when selling in public

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Sabriam_EdensLittleOnes
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when selling in public

Post by Sabriam_EdensLittleOnes »

how do you keep people from handling the dolls too much? Like at a doll show, craft fair, or so on - how do you keep tons of people from handing the dolls (possibly getting them dirty, mussing them, or breaking the joints if a child handles one roughly)? Do you post a sign or do you just not worry about it?

The reason I'm asking is this - the house I bought last year, our home, is right off of 127. Some of you might not have heard of the 127 yard sales, but it's a HUGE thing and it is all along the 127 highway corridor (from Michigan down to Alabama). Tons and tons of people, from all over the country, come and spend nights in motels and/or campgrounds and hit up this humungous sale. It's a total madhouse amount of people and usually I steer clear of the whole thing (my best friend goes and tells me all the stories about the craziness later lol)... BUT... I figured that, since sales are way down, I'd try to sell the 10 (soon to be 12) babies I have out front in my yard sale (which is basically just going to be the babies, handpainted bibs, and some misc baby items in my yard).

However, I'd really like to keep the handling down to a bare minimum (unless, of course, they buy the baby lol). Part of how I'm going to do that is to set my tables up higher than normal (using milk crates under the table, hidden by the blanket), to keep little hands off the dolls. But I also worry about the adults. Since I've never had a problem at the craft sales I've been at previously (they were fairly small, just a steady trickle of traffic), I thought I'd ask you ladies who have experience with big shows.
BabiesByDanielle
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Re: when selling in public

Post by BabiesByDanielle »

When I had a booth at our local trade show this year I put pieces of paper saying "please ask for assistance" and it helped a lot :)
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ttulsajess
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Re: when selling in public

Post by ttulsajess »

At our doll show we encourage holding. its all part of making the sale. We are there overseeing, but we tell everyone to please pick them up, they wont break. In the 6 years I've been doing the dollshow I've never had anything happen. We do three shows a year and nothing has ever gotten hurt. We just make sure to repose after the crowd has passed.
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SharonL
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Re: when selling in public

Post by SharonL »

I'd think you'd get more people at a yard sale who don't realize the dolls are collector's items, not "yard sale" items. I would put up a sign that says that, too. Otherwise, people think you're selling dolls for kids to play with.
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Barbydoll
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Re: when selling in public

Post by Barbydoll »

I like both ideas to "state that the dolls are adult collectable reborn dolls,& please ask for assistance".
When is your sale coming up? I live in Ohio, but not near the route you mentioned.
Happy Selling!!!!
God Bless You LOTS!!!
Love & Prayers,
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krystleslittlemonkeys
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Re: when selling in public

Post by krystleslittlemonkeys »

Since its a yard sale I'd have a sign stating they are handmade collectible dolls and not toys. Say to ask for assistance. I also keep hand wipes on the table and ask that they wipe their hands before handling babies. One year I did a Christmas show where people came to our reborn booth after being at a booth sampling food so I had to go home and wash all the clothes the babies were wearing.
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Sabriam_EdensLittleOnes
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Re: when selling in public

Post by Sabriam_EdensLittleOnes »

oh, I knew I could count on all of you to have genius advice! this is fantastic, just what I need. I'll have the pack of hand wipes and a sign that says
"Handmade Collectable Dolls
please ask for assistance if you'd like to hold one of the babies"

:) Thank you so much ladies!

