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FenBeary FolkHi guys, I spent this last weekend in a panic 
I have just signed up for my first bear fair on Easter Monday, and any advice would be really welcome at this point 
I am a bit slow and it's only 7 weeks away, I seem to cut and sew quite quickly but tend to dither over the finishing, I think it's because I am still very unsure of myself. I get so worried about ruining the bear at this point
Not to mention all the other non-beary things to think of......................table presentation, bags for the bears etc
Any hints will be warmly welcome :hug:
PS pricing, how many to take
HeeHee Sue - reading your note I was like ditto - ditto - ditto ..... 
I've done the online shows , but I have my first live show at Samantha's TBAE ; which is in June , but I'm panicing now !!!
I like to leave plenty of time for worry :crackup: :crackup: I also need acres of time to produce the pieces (sooner rather than later is my motto !!)
I have found lovely little bags , designed new hang tags , bought suitable table display , written MANY lists (of absolutely everything) but ........
aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh !!! 
so scary !
Ruth (utter fair newbie 
)
p.s All the very Best !!
puca bearsHey Sue and Ruth......DON'T panic (I'll allow you...nervous!) - just keep in mind that bear people are the nicest, friendliest ever...........you are going to be surrounded by lovely people who share your passion. I guarantee, that once the show gets going, you will have a BALL!!!!!!!!
big huggies
Maria
Patsy Lake BearsI think that anyone of us that has done show's has felt just how your feeling right now. I know I got myself into a state for quiet a few times before shows, I was given great advice by another bear artist and that was to look at it as advertising and to have fun. You will need to have table covers thats the top and around the table so as no one is seeing under your table. I use hat boxes and a three tier shelving that I cover with the top cloth to display my bears make sure they are all priced. Sissors, thumbtacks, pens, sewing kit, bags, order books if your going to take orders. Make sure you have a good float I always have between fifty and eighty dollars in 5s 10s and 20s. I am sure others will have be able to add to the list, but just remember to have fun.
Laurie Lou BearsThis is a great subject Sue as I done my first bear show last September but it was run by my local bear shop and all I had to do was turn up with my bears.This time I am doing a fair in Ipswich on April 6th and I am panicking already as this will be my first proper show so all hints and tips received on this thread are all gratefully received
My main concern is what material do you use to cover your table with and where do you get it as I am struggling to find something locally and I don't really know what I am looking for.Any answers on this will be much appreciated 
What show are you doing Sue?
Laurie :hug:
Sue, Ruth it can be really scarey first time out ... I spent much of the morning of my first show in the ladies toilet. Ahem! :redface:
Still, if you can get past the nerves, you should have an enjoyable day. As an 'old hand', I'd say the most important things to remember are ...
SMILE!!!! Don't sneak in to the show, head down, looking apologetic! Your first important job of the day is to smile brightly and say good morning to your neighbouring stand(s) holders ... this will help ensure you have a friendly day. Don't wait for your neighbour to say hello first; many bear makers are notoriously shy, so make eye contact and say a friendly hello, before you set about putting up your stand. This isn't a good time to get too chatty with people because everyone is so busy, so limit the chat, smile freely and just get your practical stuff sorted.
I am notoriously hopeless at finding my way to shows and am usually one of the last to arrive after driving round in frustrating circle after frustrating circle, for hours first. So, my other piece of advice (learned the hard way!) is plan your route really carefully - keep a map in the car and don't rely purely on SatNav (or your partner for that matter!)
Make sure you don't forget whatever you need to take payments!!! Don't laugh, it's easily done!!! 
In fact, begin making lists of everything you think you'll need now and add to it as you think of things, right up to the night before the show. I turned up at one show without my table covering once :redface: Luckily for me, my bright smiley 'hello' to the lady on the next stand worked magic and she kindly loaned me her 'spare' table covering ... boy was I impressed! I have enough trouble remembering what I need, without being prepared for other stand holders' memory loss too!!! 
