Hi Everyone!
I don't need to tell you what you may already know, but what a great site! For national coverage this site seems to have it all for the newbies or vets. Kudos to those who made this all possible. I have applied to 5 show this summer, and nervously my first ever could be the Edina Arts Fair this year. I'm pretty nervous about and since I haven't don't have the budget for new Pro/Armstrong Panels I've been looking into making my own, but I'm not sure spending $400 on materials only to have my tent look homemade not professional. But there's still time a little time to get it figured out. Good luck to everyone this year!
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That's been my feeling also, why spend $400 on a temporary set up that I can't sell and will end up collecting dust or kindling for a fire pit. I purchased 8-2x6 chrome grid walls for $70 off craigslist but didn't anticipate the weight or lack of strength without the support legs, I have found a local company that supplies grid walls and accessories just south of Minneapolis, so I'm tempted to purchase another 8 just for the summer, but I really want pro panels or armstrong and feel that after all of the positive reviews they are will worth the investment, but the used ones I've found online either wont ship and I'm very cautious spending $600+ on a set of used panels that I can't see and inspect first. But I'll keep watching the classifieds and hope for the best.
Thank you for all of the great advice!
Hi Toryn and welcome to AFI :) I know it seems like a heck of a lot of money to set up (and it is!) but if you do it right, you will be able to onsell them if they're not right for you. Preloved panels and set ups appear on this site, you might get a bargain!
take a look at how much a temporary set of panels will cost, and then figure out what the real deal will cost. You more than likely won't be able to recover that expense. I've got enough Rubbermaid white wire shelving, 8' long to take care of 3 walls in a tent. The chances of finding a buyer for that is zilch, and it was arounf $300 when I bought it. Used maybe 4 or 5 times, put it in the storage locker and it's still sitting there.
About the only practical thing for you would be wire grid wall racks. They come in various lengths. although 2x7 feet would be most practical. That's $325 for 30 feet of wall, then there's a bunch of clips to attach them together, although zip ties would be quick and easy. Don't forget freight either. You'll still need fabric to make the rig look better, so there's probably another 75 bucks for fabric, or more. That's up to $400 now.
One of the recent forum posts suggested using hollow core doors that you would paint over. If there's a recycling center for salvaged building supplies, you might try that.
The best thing would be to locate used Pro-Panels for about $600 or a bit more. Cost you a couple hunfred dollars more, but if DIY or use grid wall, that's around $400 plus whatever you spend in the future. Don't waste money is the best advice.
Toryn, I understand that money is tight, but the best thing you could invest in is nice panels. Don't waste your time making some that you won't "love" your time is better used painting. Just my putting my 2 cents in, but I've seen alot in 20 years of doing art shows. Jacque