[pent19]

I am starting to do a few art/craft shows (one every 6 weeks or so) and am jealous of all the thoughtful bags and packaging that other one-ceramists use for their products. I am wondering what everyone else does for packaging at shows? For me, weight is an issue, I don't want a cute bag's handle tearing in the parking lot and smashing my wares! Any ideas are welcome!
Thanks!!!

[bciskepottery]

Items are wrapped in white tissue paper and put in brown kraft paper bags with handles. I use more than one bag if the weight becomes an issue and multiple items are being purchased. I buy my bags and kraft bags in bulk from Uline. I am encountering more customers who bring their own totes/back packs and prefer not to get another bag.

[Up in Smoke Pottery]

Everything is wrapped in unused newsprint i get endrolls from the local paper, placed in twisted handle kraft bags purchased through papermart. The bags have a stamp with my logo I had made. Endrolls range in price from free to $20 depending on size and which paper i visit. I use papermart since they have more sizes and don't require me to order as many at a time. And I had the stamp made for me through simon stamps, my kids stamp the bags for me.

[GEP]

I wrap my pots in brown kraft paper, which I buy on a roll so I can tear off small or large pieces as needed. I use frosty clear plastic shopping bags, which I find are plenty strong enough for heavy pots, and because they're clear, my artist card can be seen through it.

http://www.retailpac...osted-merch-bag

At the show I did this past weekend, I also had a lot of customers who brought their own reusable shopping tote, which I thought was really nice.

Mea

[Bobg]

I wrap my pottery in the Thrifty Nickle papers. They deliver the new one's on Wednesday and the guy always leaves me about 50 of last weeks papers that he picks back up. Got the idea from my brother whose been a potter for about 35 years.

[Paul Koch]

I buy colored tissue paper and really bright bags on line. I have diffrent size bags made from recycled paper. My name is stamped in large letters. I want very much for people to notice the bacs and visit my booth.

[Linnet]

I have finally been shown a product that is excellent for packaging, freighting etc 3hfoam http://www.3hfoam.com.au/. you can carve it shape it line the box with it. Comes in various thicknesses.

[lcar]

Paul Koch, on 26 July 2011 - 11:51 AM, said:

I buy colored tissue paper and really bright bags on line. I have diffrent size bags made from recycled paper. My name is stamped in large letters. I want very much for people to notice the bacs and visit my booth.

[lcar]

Do you stamp the bags? Or do you buy them pre-stamped. I'm looking at pre-stamped and they are expensive, i'm wondering if there is an economical and attractive way of "do it yourself".

[spring]

lcar, on 24 August 2011 - 08:11 AM, said:

Do you stamp the bags? Or do you buy them pre-stamped. I'm looking at pre-stamped and they are expensive, i'm wondering if there is an economical and attractive way of "do it yourself".

You can get a stamp made at Office Max for like $25. It takes a few weeks but will last a while.

[spring]

lcar, on 24 August 2011 - 08:11 AM, said:

Do you stamp the bags? Or do you buy them pre-stamped. I'm looking at pre-stamped and they are expensive, i'm wondering if there is an economical and attractive way of "do it yourself".

You can get a stamp made at Office Max for 25 bucks

[Dinah]

I go the route as others before me have posted: bright pink tissue, and brown paper bags from Uline. I have various sizes of Dianthus Ceramics stamps and I take a few minutes each week to prepare bags for weekly Farmers Market. Also a neat touch is to have a smoothing stone ready to do a "final" whisk around the foot ring. Don't want to mar the table top. Part of the service!

[pent19]

I purchased bags at nashville wraps- I purchased assorted sized frosted bags and didn't need to buy 1000 bags. I can then change them by putting different colored tissue paper in it. Since they are plastic I couldn't stamp them, so I purchased 8x11 label paper, printed off labels, and used them on my bags. So far so good!
Michele

[Paul Koch]

lcar, on 24 August 2011 - 10:11 AM, said:

Do you stamp the bags? Or do you buy them pre-stamped. I'm looking at pre-stamped and they are expensive, i'm wondering if there is an economical and attractive way of "do it yourself".

I stamp my own. The cost of a large stamp is not very much.

[Mark C.]

I use white unprinted newsprint called roll ends from a newspaper printer-I trade for themor buy them for very low costI use lots of paper to wrap pots
I also have built a roller so the 24 inch long roll stands straight up in my booth-you can spin the roll as the paper comes off. This takes up very little spaceI Buy brown grocery bags by the bail-I use 3 sizes that fit in a box under sales table.I send out way to many bags for stamping them-so I put a business card in every bagThe cheapest cards I have seen are about just over 1 cent for a 4 color run from Vista print.com-You scan your card and e-mail it to them-I wait for there sale and buy 5'000 at a time.I'll try to find a photo of the roller set up at a show-ok you can see it next to table in this booth shot
.Mark

[TJR]

I use newspaper. I lay it out flat so that I can grab it fast. For mugs I tear it down the fold in half. I use plastic grocery bags with handles. Sometimes I use newsprint ends, but not often. I get 5000 business cards printed up, black ink on coloured stock [blue] from Office Depot.I always put a card in each purchase. I've been doing it this way for 35 years.I always think that I should take it up a notch- as in get some bags that are all the same, but I never get around to it.
TJR.

[neilestrick]

Uline is right down the road from me. I get brown kraft paper bags and newsprint sheets from them. I stamp the bags with my logo. I've seen a lot of people lately using stickers in their bags. I kind of like the look of them, because they are colorful.

Keep your bags and paper in a plastic tub, in case it rains. No cardboard boxes! It's also good in case the ground is wet, so it won't soak through if you'r storing extras under your table.

[phill]

how much do you factor into every pot those costs for supplies?
if this isnt clear, example:
lets say you regularly sell a mug for $20. suddenly you start buying Uline bags and special papers and stamps, etc. how much will you mark up that mug?

[Mark C.]

phill, on 24 February 2012 - 04:26 PM, said:

how much do you factor into every pot those costs for supplies?
if this isnt clear, example:
lets say you regularly sell a mug for $20. suddenly you start buying Uline bags and special papers and stamps, etc. how much will you mark up that mug?

This point is a very strong one-For me my packaging supplies since I use so much of them need to be very low-I try to keep it under 5-8 cents per person-which includes a business card in the bag.
If your pot sale averages 100$ than maybe a 1$ bag and special wrap makes sense-my average sale is under 25$-I try to keep it on the cheap-I buy my bags at a wholesale grocery supply house by the bail and the smallest bags are bails at costco which is or only big box store in the county.
I always reuse my own paper bags at shows as well
Paper rolls are traded for and 1/2 time free.Cars are 1.2cent apiece.
As potters we need to control costs and always think about how to do that.
Mark

[Seasoned Warrior]

I use foolscap, it is cheap, not coated so it burns easily or decomposes well and does not contaminate anything. I don't like used printed matter since sometimes the inks can offset onto you product. I like net bags like they use for produce.

regards,
Charles