These guitars pictured above were just a few of the 75 guitars I built just for the 2015 festival season. This batch of six served as a higher-end line to round out my selection. They were nearly identical to each other...same box, same lipstick tube pickups; a trait that allowed me to optimize my time and resources during construction.
I've learned some rather good lessons about vending setups and scoping out festivals. If you enjoy building these instruments as much as I do, then you can find a festival or two (or more) this summer to sell your creations.
PART 1: PREPARATION AND PRODUCTION
Lesson #1: You should be building cigar box guitars right now in anticipation for the summer.
In the past, my first fest would start on May 1. By this point in the year, I had already been building for weeks. I've been at that first festival several years in a row and know that I should be able to sell 20-35 guitars during the three-day event.
There are probably many festivals in your area that occur in June, July or August...so you have enough time to prepare if you start now. But first, you need my biggest secret, Lesson #2...
Lesson #2: Build several guitars at a time.
If you want to optimize your time and resources, consider building guitars in 'batches,' much like baking cookies. For me, I have a particular guitar design that I developed and I strongly believe in. If I keep with this design, I can prepare 5 or 6 necks at a time and then move on to boxes. I can also wire up a bunch of piezo pickups in a separate step and keep them stored in my shop until I'm ready for them.
Building guitars in batches doesn't mean you're stifling your creativity. Each one can be unique. You'll just be optimizing your time and resources as you work on different areas of the guitar.
Lesson #3: Buy parts in bulk.
You'll save money and always have the parts you need when you're ready for them. In this weeks' C. B. Gitty Blog, I have listed my essential bulk parts for building.
Most of C. B. Gitty's bulk parts are sold in lots of 12, which means you can buy one of each bulk part and have enough items to create a dozen guitars for your first festival.
PART 2: BUILDING YOUR VENDING TENT - Video tutorial
PART 3: BOOKING FESTIVALS
Community arts and crafts festivals are a great place to sell cigar box guitars. Music festivals are even better because they have music lovers attending. Both are ripe for selling.
Tip #1: A great resource for finding fests in your area is www.festivalnet.com. That website not only gives you dates, locations and times, but it also gives you contact and submission information for many of them. I've used it to book fest and even shows for my band.
Tip #2: You should be booking fests right now for this summer. Craft vendors are a well organized militia and always getting their applications early in for the next event. Because space is limited, you should be applying now.
Tip #3: Ask the event organizer if another cigar box guitar vendor will be selling. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that cigar box guitars sell great when you're the only one selling. If there are two or more CBG tents at a fest, you'll see your profits plummet. The simple fact is, people spend too much time comparing one guitar maker to another...and then suffer "death by overchoice" and walk away without purchasing. I just don't sell at events where other cigar box guitar venders are set up.
PART 4: SELLING EXTRA ITEMS
In addition to cigar box guitars, start thinking about extra items you can upsell to people who buy. These can be gig bags made from old denim jeans and cigar box amplifiers made from Gitty kits.
Here's a tour of my 2015 vending tent including many extra items that were for sale:
Selling your cigar box guitars at festivals is a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun. You'll meet thousands of people, get to play in front of big crowds and most importantly, you'll make some money doing something you love.
I never got rich from vending, but the income certainly helped my family in tough times. If you do things right, you'll find some success and personal satisfaction of your own.
*UPDATE*UPDATE*UPDATE*UPDATE*
ESSENTIAL ITEMS YOU WILL NEED
Smartphone and a credit card reader such as Square. At the end of each fest, I discovered 50-60% of all my sales were via credit card. Make sure your cell phone is fully charged, too!
- Old fashioned credit card receipts: When you work a heavily attended festival, sometimes cell phone service suffers and you can't connect. Learn how to take down all credit card info the old fashioned way and take the slips home. You can then enter them into your cell phone app when you get home.
- Signage: I made my signs huge and handwritten, giving a homemade look to them. Whether you go the primitive route or get the professionally printed, make sure they're nice and big so they draw attention.
- A Roland MicroCube amp (or other battery powered amp) to demonstrate your instruments. If they don't have pickups, bring a microphone or stick-on pickup to plug in. Fests get loud and you want people to hear your instruments.
- Cooler filled with ice, water, sandwiches and snacks: Food at fests can get expensive. Also, you may get so busy that you just can't leave your tent. Bring a cooler. You'll thank me later.
- Proper weights to secure your tent: Don't rely on the puny stakes that come with your tent. Bring some cement blocks or other types of weights to keep the whole store from blowing away.
- Extra pens, pencils, sharpies, price tags, zip ties.
- A positive attitude is a must. Grumpiness loses sales. Trust me.
Got tips of your own? Post them in the comments below!
