Vending Tips for a Beginner

[goReptiles]

I've never vended at a show. I'm going to start my first at the Dixie show in Birmingham in October. Does anyone have any time for vending, or tips for that show?

I've read the gecko times blog post, but it was pretty general.

Is cash only going to be ok? Or should I invest in borrowing a credit card machine (pricey from what I understand).

Best method to hold onto money? Box of money bag?

Tips on table layout: how to layout the deli cups, supplies for sale, business cards, etc.

Do you offer a caresheet with purchase of a reptile?

I've been selling online for several years, but I've never had enough to sell at a show when a show came around. I wanted to start with Atlanta, but 1) it's a little more pricey to get into for a first time vender at the Repticon shows and 2) it's in January.

The Dixie show is on October 30th. I'm trying to plan everything now.

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

Cash only is fine as long as you don't have anything priced higher than an ATM will allow you to withdraw. You can also do PayPal if they have internet at the show. Credit card machines are very nice but if you don't have many geckos for sale then it wont really be worth it IMO (I do perfectly fine without one).

Cash should go into a money box or something. It does not look professional at all when people put it in their pocket and pull a wad of money out to give you change. Keep your box where people cant see into it either...looks bad on the vendor IMO if I can watch them do their money business.

Table layout is a preference thing. I prefer to keep the pricier items in the middle, business cards in the front , hand sanitizer back by you or under the table, supplies I would have set up on one side, make sure geckos which colors pop in light are the ones closest to the best lit area.

Yes offer care sheets. Almost all shows in CA require you to have them available.

Just have fun though. You dont wanna look or feel like your life is on the line or something. Have fun and meet and greet people. Something I do which helps get a lot of sales is bring a gecko which is super friendly and BIG and use him to attract children. Let them hold or touch it too. This is sometimes enough to sell the parents.

 

[OhioGecko]

http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=64948&highlight=vending

 

[goReptiles]

Thanks

Would a money bag work, or is a cash box preferred? How much change and bills should I start the show with?

Ohio geckos, there wasn't any info in that thread. I have read the gecko times post if that is what you were referring to. I mentioned it in my opening post.

 

[robin]

i would get a money box

 

[goReptiles]

Any reason over the preference? It just easier to keep organized

 

[robin]

easier to keep organized and its able to be locked. looks more professional too

 

[goReptiles]

Cool thanks.

About how much change should I start with?

 

[Dog Shrink]

Never done a show but just my experience in business promotion and these types of events is money box with a lock looks more professional plus it's harder for a nare-do -well to walk off with a box versus a bag. As far as the amount of change to give it shouldn't be any less than your highest priced herp imo. And as far as advertising needs such as banners, business cards etc. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this site vistaprint.com I just ordered about $400 worth of stuff for $60 bucks with all the stuff they give away for free like 250 premium business cards, small magnets, pens, banners, all kinds of cool stuff. IT's the self promoter's dreamsite honestly. Shipping is a bit pricy but for what you pay for stuff, so be it, and they have FAST turn around from order to delivery despite them saying standard shipping could take up to 20-ish days. It's never taken longer than 2 weeks for me.

 

[robin]

$100 or so

 

[OhioGecko]

I've never vended at a show. I'm going to start my first at the Dixie show in Birmingham in October. Does anyone have any time for vending, or tips for that show?

I've read the gecko times blog post, but it was pretty general.

It is a good article overall.

Is cash only going to be OK? Or should I invest in borrowing a credit card machine (pricey from what I understand).

I believe most CC machines are $300+, we paid more for ours. If you are only planning on doing a couple of shows a year, I wouldn't invest in one. A lot of times there is a debit card machine on site at the reptile show and they usually list it on their website.

Best method to hold onto money? Box of money bag?

We use a money box, it is much quicker to make change for a customer. We set it up under the table on a box.

Tips on table layout: how to layout the deli cups, supplies for sale, business cards, etc.

I like to setup similar morphs together. We keep the highest priced geckos in the back so there is less chance of them being stolen.

Do you offer a care sheet with purchase of a reptile?

We give care sheets to everyone, even if they didn't buy from us. I'm not going to explain this, some people will understand it and some will not.

I've been selling on line for several years, but I've never had enough to sell at a show when a show came around. I wanted to start with Atlanta, but 1) it's a little more pricey to get into for a first time vendor at the Repticon shows and 2) it's in January.

Pricey shows means less competition, Jan is a good time to sell at any show. Bottom line is you must have enough geckos to pay your table and time.

The Dixie show is on October 30th. I'm trying to plan everything now.

If you setup like the geckotime article explains you should be OK. Make sure to take a table cloth and lights if needed.

Good Luck!

 

[M_surinamensis]

A lot of this people have already covered but I am going to answer anyway.

