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If you are planning to attend the holiday craft shows, it’s time to get on the ball. They are a month away, more or less, which means at this point in time you still have a little temporal space to get ready, gather everything you need and elicit promises from trustworthy friends.

The short list of what you need to take with you will vary. Table, table coverings (and please, please, if there’s anything good and holy in this universe, please avoid being burgundy and hunter green– those are the holiday camouflage colors, don’t camouflage– it’s counterproductive), display pieces (not your product but things like racks, boxes, vases, shelves, and steps upon which your product is displayed), a vignette set up (this shows either your item in an interesting setup, or what it might look like in it’s new home), chair (and if the chair is ugly or uncomfortable, a chair covering device), signs, extra price and hang tags, business cards, and baby wipes.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget the goods, take whatever you think you’ll sell and double the quantity.

Dress code. Be yourself times 10. Trust me– being louder, sexier, fatter, shinier, or brighter is to your advantage. Part of what sells product is getting it noticed. The way you dress should go somewhat with your product style, so if you are selling calico topped jars of beans and jellies, go ahead and wear a calico dress or a sweatshirt with a matching calico applique. If you have somewhat retro or mod styled items, match it with an outfit that speaks of the era. If you make wild and pink and pretty, wear wild and pink and pretty.

Sure, products should speak for themselves, but it’s hard for them to be heard above the noise of a g’zillion other products, so you’re going to have to do a little speaking for them. Get used to it. Practice your banter. Talk to strangers in the grocery store, start inane conversations in the line at the bank, wish people a happy day. Banter is important, it will sell your stuff, practice it ahead of time so that you’re comfortable using it when the time comes.

As a side note, if you have children attending with you. Dress them up in outfits that match yours. Even if it’s a vest over a t-shirt (sew it in place at the shoulders so it’s hard to ditch) make the kids something in the same hard-to-miss fabric as your clothes. Matching outfits will make it really obvious that the child belongs to and with you, the cutesy part of it isn’t at all over-the-top for a craft show, but really, it’s a cheap effective safety measure.

Okay, end of my public service announcement. Back to the regularly scheduled blogging.