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Daphne Jan 5, 2008

I was recently talking with someone who is venturing into the mini sized bears and got to talking about display options at shows........ 6 or 8 feet is a LOT of space when you are talking about little bears....

I did a quick search but didn't see anything on the subject... if I missed it just give me the link to the thread.

Otherwise.... do any of you have ideas for displaying minis or do you have photos of your booth you could share just to get the juices flowing?

Thank you!
Daphne
:hug:

PeachtreeCottage Jan 5, 2008

Hi Daphne,

When the Thread Artist Guild displayed at IDEX last June we realized how important it would be to have the mini bears at eye level.  We used risers and stands of varying height to bring the little ones up closer in height.

Here's a picture of our display to give you some ideas.

The bears on display varied from 1 inch up to 12 inches but most were in the 2-6 inch range. 

If you have electricity arranging some lighting to 'spotlight' some will also draw people's eyes to your display and the tiny bears in it.

Hope this helps some,

/bearhugs,

Little Bear Guy Jan 5, 2008

I was going to mention how important it would be to have the small bears raised up on the table.  Some of the acrylic stands that you can get nowadays would work perfect, as they would raise them up and the stands come apart easily for transporting as well.  Because they are clear they do showcase the bears very nicely and the light shines through them.

hugs

Shane

thumperantiques Jan 5, 2008

Daphne,
     When I was doing shows, I only made bears under 3 inches.  The first thing I did was add about 14 inches of PVC pipe to each of the table legs, which raised the table to a more desirable height.  I used about 15 decorative tins of different heights, spread evenly around the show table.  Then I used things like my magazine article, a few framed pictures of my bears, and a small album of pictures of past pieces I had done etc to fill in  any extra space.  I also agree that good lighting is a must.  Some inexpensive clip on spotlights etc.
      I bought sets of tins that fit inside each other, to make packing easier. There are some really pretty tins, even in the dollar stores.  Sometimes I stacked two complementary tins on top of each other.  On the top of each tin, I taped white paper doilies, so the colour of the tins didn't take away from the bears.  I used to put my bears inside of the tins to carry them to the shows.  I could get my entire booth in one small soft sided carry bag.  I was always the first one packed up LOL!  I'll have to look around tomorrow and see if I have any pictures of my booth at the shows. 

                                                hugs,

                                                Brenda

Amanda Jan 5, 2008

Great question. I only did big bears at shows so have not got much of a clue.

tinybear-dk Jan 5, 2008

Hi Daphne

I use hat boxes or wine boxes under the table cloth
(sorry for the one picture not being clear - hope you can see it anyway)

If someone can use that idea - please do

cherylbruinwerks Jan 5, 2008

Daphne,
     When I was doing shows, I only made bears under 3 inches.  The first thing I did was add about 14 inches of PVC pipe to each of the table legs, which raised the table to a more desirable height.
                                                Brenda

A lot of promoters won't let you do this any more...so you might want to double check before you plan to do it.
Brenda's table always looked great though!

Cheryl

valewoodbears Jan 5, 2008

Hi Daphne

My husband made me a nice display for miniature bears, he used a wooden pole to start with (bought from a supermarket to hold kitchen towel rolls on).  We then bought a few different size silver cake boards from a cake  decorating shop  (6", 8" and 10") and covered them with suitable paper from card making shop (first he drilled round holes in the middle of the boards with a hole saw attachment for an electric drill.  He then fit screws into the pole at intervals so that the boards rest on these and are free to turn around.  I then stood this stand on a largish hat box and the bears were then about eye level and people could turn the boards around to see all of the bears

It worked quite nicely, I would have liked a mechanism inside so that the stand would turn around on its own and play pretty music but hubby said no way  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup: .  Anyways, I do not have many mini bears as I mostly make bigger bears and for the last show we decided to make the stand into a two layer one and it is better for me.

Warm wishes
Pauline

chrissibrinkley Jan 5, 2008

First thing I thought of were the Minikins from HuntValley show....I was in awe of the size and detail. They had to lifted up from the table.
She's using an acrylic riser display here.  You can find a lot of these (at really good prices) by searching jewelry and retail suppliers online. 

Or they can just find interesting display pieces to showcase minis while giving great height. 

I LOVED Lisa's doll dresser (still want that dresser!! ).  The look of the bears and the overall table look the artist is going for will really help him/her find the right display items.

:hug:
~Chrissi

bearlyart Jan 5, 2008

We are totally hooked on using these:

http://www.palaydisplay.com/Four-Tier-S … 14058.html

You put them together so the swoop goes left or right... with a pair of 'one going left and one going right' next to each other, you have a lovely u-shaped display of little bears.  These are absolutely the best thing we've found to not just display our smaller bears well, but also to keep them from being overwhelmed by the bigger bears on our table.  The swoops go in the middle of the table in a big-bear-free zone.  Collectors have given us really, really positive feedback on them and seem VERY comfortable picking up bears from these displays.  They are a great size for minis up to about 6-7" on each platform, and if you push the lower tiers together on a pair of them, a medium sized bear can plop himself down at the bottom very comfortably.

Anyway, if you're displaying a wide range of sizes as we do (typically 4-22" for us), do your best to keep the little guys in their own space.  It is just way too easy for people to overlook them if they're mixed in with the big ones (in my opinion).

Best wishes,
Kelly

Daphne Jan 6, 2008

I'm so glad I asked.... lots of great ideas!!!!

Mary - lighting is a great tip!

Shane & Kelly - great idea to use clear risers! Thanks for the link, Kelly!

Brenda - Great suggestions for 'fillers' and tins!

Cheryl is right... many promoters don't allow you to raise your table..... good idea to check first!

Chrissi - I'd forgotten about Mimkins... I LOVED that display and Lisa did a really fun display too! I say we sneak into her room next year and steal that chest! 

Pauline - what a great display idea!!! Very creative!

Thank you for all of these great ideas!!!

Any more??? 

nimbleknot Jan 6, 2008

Holey moley, those displays are gorgeous!!! I want to reach into my monitor and touch them. Beautiful!!!!!