Going to the Fair! Advice from previous Fair goers?

Aadra310

Aadra310

Pixie Cut Pony
Joined
Jun 18, 2005
Messages
820
Hey all! I'm super excited to go to my first EVER pony event- the Fair in Orlando! I know a lot of members have been to previous Fairs and meets and I just thought it might be beneficial to share some info on what to expect.

I know that's kind of a broad topic but I bet a lot of us are already thinking about what would be best to bring to our booths to sell, how to display it, what prices are generally like, what stuff we should bring that might not be so obvious (like a calculator, HA!) , must-do activities, and so on...

I expect the crowd might be more diverse with FIM fans. So, would more FIM related stuff be good or are we going to see some G4 fans take a great interest in older generations?

What do you all think? What would you like to see available at the Fair and what have been your past experiences?
 
Well, I haven't sold at the Fair before, but I'll give you the best piece of advice I learned from last year. LEAVE EXTRA SPACE IN YOUR SUITCASE! It was quite the adventure getting there with a nearly full carry on suitase and then having to bring home 4 MIB Fair ponies along with all my other purchases XD (All dirty clothing /might/ have gotten crammed into my carry on backpack that's only supposed to be for in-flight entertainment *shifty eyes* )
 
Lmao.. Ris' packing job was definitely an adventure. I was present for that one.
 
For people planning on shopping only, as well as people selling cash in small bills is very important. Most ATM's spit out $20's only so it's always good to have lots of 1's, 5's, & 10's on hand to make shopping easier. ;)
 
Calculator= Very good idea! Also, I know someone last year was selling MLP suitcases. Maybe you could buy one of those for pony purchases? And also have a display stand- if it's bright or has a Mimic on the top, you'll get more customers.
 
Not sure what the Orlando setup is. If it's anything like the setup last year at Hasbro HQ, BRING WATER! And a packed lunch isn't a bad idea either so you don't have to go hunting in the midst of the fair.
 
Also, if you're running a booth and want to buy ponies as well, get set up early and go around to see what others have so if you have a break in customers you can dart over and grab a pony instead of wandering around looking for a specific pony.
 
Put your money in something other than your pockets when you do go buying. Maybe a small shoulder purse, or something that you won't lose easily and you can keep track of. Someone from our group lost all her money last year (won't mention names). Thankfully she got it back, but it wasn't till after the fair was over.
 
Tape, sticky notes, pen(s), extra sales tags, something to serve as a "business card" so people can find you again later and/or online afterward; a small notebook or "special" pony for people to sign (and colored markers to sign with)...:help:

EDIT: spare oxygen for deep breaths
 
DialgaBritesMom said:
"special" pony for people to sign (and colored markers to sign with)...
Click to expand...

Oh, I was totally going to ask about that! I have a spare Peachy or two I was going to bring. What kind of markers work best? Just Sharpies? Never thought I'd purposely Sharpie a pony! ;)

I'm glad your friend got her money back, Skippety. That would ruin anyone's trip!

Thanks for all the tips! I'm making lists and reminders!
 
Aadra310 said:
Oh, I was totally going to ask about that! I have a spare Peachy or two I was going to bring. What kind of markers work best? Just Sharpies? Never thought I'd purposely Sharpie a pony! ;)
Click to expand...

(yes, the concept *is* slightly cringe-inducing LOL) I'm thinking extra fine point sharpies? This would be the first time I'd do this, so that's just a semi-educated guess.
 
DialgaBritesMom said:
(yes, the concept *is* slightly cringe-inducing LOL) I'm thinking extra fine point sharpies? This would be the first time I'd do this, so that's just a semi-educated guess.
Click to expand...
I can't for the life of me remember who it was, but one girl had those little mini clip on sharpies for everyone to sign her Cotton Candy. It was really cute 'cause everyone could pick a color, & it looked nice on the pony too. Rainbow sigs :RotCol:
 
Hi :)

I went to my first fair last year and i had a blast.

i had traveled on the greyhound bus for 12 hour with my 2 sisters. Now that was an adventure all by its self. !

I brought a fluterbye and a black sharpie marker for everyone to sign her with, i should have brought more markers because someone borrowed mine and never gave it back.

i also sold stuff at my booth and i brought my own colored tablecloths to try and stand out more, pink ones were provided but i went to the dollar store and bought some red, yellow, white and blue ones.

tape is good
price tags on your items so people dont have to ask the prices
be flexible in your prices and if people buy a lot tell them you will give them a deal

also a good idea is to predesign your table, maybe mesaure out the length and width on the floor and fill that space as practice to see what you can fit.

there is a post in the fair forum i think about what people are looking for.


at the end i had a tough job packing everything into my suitcase as well as my sisters LOL plus bags to get everything home. if you can it might be easier to mail stuff home or make sure there is some space for your own stuff you buy.

extra batteries for the camera, i had to by 2 extra sets when i was down there
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top