To package or not to package?
I do a few craft fairs and am never sure quite how to present my items. Should I package them in cellophane or leave them unpackaged. Packaged items look more professional but I like my buyers to really see what they are buying. For example one of the things I sell are scarves. They look nice packaged but you cannot get a feel for the texture or length etc. but unpackaged they all look a bit random. What do others do?
packaged can keep them safe from sticky fingered individuals, youâd be surprised how many items get dirty due to sticky dirty fingers.
However people do like to feel things.
A compromise I find is a great thing. ie
If you have the same yarn for your scarves why not have one one display for people to finger and while you have otherâs nice and clean and safe in your see through packaging.
I think it depends what youâre selling and how much time youâre prepared to spend unpacking and re-packing items when customers want to look at them. Textiles need to be touched, in my opinion, and I would always want to remove something from packaging and feel it, if I were buying. Display things higher to keep them away from trailing hands, and have some cheaper, more expendable things at the front of the table for people to wipe their hands on without dirtying your good stuff.
I actually disagree about cellophane wrapping looking more professional - it reminds me of market stalls, not high-end boutiques.
No Iâm not keen on cello either, itâs hard to beat for keeping things dry in the post but I suppose I think of it more as packaging rather than for display because thatâs what I always used it for.
I think textiles should be able to be handled too. I always quite liked the logo wraps for displaying at craft fairs. Theyâre kind of âpackagedâ enough to look professional and finished for me anyway without them being too fussy and faffy to whip the band off a folded scarf etc to let a customer try it on. A bit like these only whatever size they need to be for the item.
I wouldnât consider buying a scarf in a cello bag - I would want to see it on.
The joy of handmade is that every item is unique, and picking the exact one that does it for you requires handling in my opinion.
You just have to hope youâre not near to a stall that sells hand cream with samples - I had that unfortunate experience once, it made a gross mess of my jewellery and mirror .
Like the idea of logo wraps. Hadnât thought of that option although I think I may stick to cello for outdoor events, wet stock never goes down too well! I think I will just have a few samples out and be willing to unwrap as required.
Have a look at Pinterest and see if you can get some inspiration on there! You may find a good way of presenting them with minimum of packing. My items are kits so are in cello bags so donât really count here but having been a retailer all my career, I am a bit of a packaging âNutââŚeven if it is just a nice strip of card around them with your Logo and contact details. Failing that you could display them loosely but use nice gift bags to pack them in once bought.
Found this article very interesting and given me some room for thoughtâŚthanks ladies
Found this at ikea while on a uni shopping trip. Thought it might work for displaying some of my scarves as I have a large stand I could hang it from.
I have made some wraps for some of my smaller items and I have to say they look a lot better. Thanks for the feedback.
@Rozcraftz I like the look of your Ikea purchase. I think that may save your problem, scarves rolled into it may help stop the sticky fingers.
Leanne @SeetheWoods love your product wraps
I use a combination of samples for handling with packaged items, it often surprises me that people often opt to buy the open handled item rather than the packaged brand new. Selling leather items I have the advantage I can use the sample item for several shows and this also helps folk see that the leather is robust and takes use. After about a year I sell off my sample stock marked as used at a sale price.