I am completely new to selling work at outdoor fairs and am overwhelmed by the number of choices and suggestions regarding tents and accessories. I do mostly oil paintings, up to 48"x60". My research indicates that a 10'x10' Trimline Tent is my best option, but I am not certain what accessories I need to get. I am leaning towards dark gray propanels to hang the work on, I believe I need weights, stakes, lighting... Can anyone give me some advice? Am I headed in the right direction and am I forgetting anything? I'm also wondering how much space the tent and accessories will take up when packed (will I need a new vehicle..?) Thanks so much - I really look forward to learning from those of you who have been doing this for a while!
Jeanine
Replies
Hi Jeanine!
I recommend every person who owns and uses their tent for shows, to get ratcheting tie downs. Used in conjunction with large dog tie out stakes. My Canopy survived thunderstorms, wind and hail last year WITH NO WEIGHTS.
And get insurance- most shows require it, and if anything should ever happen, your covered.
For weights, I use Happifeet and they are the best as far as I am concerned. Ihave an EZ up and this year I am going to add the stabars from Flourish.
Thanks!
Don't forget the accessories on your tent. Before buying my tent I consulted with artist friends who suggested the following:
Zippers that allow you to fold up 1/3, 2/3, or all. This allows you to have an opening anywhere in your setup. One thing about the zippers though is that some people will get an awning frame and then put a side over the awning frame. This doesn't work as well with a zippered side because the zippers leak.
Awning zippers on all four sides. I didn't get awnings right away but the zippers were ready when I got them.
Skylights - warning do not get too many. I got one down the center and one on either side and my tent turns into a greenhouse in the heat. One on either side would have been sufficient.
Stabars - I can't believe I got by for so long without them. They add stability. You will need them with roll-up walls but even with pro-panels they make it so much easier.
All of these were for a Craft Hut but Trimline probably has the same add-ons. They all add some to the price but are much less expensive than buying a new side or top if you change your layout.
You may not need lighting depending on your work. Lighting adds batteries and transformers.
Depending on the size of your vehicle you might go with the roll-up walls that take up much less room or the knockdown pro-panels. If you go with pro-panels be sure to spring for the extra extension legs. Those came out after I bought mine and many times I wish I had them. Seven foot pro-panels are definitely going to need a van although some people have rigged something to carry them on top of their vehicle. One of the nice things about having a dedicated vehicle is the ability to pack it and leave it.
WalMart and Target sell a small table for about $20. It is small enough to set up inside the tent if I don't have the room outside or if it rains and holds my CC machine and email sign up. Bags and extras go underneath. Google custom tablecloths for a fitted table cloth to fit it. If you don't like that idea you will still need something to hold your bags, pens, CC machine etc. for doing the "business" part.
Clamps come in handy for all kinds of things. Home Depot and Lowes have them. A hole-punch and zip ties for hanging the sign most shows will give you. Zip ties in general come in handy. Don't forget something to cut the zip ties. A small level. A tarp for rain. Extras of small things or things that tend to break. A dolly, most people I know swear by the rock-n-roller dollies. Duct-tape! If you go with pro-panels, ULine carries a large roll of velcro. Comes in handy for multiple things. A chair. Peanut butter crackers - Salt, protein and fill you up if you can't get away to eat.
When planning your setup think of rain and wind and what you will do to protect your work. Think of how you will set up your tent with a business / storage area if you are back to back and side to side. Think of security if you will be working alone. Where will you put your purse? If you answered in your vehicle remember that stuff in your vehicle is just as vulnerable, if not more, than stuff with you at the show. A lot of times you will park a long way away. I stopped carrying my camera gear to a lot of shows when I heard about someone getting their camera stolen from their van while they were doing a show.
What will you package your sold work in? How will you display prices? How will you carry your cash? How will you hang your work?
I'm sure I've forgotten many things.
Wow, Alison, this is great - thank you!
I want to make sure I understand everything you said:
When you talk about zippers to fold up the sides, where are the zippers located? Is each side made of more than one panel? And if I get awning zippers, is that instead of zippers to fold up the sides?
Is there a reason that you reccommend skylights on either side instead of just in the middle?
Do you have an idea of what kind of work does or doesn't need lighting? My work is mostly oil paintings.
Pro Panels - what do the extension legs do? I keep reading about knockdown pro panels - does that mean they are in more pieces? And in general, do people line their whole tent with pro panels, not using the walls of the tent at all - and if that is the case, then in inclement weather, would that mean you have half the hanging space?
Thanks so much for all of your help and information! I really appreciate it.
Jeanine
The side zippers are different from the awning zippers. The side zippers allow you to unzip only one portion of a side so instead of having a whole side rolled up, you can have just a portion rolled up so you can set yourself up a back or side door with your pro-panels. If you don't have the zippers you have to either roll up the whole side or not at all. the awning zippers allow you to zip on an additional piece which then attaches to a frame to make an awning.
Depending on your setup, skylights along either side will put more light on your work. Whichever one works for you but don't get too many.
Most people I have seen get by without lighting unless there is electricity available although it is nice. Most shows are during the day when the sun is out so you don't really need it. Lights pull a lot of power and you pretty much need a marine battery setup to run them. And they are heavy (the marine batteries). I have a small portable power supply that I use to run my CC machine but I bought it from someone who bought it to run a few small lights and it wouldn't last more than an hour for them.
The extension legs on the pro-panels give you more adjustment for when you are on unlevel ground. And it is almost always unlevel a little bit. The knockdown pro-panels are in two pieces. There are a lot of ways to put pro-panels up. They have some suggestions on their website. The most common is 3 on each side but if you are side to side with another tent you won't be able to get behind your tent. If I have a corner or some space between me and the next tent I will hang on both sides of the pro-panels but usually I hang just on the inside.
Alison,
This is so nice. Thank you so much.
Just one more question - when you said some people put up awning frames and put a side over the awning frame, do you mean instead of buying an awning - and your advice is: either buy a side with no zippers if you plan to use it as an awning or buy a side with zippers and also buy an awning if you want an awning?
Thanks!
Jeanine
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next