
- With only the room in the Jeep, inventory was necessarily limited. But I was still frustrated when I was asked for a chess board and a cribbage board. They were at home.
- I believe I need to have standards, and here it is: I don’t want to set up for less than $1,000 in sales. This event did less than half of that … so there you go.
The Facts
- Total miles driven: 60
- Booth cost: $200
- Food cost: $15
- Travel cost: $0
- Total sales: $483
- # of people we met during the event from the producer: 2
- Visits in our booth by a promoter’s representative: 1
- Sunday alarm: 5a
- # transactions: 10
- # soap & lotion vendors: no clue
- # woodworking vendors: no clue
- Edge grain vs. end grain: 0
- Returning next year? nope
Boards: 14
- Cheese Boards: 4
- Heart: 3
- Individual Coasters: 4
- Coaster Set: 1
- Sign: 1
- Trivet: 1




















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