jj2k

Ok well, here is my booth from a show we did in May of this year. I have since redesigned the booth and displays and will post pics of after our next show.

There has been a bit of discussion lately about booths and sales. Sales are as much a part of blacksmithing as forging. Through sales we support our habit, errrrrrr profession.(yeah that's the ticket!) So post pics of your booth here. If you have a new display you have built, show it here. Let this be the place to show off your ingenuity when it comes to sales. Share your best sales pitch, whatever you'd like, as long as it is about sales.

Nick
I like your set up, and as someone else said," You'll refine it as you go along". We did a Peach Festival this weekend near here. I did something different in that I purchased some beige/tan table cloths for my tables. I liked the effect it gave because it made the ironwork stand out from the background. We had a good show and had fun and made $$$. I really like your idea for the "potential diamond". Consider that idea stolen! During the fall I'll put some small chunks of coal in a little plastic baggie and hang a sign on the box that holds them saying, " Do your Christmas Shopping early for that naughty little boy or girl. 1 lump of coal, $1.00. Amazing how many I'll sell. Some years a lot some years only one or two. But it's always good for a grin and always sparks a conversation.

I am truely impressed. Am just now starting to get the bug to want to try some of this stlye of work. Would love to see a blueprint on this

There ya go, asking questions and then answering yourself! Sounds psycho-analytical to me..... (grin)

Real nice looking hammer.

Nice railing grizz. I don't mind building stuf like that, I just hate installs. But then I am not very good at installs.

Ian,

Both hammers look like they'll work well. I'd love to see a video of them in action. Here is a pic of my home built power hammer.

I do the same thing Nick with pretty much the same effect. One thing I will do though is only have one or two of each kind of item displayed leaviing the rest in totes under the table. I have a canopy I built and between the legs on the sides over the tables I will hang a cutdown horse panel on which I put hang my "hanging stuff" hooks triangles etc. I also have a hanger bar across the front for the same purpose. Some things go on the ground around my booth such as tripods and shepherds hooks. I always am lookin for a way to display without it looking so cluttered. Since the show pictured below, I have redesigned my booth. I will be doing a show this weekend And will take picks of the booth and post them here or in the gallery. If you see an idea you like, you are welcome to use it. But My goal now is to make the booth less cluttered and more professional looking.

Nomad,
I have used a blow dryer for years. My other coal forge uses a blower from a fireplace. Seems to me, you wouldn't want to get over 100-150 cfm. You can always use a gate of some sort if the blower is too much. I don't know if a dimmer switch would work with a blower motor, but it's a thought.

I feel that .25 is too low. I do 3 little demo items. Square nails, leaves with no stem, and mini-sword from flattened duplex nails (the ones with two heads). I will do these for the crowds at demos. If there is a small child watching I will give them the nail,leaf, or sword I just made. But then I also have a bowl nearby with some of each and I charge $1.00 each for them. I sell as many as I give away. Another good seller for me is taking a horseshoe and stamping their initials in it. They'll pay $5.00 a shoe. All of the above have been a good seller for me because they are cheap and quick and it's a simple souvenier for them to remember the day and the time spent watching the blacksmith. It also keeps the kiddos entertained while mom and dad shop.
That's my take on it anyhow. (grin)

Good lookin anvil, congrats Jr

Looks good. All ya have to do now is get to work! (grin)

Candid,

You have been in our prayers even though I didn't realize you were involved. We live a few miles south of you in Alvarado Texas. Let's get together sometime. But also if you need anything at all that we can help with, we'll be there. Just drop us a private message and I'll be in touch. Or you can e-mail me at jmetals@hotmail.com .

May God bless and keep you and yours,

My father-in-law passed away over a year ago. He used to be an engineer at Bell Helicopter. He made a lot of his own tooling and machines. Anyway I waited over a year to get anything in case someone else wanted it first. I have hauled away 4 - 6 truckloads and 2 trailer loads of equipment and tools and still there is more.

The first pic shows a 20t press and a disc sander/ belt sander he built.
Pic #2 is a lathe he built.
Pic #3 is the geared end of the lathe and yes that is a motorcycle transmission.
Pic #4 is a mini lathe.
I also received assorted fans. (really needed during the Texas summers here) a post vice 2 air compressors and just too much to list. Losing my father in law was really tough for my wife and myself but I will make sure that the tooling he built and loved will continue to serve and function as he intended.

Here are pics of two of my anvils.
The first one is a 176# Trenton manufactured in 1923.

The second is a recently acquired 135# Hay Budden Serial # 160135.
I don't know anything about the Hay Budden as to when it was made. But it has great rebound and a wonderful ring. I am not using it yet, but I will be. Unless of course I get an insane offer from someone who wants to buy it.

I also have a 116# Peter Wright I'll try to get pics and serial #'s on it and post it soon. It's old but I don't know how old.

A Blacksmiths Craft, The Legacy of Francis Whitaker, Volume 1
ISBN 0-9707664-7-5
George Dixon
145 pages

One of my favorite books in my library right now. There are enough tools and ideas in this book to keep me busy for some time to come. I would recommend this book as one of the first books anyone is considering to use to learn about blacksmithing.

The book starts with the shop it's self. Then moves on to basic processes. It discusses making tooling and the different types of joinery. From there it gets decorative and better and better. A ton of information crammed into 145 pages. No matter where you are in blacksmithing, this book is a must have.

My best sellers are steak turners, dinner bells, and split crosses. But I always sell one or two nice pieces when I go.

If I am making something that comes in direct contact with food, I use a cooking oil. Usually on tripods and lantern hanger and such I will polish and use straight used motor oil. This makes it easier for the end user to re-apply the finish as needed. On interior items I will use the wax/oil finish or clear polyurathane paint. I find myself more and more trying to stay away from any paint at all but it still has it's place.

Nice rose. Excellent for a first attempt. Keep at it buddy.

Glenn,

For me that is almost hard to answer. I get a lot from the net. But I also have an extensive book and video library. I have 3 magazine subscriptions. I always pick up something at another blacksmiths shop. And then there are the too few and far between local group conferences. I've never gotten to go to an ABANA or other major conference except for the three Ironfest events they had. This is one reason Iforgeiron is sooo important to me. The forum, blueprints and galleries are invaluable resources. With great smiths like Bill Epps and Jr and all the others we have imparting their information to those of us less experienced and learned, this can only continue to be a win-win situation for all of us. So I guess my best answer to the poll would be

(H) - all of the above

(grin)

Looks like you guys had fun. One of these days I'll get to run up that way myself.

Richard,

Nice find! I really like the big cog!

Jr and John,

Thanks for the input. John, you are not rambling. Hearing your experience lets me know I am not alone in all this. It appears that I am going to have to do a little bit of everything to make this fly. But fly it will. The first 2 quarters of this year have been real good. It's been the past month to 6 weeks that has put the ding in my pocket. We've had 3 bad shows in a row and that has all been due to weather except one show that just died for everyone anyway.
I'll find that happy medium soon. ( I better )

(grin)

thanks

Richard and Nick, thanks for your input. You gave me some food for thought.

Frostfly, It was your post on Considering Retail that made me post this thread. I was reading the responses and thinking I might find some direction through some folks here who have been at this way longer than I have.

I did some reports in quickbooks this afternoon and looked at what sells and how I can improve my stock offerings. I'm not just idly sitting by. I WILL find my answers to this problem one way or the other!

Anyhow, thanks so much can't wait to see what everyone else thinks or has working for them.