Selling at tiki shows

I'm considering selling at a tiki event show. Adding together the vendor fee with the hours of time packing, setting up and vending, I estimate I'll have to sell more then $200 just to break even. Also we'll miss much of the event being stuck at the sales table. I'm curious if vendors feel they earn enough more then their fixed sunk costs to make vending at shows more worthwhile then using online stores or Craigslist ads? And are buyers willing to pay you're asking prices?

Nice beard.

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2018-05-02 18:05 ]

Do you have more feedback then that skip? I'm talking about a local show. Not paying for flights, rental car or hotel

That thing on your chin.

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2018-05-02 18:07 ]

I'm not a vendor but have discussed this question with several who do. Some people do VERY well at these events and continue to come back every year. Some people just barely break even but they keep coming back because they enjoy hanging out at their booth talking to people, or they figure the exposure will lead to future sales, or maybe they get a vacation that they can write off as a business expense. Lots of people have decided it wasn't worth the trouble. Depends on too many factors for a simple answer - desirability of your product, expenses, profit margin, what you want to get out an event, etc.

Good points Mike.

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2018-05-02 18:07 ]

Skip how much are you in the hole from selling at tiki shows?

?

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2018-05-02 18:08 ]

You can't imagine how great the payoff is for my posting this here on TC.
^^^Sarcasm^^^

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2018-05-02 18:09 ]

Vending is tough. Some vendors do very well, but IMO it's only the big name people. Most vendors do between just okay to pretty poorly.
If your goal is to sell and make money, you better be sure your product will sell, and has already sold well in the past. Not just optimistic that you'll sell your stuff.
There's a lot of uncounted hours before and after an event, in addition to the hours at the event. If you calculate your hourly pay honestly, you will be depressed.
If you want to go vend to get exposure or just to be at the event and don't mind if you don't make your gas money back, and know that in advance, then you'll be okay and could be pleasantly surprised if you sell a bunch.
I've vended at a few tiki events in the past, including the biggest one, and even though I had selling fees waived and sold a fair amount at them, it wasn't worth all the effort to me.
Bottom line from me is, if your goal is to sell and make money, online is the better way to go.

Thanks 4wd tiki. I can’t get a wholesale volume discount. I think I’ll need to get that before selling retail in person. At least online I don’t pay fees until I sell if I use buy it now. I was looking at the San Diego Bali hai show and the garden grove Orange County show.

Bill how much do your 2-5 foot tikis sell for?

santa, my 2' price is $400, 5' is 800.

Tikiskip, I hope it wasn't something I said to cause you to delete your comments?? Please tell me that's not the case, or tell me what I said that caused it. I can't imagine it was my post, but the timing is suspect, so, I gotta wonder...

No Bill it was not you.
Your post was a good one.

Being one of the only people to answer "Santa" and then not even thanks I thought he was just a person with no manners till he then thanked you for your help.

It amazes me how many times I have tried to help people here and even in PMs and don't see even a thanks, maybe it should amaze me that I keep doing it.

And your tiki carving pricing would be about one fourth of Bills tiki carving prices as he is well known and very good at it.

Santa stay off my roof.

Skip I get from your posts you’re bitter about your show selling experiences. Thanks for venting

To keep costs down, rent the booth with another person if it's possible.

That way its cheaper, duh, uh, I think it's half the price, and you can actually get up and look around, grab lunch, talk to other vendors, etc. while the other person watches the booth half of the time. People wanting their own booth all to themselves is often an ego thing rather than a business decision.

At the time egos big or small were not allowed to share a vending space at Hukilau.
Do not know what the rule is now.

Have shared a vending space before, still not a great time.

I didn’t sell at tikibeat at San Diego. The vendors didn’t make much money there. It was mostly a fun food , music and drink party scene. Splitting the sales table booth would be good to control costs and increase table coverage. The oc tiki event doesn’t provide table or chairs

[ Edited by: santa 2018-05-12 10:37 ]