Hi everyone,
I'm an art student who works in Boston, and this year I wanted to try to sell my art at an open air arts & crafts market (SoWA Open Market, if anyone's familiar with the area). I've never done anything like this before, and I didn't realize how much it actually costs to be in one of these things.
Anyways, I need to provide my own tent, and I don't have a lot of money to spend ($150 max). I have found someone on craigslist willing to part with their E-Z Up Sierra II tent for $80 and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with them? And if they work well at art fairs? And if they don't, what kind of tent would you guys recommend for my budget? I would appreciate any advice!
Thank you for reading :)
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Hi Vanessa!
I am also a newbie and recently did my first outside show. All I can say is blog, blog, blog. I got so much great information from this group and from checking other blogs on-line. You'll need a checklist of items to have on hand at the shows and basic startup tips. Here's a good link that walks you thru a lot of this.
I bought my EZup tent at BJ's for $199 (includes side walls and carrying case). I bought 6' folding tables at Big Lots for $35 each. One big money saver...I found canvas weight bags that velcro around the canopy legs at Bass Pro Outdoor World. They were $25 for set of 4 and hold up to 30 lbs each when filled with sand or rock. I bought 2 sets to have extra weight on hand for windy days. EZup sold the exact same bag for double the money (just because they had their name on it I guess).
Costco used to carry Caravan brand tents, with sides, for around $220. They now carry another similar style tent, from a manufacturer that I haven't heard of, for $179. That includes sidewalls.
For my first show, I used cat litter for weights. The buckets (also from Costco) were 40 lbs each. I've also seen 5 gallon paint buckets filled with sand, but be sure the handles are secure. some of them pop out easily.
Vanessa L said:
Thank you for the advice Amy and Diane. Unfortunately, my friend and I are going to be at the market on the same days, so I can't borrow her tent like I originally had anticipated. I've been also trying craigslist and freecycle to see if I could find someone willing to loan their tent out, but alas I have not found anyone yet.
The sidewalls are a good suggestion; I had not factored that into my planning at all (can you tell I'm a newbie? hehe). Is there a way to make tent weights (a tutorial online would be fantastic)? Or is that another thing I have to purchase?
I hope it works out, but it's starting to look grim.
Costco (Sams Club?) sells an EZ Up for around $200 with walls, etc. It's the same tent I've used for 5 years of artfairs. I'm now upgrading to a more expensive "artfair" tent....but the EZ Up has been perfect for this previous Newbie. YOU MUST HAVE WEIGHTS HOWEVER! And I highly suggest sealing your tent with a spray used for sealing boat tarps/canopies for inclement weather.
I use the PVC weights, filled with cement...a ring was inserted into the ends while drying......they are attached with sturdy bungie straps up and over the frame of the tent and then also attached with ball bungies around the legs! It works great! Just remember that WIND is your enemy and a huge gust can destroy your work and others around you if your tent is not secured.
There are lots of cheap ways to weight down a tent. You can use gallon waterr jugs and hang them from the top of each leg of the tent, you can make PVC weights using PVC pipe filled with cement - there are sites on the web with instruction and in fact I think there is a thread on this site. Try a search on PVC weights or tent weights. I know people who use hand weights tied to rope and also cement blocks. Be Wind is your enemy at a craft show. You can do this is you want to bad enough.
Thank you for the advice Amy and Diane. Unfortunately, my friend and I are going to be at the market on the same days, so I can't borrow her tent like I originally had anticipated. I've been also trying craigslist and freecycle to see if I could find someone willing to loan their tent out, but alas I have not found anyone yet.
The sidewalls are a good suggestion; I had not factored that into my planning at all (can you tell I'm a newbie? hehe). Is there a way to make tent weights (a tutorial online would be fantastic)? Or is that another thing I have to purchase?
I hope it works out, but it's starting to look grim.
Look on elitedeals.com. I bought my tent there for 299 but they have less expensive ones. Remember you get what you pay for. Definitely white, you need side walls, and you will need about 40 - 50 lbs of weight per foot. Do you have a friend who you can buy the tent with and both of you use it for shows?
Replies
I am also a newbie and recently did my first outside show. All I can say is blog, blog, blog. I got so much great information from this group and from checking other blogs on-line. You'll need a checklist of items to have on hand at the shows and basic startup tips. Here's a good link that walks you thru a lot of this.
I bought my EZup tent at BJ's for $199 (includes side walls and carrying case). I bought 6' folding tables at Big Lots for $35 each. One big money saver...I found canvas weight bags that velcro around the canopy legs at Bass Pro Outdoor World. They were $25 for set of 4 and hold up to 30 lbs each when filled with sand or rock. I bought 2 sets to have extra weight on hand for windy days. EZup sold the exact same bag for double the money (just because they had their name on it I guess).
Good luck Vanessa! I wish you all the best!
For my first show, I used cat litter for weights. The buckets (also from Costco) were 40 lbs each. I've also seen 5 gallon paint buckets filled with sand, but be sure the handles are secure. some of them pop out easily.
Vanessa L said:
Costco (Sams Club?) sells an EZ Up for around $200 with walls, etc. It's the same tent I've used for 5 years of artfairs. I'm now upgrading to a more expensive "artfair" tent....but the EZ Up has been perfect for this previous Newbie. YOU MUST HAVE WEIGHTS HOWEVER! And I highly suggest sealing your tent with a spray used for sealing boat tarps/canopies for inclement weather.
I use the PVC weights, filled with cement...a ring was inserted into the ends while drying......they are attached with sturdy bungie straps up and over the frame of the tent and then also attached with ball bungies around the legs! It works great! Just remember that WIND is your enemy and a huge gust can destroy your work and others around you if your tent is not secured.
Good luck!
The sidewalls are a good suggestion; I had not factored that into my planning at all (can you tell I'm a newbie? hehe). Is there a way to make tent weights (a tutorial online would be fantastic)? Or is that another thing I have to purchase?
I hope it works out, but it's starting to look grim.