I have never been to a Girl Scout Holiday Bazaar. I kept thinking of what handmade things we could we put on sale that would be under 2$. We made a trip to Joann's and bought a pipecleaner kit to make pipecleaner reindeers. It didnt take us long to realise that was hard and switched to something simpler that I already know how to make. (The advice to writers of writing what they know.)
1. The first sale is life changing
When a little girl bought a tiny woollen hat, I was on cloud nine. It was a bychance thing. I started making what I learned as a small flower with strands of a ribbon wire. When I did that with a yarn, it turned out to be nothing but knitting without a needle. As I kept at it, I realised that you could use any circular things (stamps lid) as memento, surround it with 3-4 rounds of yarn and then loop all around ,to make an ornament. Then I recalled the tiny woollen hat could be made with the very yarn that I was holding. I asked if we had a toilet roll. That is the base needed. My little one was quick to point out that we had one. We set off making the cute tiny woollen hats. only when you get into the details, do you realise that every little decision matters. Should the loop be made upside or downside. When in doubt, maintain consistency. When we didnt carry the toilet roll for the event, we improvised with glue and card stock cut into the size, we wanted and made into a tiny band. There is a step where you need to pull in all the strands of yarn, which I skipped in favor of making an instant version of it. The same customer, on her next round bought this hat made onsitu.
2. You lost him
A kid wanted a gingerbread house. Earlier my daughter did say that we could make a gingerbread house with the popsicle sticks. That would need lot if sticks, so we didnt make a gingerbread house. There were so many other crafts that could be done by decorating each stick as a snowman or Santa character. When I was reminded of that, I started scrambling for sticks and by then his mom said loudly 'you lost him'. Your customers are running like honeybees to where the product is. If you are not a hive, then they know that you dont have honey.
3. Learn from your employees as customers
My little ones on a break, went around and got cookies they decorated, brownies and cupcakes. Pendant necklaces which they usually dont get to buy but today they had tickets worth 5$ each that they could use to buy to their heart's content.
4. Learn from yourself as a customer
As the event drew to a close, I was on a mission to find a bow for a little friend who gave me a Christmas gift. I scanned all the stalls quickly for a bow. Like mst customers, who already know what they want and will only stop if what you have looks like what they want. When I saw these popsicle stick bracelets, I asked what it was made from. Mod podge effect of applying paper to wood is so cool. It was probably that novelty affirmed by my curiosity that made the sale.
5. What your customers want
Some kids walked around with snuggly blankets. My dad to bought one such as a memento not for any grandchild, so he could share the story of the event. As I took a stroll around, I realised there were the tiny woollen hats else where to. I wanted to find out how much they were selling it for. I wanted to know why the girl who bought it from our table, didnt buy it from there, where there was much more variety. We had some tiny decor green and white christmas trees which some kids found very cute. When I didnt know how to price them as they were supposed to be landscape decorations for a triangle banner, one lady suggetsed the price herself. Some kids were window shopping as they were out of tickets and let me know so too. Towards the end when two kids ooh-aahed at the tiny trees. I let them have it.
6. Look around - Make and Take vs Made
The kind lady who let us in even after the registration period was over, told us that the little kids are very excited about shopping that they are not very much into making something there.
All in all, it was a fun event and fun family time too. I didnt realise how quickly the time went, especially as I was making the tiny hat right there. Later when we had a photo op with family, I was told that the lady next to our stall, gave my girl a bracelet.
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