I decided to buy booth space at an antique show and see how the public responded to my cages. I was hoping to sell quite a few of them. I chose a large show in Portland, OR and rented space for a 10X20ft booth. I figured that since Spring was showing up, this would be the time to display the cages.
I built (with a carpenter friend) a wood frame with 2X4s and 4X4s that spanned the 20ft back and 10ft sides. The wood was stained and looked nice. The trick was to make it portable since I had to transport it 300 miles. It had white rack shelves, uprights for hanging cages, a place in the center for a curio cabinet, and plenty of floor space for cage/stand combos. I rented a table and would place that in the front center of the booth. I had it mapped out and diagrammed on paper...to scale. I rented a UHaul, my carpenter friend, Brian, loaded it (since I can't climb into the back of the truck due to balance issues), and prepared to head out the next day. Well, a storm swooped in, chains were required over the pass, and, since I wasn't about to buy UHaul 2 sets of chains, I hunkered down for a day and left the next day. The drive was good, wet but clear roads, and I reached my destination late at night. I slept over at friends' home, then headed to the Expo center.
My ability to get lost 'in a paper bag' is notable in my family, and it was frustrating to drive a UHaul (14ft) as I wove in and out trying to find my way in Portland traffic. The Lord was good to me, and I made it without nary a scrape. My son drove down from Seattle and met me at the Expo. We spent the next 6 hours unloading the UHaul, assembling the frame (I absolutely love battery-powered drills) and sorting and arranging the displays. My son, Jared, did all the heavy lifting and carrying. He helped me arrange the displays for the feeders, bird baths, etc. and before we knew it, we were at closing time and had to leave. He drove me to my friends' home since I'd parked the UHaul in overnight Expo parking where it would stay the length of the show. He ate a quick sandwich and headed North at 7:30pm for a 3hr. drive home. There is NO WAY I could have done it without his help.
Being my first show ever, there were lots of glitches, mistakes and partially completed tasks. Saturday morning saw my sister and me unpacking glass figurines, doing last-minute pricing, and trying to figure out what we were doing. She'd worked booths before, so she knew about the smiling, greeting and showing the wares. I finally thawed and relaxed several hours into the show and could converse with those who stopped by to see the unique booth.
I entered the show with the idea of sharing my knowledge about Hendryx, his construction and patents, and help people choose their favorite cages for home. Little did I know that Hendryx is not a commonly known word in my neck of the woods in Oregon. People looked at the cages, but weren't really interested in the history of them. They strolled down their own memory lanes as they gazed at the Victorian cages that resembled Grandma's in the kitchen, or at the Art Deco ones that they grew up with. There were comments about the 'uniqueness' of the collection. Several folks bought feeders for their cages at home. One fellow talked with me on Sat. and returned Sunday with feeder in hand, looking for a match. I have quite an array of feeders and was able to find one for him. Many folks stopped by to chat or share stories or to browse.
Several women stopped by and gave suggestions for booth improvements, which I greatly appreciated. My big downfall is that I think more like a man than a woman. Although I am left-handed, I spend a LOT of time in my left brain. My booth was setup and displayed more like a hardware store than a boutique. The boutique, homey look is what people expect and are looking for, I was told. I had no lace and table cloths, no flowers or candles, no potpourri or 'soft' items to enhance the cages. I had a hardware store (complete with battery powered drill under the table!!). It was very efficient and completed the task of displaying the cages. Nothing 'foo-foo' about it.
Sunday night saw us packing up and loading the UHaul. Each cage has to be boxed individually since each is so fragile. That takes a lot of time and space. Then the drill comes out to unscrew 40ft of lumber. Then all is hauled back into the UHaul to be strapped down and secured for the return trip. My brother-in-law and I pulled out of the parking lot at 10pm, after 5 hours of packing and loading. There is no way I could have done it without his help. No way.
A short night's sleep, and I was on the road again, trying to beat the second wave of snow that was coming. I got home 6+ hours later, exhausted. Brian and I unloaded the next day, and the UHaul was returned. My first antique show was under my belt with many lessons learned.
The most important lesson learned (reinforced) was that I have a sizable network of family and friends that support me and my endeavors. I could not have done it at all without cage cleaning and packing help from my sister, Marcia, and my friend, Cathy (who you met in a previous entry), loading/unloading help from Brian, unloading and set up help from my son, booth assistance from friends, Linda and Jeryl, and another sister, Margie. Tear-down/packing/loading would still be going on without the help from my friends and brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Jennifer. Jennifer designed my business cards and price tags. My daughter, Beth, advised me to purchase a device which would accept credit cards. When I made the commitment to 'do' the show, I didn't expect to need all this help, but as I failed in areas, others were there to support, encourage, train, teach, lead by example, and lift up weary arms. It was definitely a group effort. "I" didn't 'do' the show..."WE" did.
Second lesson learned is that I am there to meet the goals and needs of the public in the show. My goals are secondary. I must meet their needs (whether it's advice, guidance with their own cages, and question answering) before they will meet my need by purchasing items. You may be shaking your head and saying "duh!", but it wasn't that easy for me to see. Coming from a non-sales employment history, with a passion for the "Hendryx" part of the cage, I didn't have a clue. I won't say that I know it all now, but I can say that I am not clueless.
My initial thought when I got home was one of desperation. "What am I going to do with all my Hendryx cages if no one wants them?" I classified my booth in the show as a failure and 'knew' I wouldn't 'do' another show. After 3 days of rest and recuperation, of calculating and pondering, of reality instead of feelings, I began reasoning again and became logical (very left-brained).
I am entered into another antique show in 2 weeks. I've modified a lot, thanks to the lessons learned with #1. I have a smaller booth space, and I will rent a UHaul cargo van instead of a truck so I can load it myself. I will come with cages/stands/feeders/lace/tablecloths/flowers/candles and other 'foo-foo' items. I will present the cages for what they are...works of art...in a way that a passerby can see, appreciate and hopefully want in his or her home. The history lessons will be on the back burner unless a Hendryx-lover approaches. I will relax, chat, and enjoy those who stop to visit. I will share with them the wares I love; the crafted pieces of art, many over 100 years old, from a company known for its vision, knowledge, and hard work. The Andrew B. Hendryx Co. of New Haven Conn.
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