First show advice.

B

Big_TM

Joined
Mar 7, 2013
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Hey guys, I getting ready to have a table at my first knife show at the end of January. I was wondering if you all have any tip or word of advice for a first timer.

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Lots of business cards, standup if physically able, and talk to everyone that passes(within reason). Be personable and offer folks to pick up anything that they'd like and ask if they have any questions. Lots of people will just want to chat but some will want to buy. Make a sign or something to setup so folks know you're making "handmade" knives. It's crazy how many people I talk to for a few minutes before they ask where I have the blades made. That's where I give a short discription of the process. Good luck.
 
Matt has the basics.

Make the table neat, have some sort of a table cover ( an old army blanket works fine), put the knives out where people can examine and handle them, and look everyone in the eye when talking.





Once you get to the point when you are going to be selling knives, it is time to get a knifemaker membership level here on Bladeforums. Discussing any sales related info is a privilege of those memberships. I'll leave this thread open, but in future threads, don't discuss selling/orders/shows, etc without a knifemaker membership.
 
Thank you guys for the advice, and Stacy I will do before discussing and sells related topics, thank you for keeping the thread open.

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Have a good attitude, smile a lot, be ready to answer the same questions over and over. Be ready for statements like, "I can buy the same knife at WalMart for $7.50"
Also, I have found you might not do so well the first show, but if you keep going back you will gain a sort of reputation as a knifemaker.
As has been stated, get customers to pick up a knife. That is the first step in selling.
Watch your table closely. Not everyone is honest.
 
Most of the basics have been covered, but I have a couple points to add. First off, be honest when explaining things and answering questions. If the blade or other parts of the knife are pre made, such as using blade blanks, be upfront about it, you never know who is asking the question. I have asked several times at gun shows, and been told by "knifemakers" that he forges and grinds all his own blades, when it was clear that they were common blank patterns available on every supply website. There is nothing wrong with putting handles on blanks at all, but if that's what a particular knife is, be honest about it. Second, have prices displayed and clearly marked, this can help weed out people who have no intention to buy and prevents them from standing in front of the table blocking someone who may be on the fence. Know your price, mark your price, and stand behind your price. When I ask for a price, and someone kind of stumbles, delays, or has to think about it, it feels like they are questioning their own price, or unsure of what they should charge for the item. Confidence in your price, shows confidence in your skill and product quality.

Lastly, one thing that is often forgotten when packing everything you need to set up, is bandaids. Whether they are normal ones or Barbie ones depends on how much you want to embarrass the people who cut themselves haha.

As an afterthought, be prepared to politely answer a lot of stupid questions from the "i can buy that at Walmart for $10, a samurai sword can cut through a railroad track, swords used to be quenched by heating it and stabbing it through a prisoner, can you make me a sweet giant Rambo knife out of meteorite for $25" crowd. Like George Carlin said "think about how stupid the average person can be, and then realize that half of them are stupider than that."
 
I put a basket of candy, band aids, and Bic razors on the table sometimes. When someone asks why, I tell them that for some strange reason people want to shave their arms or cut their fingers with my knives. I provide the razors for ease in shaving your arm hair off, and the band aids for those who feel the need to run a finger down my very sharp knife edges. The candy is for those who are smart enough to know better than doing those things :)
 
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Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
I put a basket of candy, band aids, and Bic razors on the table sometimes. When someone asks why, I tell them that for some strange reason people want to shave their arms or cut their fingers with my knives. I provide the razors for ease in shaving your arm hair off, and the band aids for those who feel the need to run a finger down my very sharp knife edges. The candy is for those who are smart enough to know better than doing those things :)
Click to expand...

That is awesome. I'd buy a knife just to support that sense of humor lol
 
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Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
I put a basket of candy, band aids, and Bic razors on the table sometimes. When someone asks why, I tell them that for some strange reason people want to shave their arms or cut their fingers with my knives. I provide the razors for ease in shaving your arm hair off, and the band aids for those who feel the need to run a finger down my very sharp knife edges. The candy is for those who are smart enough to know better than doing those things :)
Click to expand...

HAHAHA... That's great... If I ever get good enough to do some shows, I may have to try this one... :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
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