# Questions, Feed Back, Advice - Long



## Sheryl (Oct 27, 2007)

Ok, here's the skinny. I have been asked to attend 1st annual pow wow event in Weatherford this year. It will be three days long. It is supposed to draw a crowd of 7 to 10,000 people. Chamber of Commerce is saying that there may be closer to 30,000 people, which compares to our years old annual July Peach Festival. My friend "Talks A Lot Woman" said that there are no soapers there. Supposedly I will be the only one. The event will start Friday Evening until 10 pm, then 10 or noon Saturday til 10pm, then 10 or noon till 5 pm on Sunday. There will be electric, and there will be of course drumming and dancing contests going on the whole time. Indian fry bread, Indian Tacos, all the cool Indian stuff. I can also display my quilted and embroidered Totes/purses etc. Anything as long as it is hand made by me. They were really wanting my soap, I don't have the supplies or funds to buy fo's and supplies with for such a large event. But, I was thinking that maybe I can make as much as what I have between now and them (It is in October) approx 30 days from now. I feel in my heart that this is a great opportunity. I can however make lots and lots of quilted totes/pouches, and I can take my embroidery machine to embroider names on such items. I figured I would need around $500 to buy the fo's and fats/oils etc I would need to make enough soap for this event. But since I can't to that I was going to take everything I have soap and gift wise.

The booth rent alone for 10 x 10 is $200.

Here's what I want to know. I have been reading past posts where some of you have attended craft shows/festivals. Some of you have made 100 bars to take. How did you do? Did you sell out or sell half? Whatever your sales were, how many people were in attendance? I am trying to get a feel for crowd size compared to expected sales.

If any of you have attended craft shows etc with your soaps, please let me know how you did. This came on so quickly and suddenly. I have calls from two people that are in charge of the pow wow, one of them the director and they went nuts about the homemade soap thing! The dead line for entry was August 26, and they are telling me not to worry about it, come with my application and I don't have to pay until the date the event starts. ( makes me feel like they really want me. I so need to be wanted :biggrin)

They have big sponsors, Weatherford College, Dallas Stars Hocky, Texas Rangers Baseball, Wal Mart, Pepsico. They are advertising on radio stations, and channel 11 tv is interested in reporting or doing a broadcast. The director of the pow wow told me that there are people comming from all around to attend this pow wow. They had to move from one 70 acre or so location to a 300 acre location to have enough room for this event. If I had the scents I want to make soap with right now and the fats/oils, I could probably make 100 to 200 bars of soap in plenty of time for the event. But unless I find a sugar daddy ( :laughcry so not gonna happen) in the next day or two I won't be able to do that, but I could probably do at least 50 to 70 bars of soap, maybe (I'm kinda low on fo's since I just started doing this) But I can sew totes like crazy and my hip pouches and I have some southwest/indian style prints plus others, and I can embroider some south west designs on my hip pouches.....what do you guys think.

Please please give me input, insight, advice, your experiences??????? I so really really want to do this. I feel it is a good thing for me.

Please all you wonderful DGI people, take a look at my website www.sewitalls.com I have a couple of pictures of my totes, and my hip pouches and beginnings of my soap, and tell me if you think these will sell.

Waiting to hear from you guys (biting my finger nails) :crazy

Thanks so much (please be kind)

Sheryl


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Your craft products are nice! Especially love the cow tote!

This is only my second year selling at craft shows and I still don't know how much to bring. You are in Texas though and from all the ladies' talk I think soap sells better in Texas than anywhere else. :LOL Maybe you can take advantage of Susan's 50% off sale to get some FOs to soap with. 

I think with a show that size and you being the only soaper you'd be able to sell what you can get made. And your other products are unique enough. THe best thing is to have something no one else has. And to be able to display it nicely. You'd get a lot of exposure too. I'd go for it!


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## Guest (Sep 18, 2008)

Sheryl,
why not make some soaps, like oatmeal milk and honey with no fragrance added, very good for the skin and very soothing and it smells nice also.. like oatmeal..It is one of my very best sellers and so cheap to make since you add no fragrance.. susan andersen is having a great sell right now, and you could pick maybe two fragrances and make a lot of soap.. you don't need tons of different scents to be successful at all.
Another very good scent is just add a couple of oz of tea tree oil to a batch, it smells very very clean, you can get tea tree very reasonable at a walmart store
Your sewing is wonderful, and add just a few bars of soap and you are ready to go.. 
100 bars would see you thru
goodluck and have fun
Barbara


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## Sheryl (Oct 27, 2007)

Thank you so much Kathy and Barbara for your input and words of wisdom. I appreciate it. It has been years and years since I have done a craft show of any kind. I know that the one that you expect to do really good usually flops and the one you think was a waste of time, you sell out. :crazy Anyway. I was trying to get a feel kinda for crowd size compared to expected sales. I have not sold soap like this before. I read one of Vicki's old posts, and I think I will skip wraping/packaging and opt for country look with wooden crates, galvanized buckets, washbord kinda stuff. That is if I can get it together between now and then. I would still appreciate anyone else's 2 cents worth if you care to make a comment.

Thanks
Sheryl


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

for that I would wrap with brown paper or muslin or burlap tie with twine. and yep make oatmeal and a tea tree like Barb said just use the walmart recipe and there ya go. 
If you want to come over here you can have some of my fragrances Or if you like I will make up some soap for you and you can pay me a wholesale price when you sell it.


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## Carolyn (Oct 27, 2007)

Your site is very nice--we are in the process of setting one up---I also have tote bags, $200 is high for a booth space--but it must be a going rate for a Pow Wow, because that is the price here. The Pow Wow is going to be held in Oct--I think the 11,12 and 13. DD's are debating about it, spaces for craft sales are running between $50 and $100. $200 seems like a lot to spend, but it might be worth it--- one takes chances at any sale. We still have a week to decide. Carolyn


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Sheryl I left a message on your phone need you to call me as to where to drop off this banner today. Thinking where your daughter works. ASAP please.


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