I don't have much to report in the way of cosplay at the moment (more on that later) but I have a good excuse. Along with the important stuff like getting everyone to soccer and ballet and church stuff etc., I've been busy all summer with...
Booths!
My town has a big 4th of July celebration every year. There are rodeos, cookouts, art shows, a parade, fireworks and a lawn full of vendor booths selling food, clothes, gifts--pretty much everything you can think of. Well, last year, on a whim, I decided to buy myself a booth space and see if I could sell some of my creations. I've mentioned before that I'd really like to turn my cosplay-making into a career, but I'm starting small. I made some simple jewelry, clothing, décor and costumes pieces just to see what sold and what people seemed to like. I didn't make a ton of money (I didn't really expect to), but I learned a lot and by the end, I was already making plans for 2023.
By the time the new year rolled around, I was ready to take everything I'd learned and make my humble little booth even better. I started by expanding my options and investigating other potential spaces at some festivals around the valley other than the 4th of July. Then I spruced up my logo and image with more professional-looking signs, better payment options, updated business cards, and learning new and interesting skills. I love making things, so that last one wasn't as hard as it sounds.
A few of the skills I've been working on this year include wire jewelry-making, clay jewelry and figurines. There's plenty of room for improvement, but it's been exciting and lots of fun to stretch out of my comfort zone a bit and see what my brain can come up with and what my hands can do.
New skills.
Refreshing new signs and cards.
I also had this crazy idea to use my booth as a way to advertise my cosplay endeavors *ahem-SHAMELESSPLUG-cough*, and in turn, use my cosplay to promote my business. I know it sounds weird, but hey, I've worked my butt off to get where I am and there's hardly any cosplay presence where I live, so why not? It was a chance to get my stuff out there and possibly connect with other creators in my area. I put together an album highlighting some of my favorite cosplay moments for customers to look through and set up a display of my current WIP. I have to say, it worked very well. They attracted a lot of attention, which then turned into business and networking opportunities. Win-win! Oh, and the dish of free candy helped a little, lol. Kids are drawn in by cool armor, get a piece of candy, they go find their friends who also get candy, and then they all go find their families...you get the picture.
My WIP display.
Some other tricks I employed to improve my booth presence and boost customer numbers were adding small touches like colorful/shiny tablecloths, better signage and display techniques, sales, streamlining my setup/take-down process, and not putting out all my products at the same in order to reduce buyer confusion. In short, a less-stressed me equals a less stressful shopping environment.
Last year's 4th of July booth.
This year's 4th of July booth. Much more organized!
My improved packing method made for a much smoother setup.
I had some leftovers from last year. (Funny story: there were a lot more pairs of wings, but the cat got into the closet I was keeping them in over the winter and shredded all but two pairs. It's a good thing she's so stinkin' cute.) The foam weapons and Wild Kratts creature power suits were hits. The flipflops, wings, notebooks and letters, not so much. I probably won't be making any more of those--which is fine since they were a little pricier and not as much fun to make.
Last year's leftovers.
In addition to improving my booth itself, I've also been working to add new, exciting items to my inventory.
I sold the kid-sized Minecraft armor I made for my son for last year's FanX. It was extremely popular and is definitely on my list for potential future products.
I threw in some clay figurines and photography. The figurines, especially the Among Us ones, sold out fast.
My jewelry was also a favorite. I took a lot of the jewelry I made last year and fixed or improved it, creating some fresh new designs along the way.
The magnets didn't do as well, except for the minnie doctor's office bead toy ones. I have no idea where that idea came from, but it's quirky and unexpected and I'm for sure keeping it.
I was able to do three booths this summer, gaining even more vital experience, knowledge and connections. I'm still very much a newb at this, but now that I've got a few events under my belt, some things figured out, accumulated an inventory and new skills, made connections and established a foothold, I feel like I'm going in the right direction. I have big plans and am very excited for the future of my small business.
