Have not done a show yet, worried about logistics problems already.

Hi everyone. I'm a wildlife photographer and this year have decided to jump into art fair markets with both feet (applications are sent out, 10x10 booth with lighting is ready, hundreds of matted prints are prepared, currently building up an inventory of about 100 canvas prints). Now I'm starting to worry about all the logistics issues. Any advice would be most appreciated at this point!

Questions:

1. I have a propanel display, but stupidly didn't order the cart they offer for moving the panels. I live in Canada and shipping is just too expensive to order it separately now. Does anyone have a link to a cart they use to move their propanels? What about this uline cart: http://www.uline.ca/BL_1875/Panel-Trucks ?

2. I will have almost 100 stretched canvas prints soon. These aren't big prints-- 12x12 - 12x24 for the most part. There is no flat surface in my house left anymore! How do you store your canvas prints? I saw a great thread showing some home-made bags made from Reflectix insulation that I think I'll try out, but are these good for long-term storage of canvas prints? Should the prints be wrapped with paper or anything first?

3. When selling at a fair, what would you wrap canvas prints in for the customer? Are the Uline foam pouches a good idea for this or do customers expect some type of box? What about larger prints (I have some 4' canvas prints)?

4. I'm sure this is different for everybody, but if you sell both matted prints and canvas prints, what percentage of each do you sell? One of my first shows may very well be a monster 10-day affair during which I'll have no chance to replace sold items, and I'm worried I'll won't have the correct inventory ready.

Thanks in advance!

1. You can buy a standard dolly at just about any Home Depot, Lowes, Sam's Club or other home improvement store for under $100. It will move about 6 long panels at a time. If you have the knockdown panels, you can probably fit them all on a standard dolly. The Rock n' Roller dollies are even nicer, and can be converted to a two handle panel cart, among other configurations. The R12 has bigger wheels which are useful if you are doing a lot of pushing over grass and gravel.

2. I use Frame Destination's Gallery Pouches for canvas and larger work. For smaller work, you might be able to get away with ClearBags and some sort of Rubbermaid tubs. You can also make custom boxes out of Coroplast and pine to fit your specific sizes. See this post. You can make your own bubble bags, too.

3. Put it in a clear plastic bag from Uline or United Manufacturers. They come on rolls. If you want to get fancy, put it in a bag, then put cardboard corners on it and keep them on with saran on a stick.

4. It varies. I don't make much canvas anymore, and most transactions are matted prints. But sales volume is about equal between lots of smaller transactions and a few larger framed pieces. Make more small stuff, and put the bigger stuff on the walls. If you sell out, take orders. Maybe keep a paper catalog at the booth, or refer to your website. If you sell out, that's a high class problem!

Replies

Connie Mettler March 18, 2016 at 12:58pm

Question 2: We often stored prints, and stacked them, with sheets of thin cardboard between them so they wouldn't scratch each other. Usually stacked them back to back and the fronts had the cardboard between them. We also had boxes built to carry a bunch of them easily to the shows. (On that topic we moved to a larger house when the perfect place to store the fome-cor was in the boxes in front of the living room fireplace).

Question 3: Mostly they'll want the prints inside something ... we purchased heavy weight clear bags to put framed pieces in so that the buyers were walking around advertising our work at the show. I think Mark Rogers at Frame Destination (ad on the site) sells these.

Question 4: You are more likely to sell the canvas prints that are ready to hang. Customers are savvy to the cost of framing these days and will usually step up to the higher price point. Hope you have the pleasure of not having enough inventory, Harry, and welcome to the art fair business.

Hah! I just read Jim Parker's reply -- thanks Jim for those links -- but our answers are pretty much the same. Who knew?
Harry Colquhoun March 17, 2016 at 6:54pm

Thanks very much for the information Jim.

Thanks for the cart recommendation. I actually went to the local Home Depot to find out if they sell carts but all they had were some dollies that would not be suitable for moving panels (not the knock-down panels). The lumber carts they have would actually be very useful, but they told me they don't sell those. I was really curious about that uline cart I linked since it's available in Canada. If it has to come from the US it's just too expensive unfortunately.

I tried out making some canvas pouches using the Reflectix insulation that I found a post for, and that seems like a great and relatively cheap solution for that.

Thanks again,

Harry
Jim Parker March 16, 2016 at 10:14pm

1. You can buy a standard dolly at just about any Home Depot, Lowes, Sam's Club or other home improvement store for under $100. It will move about 6 long panels at a time. If you have the knockdown panels, you can probably fit them all on a standard dolly. The Rock n' Roller dollies are even nicer, and can be converted to a two handle panel cart, among other configurations. The R12 has bigger wheels which are useful if you are doing a lot of pushing over grass and gravel.

2. I use Frame Destination's Gallery Pouches for canvas and larger work. For smaller work, you might be able to get away with ClearBags and some sort of Rubbermaid tubs. You can also make custom boxes out of Coroplast and pine to fit your specific sizes. See this post. You can make your own bubble bags, too.

3. Put it in a clear plastic bag from Uline or United Manufacturers. They come on rolls. If you want to get fancy, put it in a bag, then put cardboard corners on it and keep them on with saran on a stick.

4. It varies. I don't make much canvas anymore, and most transactions are matted prints. But sales volume is about equal between lots of smaller transactions and a few larger framed pieces. Make more small stuff, and put the bigger stuff on the walls. If you sell out, take orders. Maybe keep a paper catalog at the booth, or refer to your website. If you sell out, that's a high class problem!

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