The sales are Thursday thru Sunday, the first weekend in August, but I am only doing Friday and Saturday. I asked for the entire weekend off of work, but we are having a family get-together on Sunday, and I think the two days will be long enough for me. According to the official site, "hundreds of thousands of people" shop the 127 yards sales each year, so I think I'll be worn out (and hopefully out of babies) after two days. /http://www.127sale.com/
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Barbydoll
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Re: when selling in public

Post by Barbydoll »

Hope you sell ALL your babies to new mommies!
I have one of your bundle babies, "Scarlet" & I just love him!!!
Sabriam_EdensLittleOnes
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Re: when selling in public

Post by Sabriam_EdensLittleOnes »

aw, thank you!
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EmilyJ
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Re: when selling in public

Post by EmilyJ »

ttulsajess wrote:At our doll show we encourage holding. its all part of making the sale. We are there overseeing, but we tell everyone to please pick them up, they wont break. In the 6 years I've been doing the dollshow I've never had anything happen. We do three shows a year and nothing has ever gotten hurt. We just make sure to repose after the crowd has passed.
Yes, I agree. I usually have the opposite problem and can't get people to pick up the babies enough! LOL! If someone holds the doll they will feel more attached to it. Alot of people don't realize the dolls are weighted to feel like real babies.
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Ginas_reborns
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Re: when selling in public

Post by Ginas_reborns »

When I sell in public I have one doll out front that has a sign letting them know it is a "sample" doll so they may handle it and get a feel for what it is like to hold a reborn. They peek under it's clothes and what not to check it all out. The other dolls are off limits unless you plan to purchase. Good luck with your sales :)
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ttulsajess
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Re: when selling in public

Post by ttulsajess »

EmilyLauren wrote:
ttulsajess wrote:At our doll show we encourage holding. its all part of making the sale. We are there overseeing, but we tell everyone to please pick them up, they wont break. In the 6 years I've been doing the dollshow I've never had anything happen. We do three shows a year and nothing has ever gotten hurt. We just make sure to repose after the crowd has passed.
Yes, I agree. I usually have the opposite problem and can't get people to pick up the babies enough! LOL! If someone holds the doll they will feel more attached to it. Alot of people don't realize the dolls are weighted to feel like real babies.

Me too and I agree. That's the whole part of bonding. They're attracted to what it looks like but once they hold them, it's all over. I can't tell you the amount of people who decline saying, "Oh no, then I'll want them."
LittlePrairieNuggetsNursery_lois
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Re: when selling in public

Post by LittlePrairieNuggetsNursery_lois »

ttulsajess wrote:
EmilyLauren wrote:
ttulsajess wrote:At our doll show we encourage holding. its all part of making the sale. We are there overseeing, but we tell everyone to please pick them up, they wont break. In the 6 years I've been doing the dollshow I've never had anything happen. We do three shows a year and nothing has ever gotten hurt. We just make sure to repose after the crowd has passed.
Yes, I agree. I usually have the opposite problem and can't get people to pick up the babies enough! LOL! If someone holds the doll they will feel more attached to it. Alot of people don't realize the dolls are weighted to feel like real babies.

Me too and I agree. That's the whole part of bonding. They're attracted to what it looks like but once they hold them, it's all over. I can't tell you the amount of people who decline saying, "Oh no, then I'll want them."
That's how I sold my third reborn a few weeks ago ... a lady, my best friend from high-school, actually, came over during our homecoming weekend and held one while we talked for hours. At first she was a little hesitant as she'd never seen one before and said it was sort of creepy how real they looked, but when she went to get up and go she said "ok, I need this baby", and bought her! My brother, who was sort of embarrassed at how much he liked my second sale doll (to him) was probably just being kind trying to help me out, but he was rocking her without realizing it the whole time he had her. So I agree, being able to hold them makes a difference.

I think someone's idea of having a sample baby to hold is a great idea. I'd be afraid too of having people who don't know how much work goes into them handle them right off the table.
Littleonesmariena
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Re: when selling in public

Post by Littleonesmariena »

I used to keep one reborn specifically for handling......mainly for those people just looking and curious, serious buyers of course need to handle the one they like...Keeping a sleeper on them and a hat helps keep them tidy.....having a couple of people their that can help you also helps a lot.........and then you are able to spend more time with the serious buyers........I used to have a change table set up behind the stall/table so that a new mummy could undress down to a onesie to see the limbs properly and be a bit out of the way of other people looking.......Usually when you get a few curious lookers you end up getting more and more all at one time..........
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