Lastly, don't forget to pack your sense of humour. You'll need it. If you keep it handy throughout the day it will lend you a hand with any tricky situations ... ie if you get lost en route; if you are inadvertently wedged in the car park; whilst you are lugging heavy stand equiment when the person in front of you lets the door slam in your face; when small children with sticky hands and no parents attached to them, approach your precious stock; when some old dear says 'may I just dump this here for a while' and proceeds to cover your table, obscuring your bears with a stack of 'full to bursting' carrier bags emblazoned with other bear artists' names ... etc etc etc!
Good luck with your first shows Sue and Ruth and don't forget to let us know how you get on! 
NB: If you get worried about anything to do with the show on the day, ie., access behind your table, provision of chairs, electricity availability etc, find the organiser and ask them. That's what they are there for, it's their job and they will be happy to help you.
Hi Sue.....Your first Fair is always daunting, and of course you are going to be nervous, I remember feeling just as you do now. My advice would be to just make a few bears that you are really happy with....there's no need to have your table brimming over...that way you take a bit of pressure away....and the bears really stand out! You can then enhance your display with flier's, cards, etc. I promise...once have done your first fair, there will be no stopping you, as Maria says bear people are so lovely and friendly, and its just the best feeling when someone picks up one of your bears and fall in love with it...Good luck with the fair.....and most of all have fun!!!!
Hugs Yvonne 
puca bearsLaurie
I always use "crushed velvet" - the sort that is dead cheap - with a knitted jersey backing..........comes in loads of colours, drapes well , and best of all DOESN'T CREASE!
huggies
Maria
Country BearsHi Sue!!
I'm doing my first 'real' bear fair in June too, I did do one in my home town a few years ago for the experience, so I'm quite new to fairs too!! YIKES!!! Scary stuff!! I've decided to just go with the flow, whatever will be will be, I'm sure you'll have a fantastic day!! :hug: :hug: I found it helped to have a practice run with regard to setting my table up at home first, so you know where you're going to put everything and don't have to um and ahh on the day. And I'm going to make sure I talk to people this time, I hid behind my table last time, I'm soooo shy really!! But people love a chat!!
Overall, enjoy - it'll be fun!! :dance: :hug:
And if it helps anymore, I've got to have a baby in between now and my show - you think you've got problems!! :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
FenBeary FolkRUTH
-you are so much more organised than me, you have bags already wow. I had wanted to do the TBAE but as I am so new, thought I would just end up hiding/crying in a corner, I checked the fair I am doing out in August and felt that I could go in and not feel uncomfortable
MARIA
-crushed velvet, you star, what colour though??? Midnight Blue???
PATSY
-Hat boxes, we have a shop near here and they do hat shaped boxes that go from really tiny to very big, at reasonable prices so I can cover and stack and stack some more
LAURIE
-I nearly went to that show, in Norwich, as a visitor but 2 shows in about 3 weeks was a bit too much for hubby :crackup: . I decided on the NOTTINGHAM BEAR FAIR, its quite small and it seemed very nice. I don't know if there are any TT'rs, Maria who runs it is very nice and hardly charges anything. :hug:
YVONNE
-Flyers and cards, great one, will have to start on those know. Give me a calculator any day Are there any logos that I can put on my flyers, was thinking TT and Bid4Bears, are you allowed
CLARE
-Thank you for putting it into perspective, you are going to be soooooooooooooo busy, hope your due date is not at the same time, punishment or what, you have my admiration 
PAULA
- :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: I know were the loo's are, checked the out terrain back in August, as well as loo's, the competition, the layout, idea of prices, style of bears, who was selling the most.............oh dear that sounds so mercenary....................not meant that way, just did not want to turn up and end up with egg on my face, cos I was not good enough....on quality. Table cloth :crackup: your bears would look good on sack cloth and ashes :hug:
I think its just worrying about it all in one go, pricing has me a bit stumped, I don't want to make them too high and not sell anything but on the other hand I don't want to be too cheap either. Any ideas, the bears will be 8 inches to about 20 (He has no head yet so can't quite tell how big he will be -the headless FenBear-bless)
puca bearsHi Sue -
it's just a case of which colour you think your bears will stand out against........I've been using a sort of garnet colour, but thinking of going for something a bit brighter for my next show.
and the pricing - something I really HATE! Try looking at other bears prices , and comparing your bears, in terms of quality....and go for a price you feel comfortable with. I think you'll know if it feels right.