Is cash only going to be ok? Or should I invest in borrowing a credit card machine (pricey from what I understand).

Borrowing sounds a bit odd- running transactions on someone else's machine and account is illegal, so you would need your own. Which can be time consuming to set up and a hassle to deal with. Cash should be fine. Judgment call when it comes to checks but I generally wouldn't recommend it except perhaps from friends or other vendors with a very good reputation.

Tips on table layout: how to layout the deli cups, supplies for sale, business cards, etc.

Some of it is an aesthetic choice and there are some practical concerns depending on exactly what you are bringing.

That said, I always like the setups that include display cases, rather than piles of deli cups, animals centered, organized and labeled, business cards and care sheets readily available, supplies along the edges or- if they are good sized, even stacked or pegboarded behind you (although you definitely want to check with the promoter about bringing and selling supplies at all). Cases look more professional, keep your animals safer and give you more control over how full your table looks. New animals can be rotated in as they sell. Try to keep a variety in terms of both genetics and price range visible at all times. Expensive or particularly impressive stuff in the front and center. Try not to let customers realize that you have ten times as many animals stacked underneath the table or they'll want to look at every single one of them regardless of how similar they are.

I also like it a lot better when the vendor isn't letting anyone touch the animals. Get a magnifying lamp with a florescent tube and let the customers inspect animals through the side of a deli cup. If they really need to see anything closer and seem like a serious customer, you handle it under the light for them. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are crap, almost nobody ever uses them correctly anyway and having your animals handled and poked by every numbnut who walks through the place means a complete and total breakdown of any control you thought you had over disease vectors. It means anything that doesn't sell gets to come home and be put into quarantine. It means taking responsibility for problems caused when some idiot six tables down has animals covered in mites and is letting anyone touch anything. It means risk.

So no handling by the customers, magnifying lamp so you look professional and to cover those people who want an inspection.

Between locking display cases and this method of inspection, it also means that any interested customer has to talk to you directly. That gives you an opportunity to sell yourself and to sell the animal.

A simple "Can I look at that?" turns into you calling it beautiful, mentioning how well it has grown, how great its parents looked, what a fine choice it is, ask what they are keeping themselves and then talk about its good qualities as a pet or a breeder.

You also sell yourself by showing how competent and affable you are, encouraging them to do business with someone they like and trust. Any questions- you can answer them. Any problems- you will fix them. They just want to chat about their exciting new pet- you love getting cute stories and photos in your email.

When your prices and your animals are pretty similar to what someone else is bringing (and if you are selling geckos, there will probably be similar stock), you can rise above your competition by being more appealing to the customer. You'd appeal to someone like me by not letting every snot nosed punk off the street get their festering grubby hands all over the animals I am thinking of buying. You'll appeal to everyone with a magnifying lamp for two reasons- it shows that you believe in your animals so strongly that they can undergo the most minute of inspections and it makes people think of forensics shows on television and everybody trusts a sciencecop. Others will find you appealing because you took the time to talk to them individually (without realizing that your display cases forced that scenario).

 

[gixxer3420]

You do not have to have a credit card machine to be able to take credit cards. We are set up to take credit cards over the phone and it works out great. If we were a store then a credit card machine's a must but for doing 12-14 shows a year this works out perfect for us.

 

[goReptiles]

Thanks everyone.

Yes, you can borrow credit card machines from banks. I'm not sure exactly how that works, but my work does it when they set up booths to sell old stock we have in inventory, as well as when we do other events.

I would like to wait until January, but I need to cut out some babies now. I have plenty to cover the $50 table, room, and gas, but it's a matter of wille people buy. I've heard the show does pretty good, but it's still a smaller show that's does better with wholesale prices. I do plan on setting very reasonable prices especially for unsexed hatchlings.

I will definitely print out some care sheets at work. I do understand passing them out to anyone who wants one, not just buyers.

Kermit, I meant to reply to you. I actually work for a printing/advertising company and could get GREAT deals on pens, magnets, note pads, etc. I have the business cards, and have had them for years. I have thought about the other stuff, but it's a matter of money. Even buying them from my job, comes with a price.

New question: How do you care and set up the geckos when you have to stay overnight? I'll be taking mostly crested geckos, if that makes a difference. I will have to stay one night (Friday) before the show on Saturday.

 

[acpart]

The times I've taken leopard geckos to a show where I had to spend the night, I just left them in their deli cups overnight. I think a lot of people do that. I checked the deli cups the next morning and at intervals during the show so the few who pooped, peed or threw up in their cups got them cleaned out and dried. So the geckos were in deli cups for about 24 hours and everyone did fine. They may get a little cold, but then their metabolism will slow down and they won't get that hungry.

Aliza

 

[goReptiles]

Cool. that's what I was thinking. I may take two leopard geckos, but most will be cresteds