Replies
This is a followup to this thread based on my experiences last night at a local craft fair. Small local venue, crowd smaller than I expected, but I gave myself a better chance than in my two previous events. Thanks in advance for the tips, and I added one of my own (I think it was my own).
1. Square credit card reader - I used to only take cash and occasional checks. Last night I sold one guitar and two purses (yes, I make cb purses as well - it invites the ladies to my booth) to customers using credit cards. I might have lost those sales without the card reader.
2. Devine brand LED lanterns (2/$15/Amazon) - Electric power was advertised to vendors, but was not available. From 7:30 - 9:00pm we had lights to continue to operate. Also made take down and loading much easier. Next evening event I will have four of 'em.
3. Contact sheet - I typed up a simple sheet asking for contact emails, and I got three folks in addition to my paying customers. I will contact them all as Father's Day approaches, and end of October/early November they get a Christmas reminder to buy a git for a gift.
4. History sheet - I typed up a one page document covering the history of cigar box instruments (culled from Gitty, this forum, and other interweb sources), added some history of my builds, including materials and tools, and stressing the hand-made/one-of-a-kind nature of the instruments, including that they are made in my garage, not a production shop. Printed on different colored papers with my info. at the top, every interested party gets a sheet with a business card.
5. I didn't have time to cut slides from copper pipe (I also offer glass slides for sale), but I snagged up a bag of 3/4" copper pipe couplings (10/$8.50 @ Home Depot) that are "stubby slide" size, and offered them for $1.00/ea. Saved some time, gave one with each guitar purchase.
So, I improved my booth, got some contacts, and expanded my ability to take payments. June event should be good!
Dang, almost forgot! I had a nice, new PVC pipe and foam insulation git rack prominently displayed with 7 gits in it. This enhanced the booth in addition to the cbg's hanging from the perimeter. Several people inquired "is that pipe?". " Why, yes, that is pipe", says I. Might just add to your builder's cred with your prospects.
Excellent info Shane. I don't plan on setting up a booth too often but as an avid builder I sometimes get overwhelmed with builds and then figure I'd better sell some. This will help a lot to put a decent looking booth together.
Shane,
Great tips! I would add a couple. First have a drawing for something like a canjo. collect emails/FB contacts for future sales. Also, don't be afraid for selling supplies, plans and kits. If you have an over stock of parts, you can get your money back and make a friend of a new builder.
the best,
Wichita Sam
Another: Get an honest objective evaluation of your gits you want to sell before hand, ESPECIALLY if you are not a CBG player.
Sadly, I was in my corner ma-n-pa guitar store yesterday and saw a few CBG's for sale on consignment. I tried to play them and, well, they made better wall art than instruments.
Hi, I always have Photo Albans of all my guitars, and one of repairs and a few guitar books laying around. I think this helps to keep people interested, lingering and asking questions.
Cheers Taff
Two points you made in this discussion I think are key, the phone card reader has given me sales where all others failed because of walk ups not carrying much cash on hand. The card reader is free from Pay Pal, don't know about square trade. The other key was the chicken wire backboards, these are not only practical & cheap, lite weight but essential during high winds. The chicken wire allows the winds to pass through where as a tarp works as a wind sail and if caught in a gust of air, you're in for a ride. Also consider bringing weights for each corner post of your pop up canopy. We have on an average one dozen vendors each year, and each year. Those vendors who engage the public with charisma make the sales every time. Those who have difficulty in public relations more often than not make 1 or two sales if they are lucky. So to be honest, the cheapest set up makes huge sales each year because this guy helps customers have a great time while shopping. Remember to have fun and they will too!
Dang Shane!!!
That's a cool set up! I was doolin just looking at all your stuff.. Very cool brother.
Thank you for this. I have a show in May but I may pull out as there is no way I can have enough inventory build by then. Every instrument I build gets sold with a couple of days on Etsy combined with Facebook. My word of mouth network have been very productive too, and I owe that all to my friends, motorcycle club, and customers.
I don't build fretless instruments or Diddley bows because I have never had a request for one but maybe I should start and that will help get them done faster.
Thank you so much for this article. i enjoyed the read!
The only point that I disagree with is Tip #3.
If you are in my situation, you will quickly find that over the last 8 years or so, many hundreds of folks have jumped into hand crafted instruments. Having an exclusive sounds great, but honestly folks it's a "pipe dream". In my last show, I was one of 4 instrument vendors. I still made money because I insist on having the best quality instruments at competitive prices. Sure, it hurts profits, but so does sitting out a show because I can't be the only vendor. Capitalism Works! Be competitive, constantly increase value to your customers, and you will survive. I have yet to be in a show that I was the only cigar box vendor. Sure, I do get my applications rejected because someone else is already in the vendor area, and has convinced the organizer that they need to limit the field. Be warned, I'm hungry, I'm not a hobbyist, and I'm not afraid of bringing my best! Game On!
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