Something we always do here in Germany - have a little dish of sweeties on your table for people to help themselves - Easter eggs sound like a good bet!
I promise you - you will have fun - and there is nothing better than seeing someone's face light up when they spot your bears..........oh all right - even better when they go off happily clutching one of your bears!!!!!!!!
huggies
Maria
Brandon BearsLadies, I MUST tell you of my first bear show. Many years ago.
The first one that I attended. I was sooo excited. Had no Idea what to expect.
It was a beautiful Sunday that I convinced my 4 year Granddaughter to join me.
Being my official 'bear making assistant' Brianna was into bears just as Much as I.
We dressed up in our finest 'bear clothes' consisting of teddy bear vests, teddy bear
pins, purse, earrings & hair bows.
The car was washed inside and out, Brianna & I set off on our adventure only stopping
for a nice lunch on the way.
When we arrived at the door to the Show Brianna insisterd on filling the card for the drawing herself.
We were handed our goodie bags then as the doors opened for us to enter Brianna stood there,
frozen EYES wide open.. awwwwwwwwwww ! surveying the whole room.
We made our way slowely around the room stopping at EACH table. My Granddaughter
not being shy spoke to every exhibitor that wasn't busy. Always asking if it was ok to pick up
or touch the bears she liked the most. Brianna hear her name being called.. She won a door prize!
A purple bear, her favorite color ! 3 hrs later it was time to go. Family waiting on Us at home.
When we arrived home, Brianna rushed in eager to show off her new Bear. PaPa was preparing
Sunday dinner for the family. " How was the bear Show Brianna?" PaPa asked her as he was
standing at the kitchen sink.. as Brianna glanced first left then right she motioned for PaPa to bend
down, then she quietly whispered in his ear.......
"they were all fake " ! ! !
Donna A.
Ruby Mountain BearsI am going to try to do a show, (fingers crossed knees shaking) this spring. I am looking at Reno and hoping to do that one.
I have read all these good posts and poured over them for Info. Thank you so much.
I went to the Salt Lake show this fall and was a little disappointed that there weren't many bears there. I did speak to Bev Dodd and admired her bears which she tried to get me or my teenage daughter to buy. I saw another artist there I can't remember her name right now, the one who makes those lovely kittens one named Tussle.
Walnut Tree Corner Bears By GailI am hopefully doing my first bear fair this year too. I have my forms all filled in and ready to post off. Laurie... its the Ipswich fair so at least I can wave at you across the room . Ruth you are always so orgainised! you will be fine. As I haven't quite posted my forms, I am yet to get into a panic, I expect that will set in when I get a notification I definitely have a place. I think this first bear bair tips thread is a great idea, so thanks everybody :hug:
Tiny Hugs,
Gail
Laurie Lou BearsThanks for the info Maria-I have found some of the crushed velvet on the net and just have to decide on a colour and how much I need
It will be great to see you at the show Gail :hug:
Laurie :hug:
FenBeary FolkMaria
Garnet is such a lovely colour, my bears will be a multicolour/style, but mostly paler bears so hence the midnight blue, HOW much?? The price when I went in August was a huge range from £25 all the way up to £300 for some retired steiffs, the artist one seem to go to £100-£125, so I suppose I will somewhere in the middle. I had thought of sweeties, I have a cracking Chocolate fudge recipe, homemade and small
Donna
Priceless as only a 4 year old can be :hug:
Kathy and Gail
I wish you all the luck in the world and it's nice to know I am not alone
Can we post photos on here, there does seem to be a lack of UK shows seen, so thought it would be good promo for shows in the UK???
puca bearsMe again!
LAURIE- glad to be of help!
SUE - there are different ways of positioning your table cover - some cover the top surface, and then pin fabric round the front and sides, sort of like a floor-length pelmet - me - I have two lengths which will go lengthwise on the table and reach to the floor at the sides..........the first, far enough forward, so it also reaches to the floor at the front (dunno if that makes sense?). Basically, you just need to know the size of the table, and the width of the fabric, figure out how you will drape it and then work out how many metres you'd need.........best to err a bit on the "generous " side - you an always tuck the excess under! But you should cover the front and sides of the table, down to the ground - looks nicer, and gives you a useful HIDDEN space to stash everything you'll need during the day.
