rkw624

Just some friendly discussion. My wife and I have attended a few pow wows over the years and the one thing we notice all the time is that a lot of vendors do not speak to us and other customers quite a bit of the time. A simple hello how are you? Or maybe, Hello, can I help you or show you something?, would go a long way towards selling your merchandise and crafts. I do realize they see hundreds of people a day but I also know a lot of the vendors travel great distances to sell their stuff.

The other day we must have went to thirty different vendors at a pow wow. Most vendors just sat in a chair or said nothing at all. We came upon two different vendors that said hello, started to have a conversation with us and the next thing you know they were explaing and showing us stuff and the next thing we were buying. Try it - it works! Lots of competion out there. Set yourself apart!

hobbs49

This is true a lot of the time. I was quickly making the rounds at a powwow once and was stopped dead in my tracks when a vendor selling jackets blurted out, I have jackets that will fit you. I've a rather robust build so I normally skip most of the vendors with shirts and such as they don't fit me. Well, this lady who said she could fit me, and I struck up a conversation. And had I been in the market for a jacket, I likely would have bought it from her. Granted probably don't want to turn the thing into a carnival, but sometimes the vendors do get wrapped up in their own private conversations and they forget to try to engage the customers.

they_drag_him

sometimes i don't want the vendors to bother me. it also depends on how much money you seem to have and my pockets are always empty.

socman

I agree. I don't think we want to have the "carnival barker" type shouting out at everybody, but just simply saying hello and asking if you're looking for anything specific is just plain good business. We've had several vendors comment on my wife's earrings before, and say, "oh you would probably like these over here." I used to work several trade shows, and at times I didn't want to be there. You'd be surprised how people really notice your body language, etc. If you're looking down not making any eye contact, and/or frowning, people will just pass on by. We all get moody, that's human nature, but if you're trying to sell your merchandise to a crowd, charisma goes a long way.

__________________
"As through this world I've wandered, I've met lots of funny men. Some will rob you with a six-gun, and some with a fountain pen." -Woody Guthrie

SheTurtle

Well, when I have a chance to see what vendors have to offer, I usually make eye contact and say hello. Most people are polite enough to reply in kind. I've gotten to know several vendors over the years, and when I see them at powwows, it's like old home week.

When some of my favorite vendors see me coming with my husband, they are REALLY glad to see us!

trob226

Some vendors around here come from Middle America and don't speak English. Some are simply reserved people, for cultural or personal reasons. If the vendor doesn't speak to me, I always say hello and ask how things are going for them and let conversation develop if it does. Meanwhile, I look at what they've got and ask questions if I want, and buy if I want. Works fine for me.

New2itall

Since we are on the subject of vendors, how do you all handle confirming the vendor is in compliance with the Indian Arts and Crafts Act? I have not purchased any big ticket items from a vendor at a Pow Wow yet, so I haven't faced this issue.
Department of the Interior Indian Arts and Crafts Board

OLChemist

If you are considering a really big ticket item, it is not an unreasonable expectation that the vendor provide documentation. In my experience, most itinerate venders are not as thorough in verifying enrollment and often only ask for a white card when the artist doesn't "look Indian." The paperwork overhead is huge burden on the vendors, who more often than not are buying from an artist with whom they have a long standing relationship, and the system mostly operates on trust. However, disreputible vendors can allow you to assume just from context an item is Native made when it is not and not be in explicit violation of the law because they did not label the item as Native made.

When I dealt with galleries, most had a form or book where they record artist contact information, enrollment/CDIB info, and sometimes a little biographically info. High value items were photographed for insurance purposes. Galleries and dealers understand that for most of their clientele the provenance of an item is a significant part of its value. With powwow vendors, for the most part they relied on my honesty for compliance when buying. The powwow vendor's client was buying with a different motivation.

For these reasons, I recommend that for large purchases you shop with a reputable dealer/gallery or deal directly with the artist. If you want to be sure most of your money gets to the artist, do a little research: find out how many hands an item passes through before sale ; if you want a particular artist's work find their primary representive; find tribal or artists' co-op's that carry the type of work you want.

New2itall

Wow! OLChemist that is some great info! Thank you!

SuzzeQ4

I think it's a 2 way street.

I find a smile is a great way to let them know your up to conversation.

It pays off. my youngest dd (8 yrs.) makes friends with all the vendors, their children & grandchildren. she visits them all powwow to powwow, just like we do with the other dancers; except she leaves with half a dozen gifts from them. This year at one she came & asked for $10. I asked & she said for new mocs. I went & they were beaded, fur trimmed mocs for $60. But it was one of her vendor friends.

My one friend who enjoys beading talked with one about her beadwork & the vendor gave her tips & showed her what she was doing.

So being friendly, vendor or customer goes a long way.

Tibiki Kinew

SuzzeQ4 I AGREE with you 100%

as a vendor I put out 1 table full of stuff to give to the kids, that alone is a thing that brings the adults to my tables, just so that they can watch the kids eyes get big and the kids can't believe I give the stuff on that table for free. I buy bankruptcy sales on jewelery once in a while to put on that table and girls as well as the women enjoy free earrings and bracelets. So for the sake of a few bucks that do not hurt me, there are hundreds of smiles.

I also do paws, dry them and they come running now, 8 years for free paws and the always check out that bin.

As for smiles it goes a long way, conversations that last hours and then years. In fact it brings a lot of visitors to my own home that way. Yes I hand out my addy to those that wish to visit after the powwow is over! If there were no smiles the powwow would become very cold and unfriendly, not my cup of tea!

__________________
Listen to my heart, not just my mouth! The most powerfull thing we can do is,,,share,,, if we don't it dies with us.

The Children are our Future, without them we leave nothing behind but our silence...

Listen to the wind,,, it has so many secrets.... especially never assume who I am, you may get a surprize you are not ready for! Remember being Heyoka doesn't mean I am crazy, just having fun!!!
Born in Winnipeg raised in the Pikwakanagan, Deutschland was never home!

legalstraight

Ok, seems like we have two conversations-

1. As for vendors not talking, ya I see that a lot, and when I vend I try to at least be friendly with folks "hey how ya doing?" kinda thing. It does help, but ya sometimes folks just want to look and not be bothered.
I have been in situations where I didn't buy something cause it was in a case and the person running the booth was distracted and didnt come over.
Worse yet are the 'maze' booths- ya know the ones where you have to walk through the booth in these little aisles to get to things, and if someone is behind you you have to wait for them to turn back before you can.

At a lot of the smaller pow-wows I have seen booths that were more family camp than booth, they may be selling some bead work or other things made by family members but mostly they paid for the booth to have a guaranteed spot to put their bit awning and let the little kids hang out.

As for the arts and crafts act, I see so much chineese stuff out there, and stuff from central america that for higher end things (on the very rare occasions when I do buy big) I try to buy from the actual artist. You can ask at most booths and they will tell you if they made it or not.
Also on big ticket items some vendors will have a label on it indicating artist, tribe etc....

SuzzeQ4

Ive seen a vendor do that around here too. Also one that has a trading table, kids love that too.
Suzze

SuzzeQ4

some of the powwows we go to have a vendor who does this & one that has a trading blanket. My kids love these and always are looking for stuff to trade. Having 5 kids now I love them too. Based on your location I wonder if you are one of these vendors
Suzze