I was re-reading Paula's advice (with many giggles) and yes - a sense of humour is VITAL.....times I've had a fixed smile to hide the grinding of teeth - unsupervised kids with a lolly in one hand, advancing on the bears.....
and probably my worst experience of all - I must have totally blanched as a woman headed towards my precious bears - PICKING her nose.........AAARRRGGGHHHHH.....fortunately she didn't like the look of them (or me?) and just kept going!
And then there are the visitors who really MAUL your bears around........they just MIGHT be checking them out in detail before buying a whole stack of them for a shop - then again, they could just be hobbyists, trying to figure out just how you put the bears together......... hey - I should stop this - don't want to put you off!
And the pricing - I still think your best bet is to look at prices bears are going for , say, on ebay - bears that compare to yours in quality. I find it really difficult - one person might think you are way overpriced, and the next will buy without batting an eye lid. But go for a price you would be happy with -
huggies
Maria
almost forgot........have a look through the "Shows" pages - there are plenty of photos from various shows - good ideas for table deco.........
Pricing is always tricky. I work on materials + labour + profit and then 'tweak' until I am happy that my prices are where I want them to be. Don't be greedy, but don't undersell yourself either. It's best to research other artists' pricing where possible, if they make similar sized bears it should give you a good starting point.
I have a couple of pics I can share with you ... my stand was built especially for me so that it forces me 'out front'! No hiding behind a table! I take advertising postcards for collectors to pick up from the table - leaflets work just as well. I advertise that I take credit cards on the front of the stand so everyone can see at a glance and ... I hide all my junk under the table!!! :crackup:
FenBeary FolkThanks guys, I think I understand on the tablecloth front, Maria, when I used to do the markets the customers were much the same, 1p was too much 
Paula, I love your displays, they are very uncluttered but not stark.
Pricing is, I think, going to be my real achilles heal. My quality measured up to those that were there, but I am used to listing on ebay for about the material costs, no labour or profits, so an 8 inch bear at about £50 seems so much, at the same show in August they tended to be a mixed bag. The more appealing ones selling for more than the less appealing, even if the less were alot cheaper. I suppose to compete the price should be around the £50 mark but everytime I think "ok" I then think "oh its alot
Sorry for ramblings, am off to work soon :hug:
I think with pricing Sue, you also need to bear in mind the issue of under cutting other artists at the show. If you are priced way lower than they are, I hate to say it, but it makes for somewhat of an unbalanced market place. You should be able to make more than the cost of your materials if you are selling your work, so long as it is well made.
By selling your work at a show, you are putting yourself in direct competition with the other exhibitors and my personal opinion is that it is far fairer and much more businesslike to price your work properly, than it is to price too cheaply in the hope that it will sell. Don't forget, the show is all about promoting your work too, so even if you don't sell on the day (which can happen) you will hopefully have made contact with collectors etc and of course, you will be able to sell your stock elsewhere still ... shops, Ebay, website, mail order.
Also, you should bear in mind with pricing that it's not just the cost of materials you should be covering, as well as your labour, you should also be covering your stand costs, travel expenses, promotional materials and so on. That £50.00 will soon look less daunting when you take these things into account!
Here's a little pricing forumla I have always used:
13" bear
Joints 1.50
Eyes 1.50
Paws 2.50
Filling 7.00
Thread 2.00
Trim 3.00
Growler 1.45
O&S 2.00 (this category 'odds 'n sods' is for hangtags, satin labels, certificates etc)
Fabric 1/4metre 16.00
Total Materials: £36.95
So, total materials plus say, 10 hours labour @ £10.00 per hour (which let's face it, for skilled work ain't ever gonna make your rich! Oh and please bear in mind, this is a gross figure for tax purposes, so if you are eligible to pay tax at the end of the year, you are going to have to share a portion of it with the Tax Man and the National Insurance Contributions Office! So, believe me, there won't be much left to live on!)
= £136.95
Then you need to add:
Profit
... this is the bit that has to cover all the admin costs for running your business throughout the year (internet, stationary, motor costs, advertising, show costs, photography, equipment, etc etc) so although I call it profit for the purpose of working a pricing figure into each individual bear, technically it's yet another cost! If you run it at about 30% for example, you should then land up with a working figure of £41.08 to factor into your pricing.
So to summarise, your 13" bear, original material costs being £36.95, will need to retail at somewhere around at least £180.00 for your business to stand half a chance of making a profit at the end of the year! All that for an initial quarter of a metre of fabric!
Oh and I've just realised I have forgotten to factor in the delivery costs for the materials!
By the way, this also highlights the perennial trade discount problem when selling to shops too ... because by the time you've sliced off your so-called profit margin to give a trade discount so the shop can cover their overheads and after you've paid your material/admin/overhead costs, you're really not left with much at all in real terms!
Who said being a bear artist was a good idea by the way?????
Yes, yes, YES!!! I agree with everything Paula says! :clap:
You really must price your bears according to the market place, for all the reasons Paula stated - and there's another one; what if you take some orders at the show? If you have priced your bears too cheaply you will be forever stuck in a position where you are just about covering your costs and working for nothing. You will have no room to grow because you can't just suddenly hike your prices - and you may find that you get fed up with the whole thing and give up altogether. Your skill and your time are worth something - no one should be expected to work for free!
Christine
Hi!
Just having a little laugh here!!! Oh Paula, I wish I could make a bear in 10 hours!!! I am usually just about starting to stuff a bear at that stage and I usually reckon on taking between 25 to 30 hours of actual working!!!! I know I take my time, but what am I doing wrong!!!!!
Sue, try and turn your panic into excitement! I absolutely loved my first fair and I think one of the things that helped was that I didn't go with high expectations of selling loads of bears. I thought that I would use it as an "experience" and if anything sold then that would be a big bonus! It took me a little while to know when to chat with a potential customer, or when to just say "hello" and let them browse, you will soon get the "feel" for that situation. Keep smiling and as others have already said, keep a sense of humour!
The day will absolutely whizz by ... oh, and don't forget to take a picture of your stand before the fair starts. It is always nice to look back on them to remind you of the bears that you sold!!
Have a brilliant day ..... and ....... RELAX!!!!!!!!!
Hugs
Marilyn
HeeHee Marilyn , I hope my "stand" at the TBAE is near you (and Clare ) in June - you make it sound like a calm,
peaceful experience ; maybe that would rub off on me !!! I was thinking of stocking up on Bach remedies !!!
Huggies , Ruth
Marilyn:
Just having a little laugh here!!! Oh Paula, I wish I could make a bear in 10 hours!!! I am usually just about starting to stuff a bear at that stage and I usually reckon on taking between 25 to 30 hours of actual working!!!! I know I take my time, but what am I doing wrong!!!!!
Ah! Houston we have problem! The ten hours is a guide to how long I think it should take to create a strandard, machine sewn bear. I'm working on the assumption that if you want to sell your bears as a business, you need to be able to keep your turnover, turning over! 
Some people will work faster, or slower, but of course, it's really not fair to the collector to charge 25/30 hours for a straightforward design, when someone else could have made a similar type of bear in far less time.
As for speeding you up Marilyn, hmmn! I think you'd need to work out which aspects of your bear making take the longest ... I mean, for example, I stitch a nose in probably less than an hour and insert eyes in about five minutes. It would be interesting to know how long it takes people to complete each of the tasks, wouldn't it? I'll start another thread to see if we can unravel the mystery!
HeeHee Marilyn , I hope my "stand" at the TBAE is near you (and Clare
peaceful experience ; maybe that would rub off on me !!!Huggies , Ruth
Ruth He!!! I just get drunk at the start!!!! he he!!
Don't worry, I will be going through my "panic" stage before the show with regard to the bear making side, and then I will be panicing about getting to the fair on time and all the other hundred-and-one things that you think of and worry about!! By the time I am all set up, my mind is off in a world of its own and that's the time to try and relax!!!! But I always enjoy the days, even when certain fairs have been poorly attended as I have made some lovely friends during the shows and I always enjoy a laugh and a giggle!! Actually, I think I enjoy bear making for the fairs really, and am sad when they are over because then there is usually a long wait until the next one!
Hugs
Marilyn
