Seeking suggestions for swap&shop booth

[Bakersdozen]

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding setting up a sale table at a swap & shop event in southern Missouri?  One of the caves down by Versailles, MO hosts a huge event several times a year.  My sister suggested that we attend and sell honey.  Her homemade jellies would be a big hit too.  We have 1 month before the event.  Does anyone have any suggestions for other products to sell?  Do you suggest a variety of honey jar sizes or keep it simple?  Ready to eat food is not allowed.  I am toying with lip balm because it is fast and easy.  Labels will be a different matter.
I am also toying with making beeswax bowl covers.  Again, fast and easy.
I don't have any equipment for candles and don't really want to buy a bunch of equipment for this event. 

[Perry]

Beeswax wraps. 
My wife was offered some material that was purchased by an elderly woman who was going to make them but got sick. We bought the stuff for $100 (she paid $150). My wife now makes the wraps and some days at the market it out sells the honey and candles, it is absolutely insane. We average over $200 each market in wraps (held on Saturdays from 8:30 am till 1 pm). My wife sold over the $150 worth on the first market we offered them.
Jane has tweaked the process a bit and we have even been contacted by someone in Colorado who bought some from us when they were here on vacation. She tried a youtube "recipe" and she didn't like them at all so she contacted us and traded us a heirloom family baking recipe for Jane's help.

[Bakersdozen]

Beeswax wraps. 
My wife was offered some material that was purchased by an elderly woman who was going to make them but got sick. We bought the stuff for $100 (she paid $150). My wife now makes the wraps and some days at the market it out sells the honey and candles, it is absolutely insane. We average over $200 each market in wraps (held on Saturdays from 8:30 am till 1 pm). My wife sold over the $150 worth on the first market we offered them.
Jane has tweaked the process a bit and we have even been contacted by someone in Colorado who bought some from us when they were here on vacation. She tried a youtube "recipe" and she didn't like them at all so she contacted us and traded us a heirloom family baking recipe for Jane's help.

Wow!  That's great!  Can I ask what Jane charges and does she make several different sizes?

[Perry]

Jane makes 4 sizes:

S - 8 x8" = $5
M - 11 x 11" = $7
L - 14 x 14" = $9
XL - 17 x 17" = $12

[Wandering Man]

  My sister suggested that we attend and sell honey.  Her homemade jellies would be a big hit too. 
 Ready to eat food is not allowed.  I am toying with lip balm because it is fast and easy.   

Sounds like fun Bakers.  I hope your table is a success. 

I always thought of honey and jellies as ready to eat food.

Maybe that's why I always get the evil eye from 3Reds when I stick my fingers in the jar.

[Bakersdozen]

 I always thought of honey and jellies as ready to eat food.

Maybe that's why I always get the evil eye from 3Reds when I stick my fingers in the jar.

Ha! 
Well, I have a grandson that we have caught chugging honey straight from the bottle!
Maybe ready to eat wasn't the right phrase.  I called for clarification. They don't want food that is in competition with food trucks and vendors.  I think they meant baked goods, popcorn, etc.

Perry, I was going to cut out circles with pinking sheers.  I have seen others do squares.  Maybe I am over doing it.

[Perry]

Stick with squares, we tried circles and they took forever to sell.
(Beeswax, pine resin and jo jo ba oil)

[riverbee]

"Do you suggest a variety of honey jar sizes or keep it simple?"

this is a tough question bakers, but i do like to keep it simple. not sure what you have for jars.
i have gone to 3 sizes of attractive plastic jars, 3/4 lb, 1 lb, and 2 1/2 lb. i quit with the mason pint and quart jars and only pour these for long time customers upon request. not many buyers purchase a 2 1/2 lb honey jar unless they are long time customers, rare that i get someone i don't know that buys these. also, i have 1 lb glass muth jars that i only sell during the fall or pre-christmas or for a customers special request.

i was given some 8 oz, round glass jars from a friend (wedding leftovers) and wanted to utilize them, (actually wanted to get rid of them cuz taking up space.... )  they did sell well and are not taking up space....i didn't pay anything for the jars, but labeling them was a small challenge.

if you sell one size customers have only one choice, if you sell different sizes, some customers will only buy the smallest.  only you can decide what to do and what might be best for the target market you are selling to.  overall, i do try to keep it simple for the target market i am selling to.

"I am toying with lip balm because it is fast and easy.  Labels will be a different matter. "

lip balm is always a good seller, figuring out how to appy the label if not done by a professional printer is sort of a pain.

candles sell well, equipment?
here is the easiest candle to make and sell without any equipment or tons of costs, provided you have something you can melt your beeswax in:
dixie cup votives.

supplies:
dixie cups
candle mold release
votive wick pins (at least 4) they fit inside the dixie cups, maybe a $1.25 or so each. (hobby lobby or amazon delivers in 2 days...lol)
pre waxed and tabbed #1/0 square braid wick (#1/0 works well for me, my wax is very clean, although i prepare my own wicks)
lightweight hammer

how this works: (your professional equipment.... ......... )
spray the inside of a dixie cup with candle mold release (this helps to release the candle from the cup, it literally dumps out)
spray a wick pin as well,
set the wick pin in the dixie cup
heat your wax to no more than 160d fahrenheit
pour the wax near the wick pin into the dixie cup near the top
wait for it to set, probably 45 minutes or more, depends on the temp in your house
release the wax candle from the cup, just pull the wick pin sticking out above the dixie cup straight out
may not need to do this but tap the top of the wick pin with hammer to release it from the wax candle
thread your pre waxed and tabbed wick into the bottom of the dixie cup candle and up through the top. trim to about 1/4"
done. easy candle, burns well. 
sell
customers seem to be curious about how i made a candle in a dixie cup.........

less money and equipment than all my fancy stuff and molds........

[Bakersdozen]

Thanks for all the advice, Perry and riverbee.  Time is quickly getting away from me.  I am going to focus on honey, in a couple of sizes, and beeswax wraps.  I also have one batch of elderberry jelly made.  My sister has 50 jars of various jellies and jams ready.  This weekend, I am going to the state fair to work at the state beekeeping club booth.  So, this weekend is pretty much a bust. 

[Bakersdozen]

This is the weekend of the swap meet.  My sister is already there and I am going down after work.  We will see what happens.  I didn't have time to prepare a lot of stuff.  I have various sizes of honey available.  2 oz bears to 1 gallon sizes.  I played with jalapeno honey (honey + freeze dried jalapeno) and will take a couple of bottles.  I have made a couple of beeswrap bowl covers.  Not sure they are worth taking. 
Jack, I am going to be in your neck of the woods!

[Bakersdozen]

I learned a lot at the swap meet.  This was my first experience at anything of this nature.  I had no expectations, so I would say it was a successful.  Nothing is lost when you learn from an experience. 
This swap meet was huge!  There was no way to walk it all.  4 wheelers and ATV were allowed in and there were times when the air was so thick with exhaust it was hard to breath.  With out the 4 wheeler, there was no way for many folks to see it all and if they bought something large they needed the 4 wheeler to carry it.  I only had 1 person actually get off of a 4 wheeler to check out my tent.  2 people hollered at me from their 4 wheelers to ask a question.  I made NO sales from anyone on a 4 wheeler.
Cute packaging sold.  Honey bears sold better than queen line jars.  Honey sticks were popular and sometimes that brought people over so that you could talk to them.  Taste tests of jalapeno honey was very popular and often resulted in a sale.  I sold out of the jalapeno honey.   A few people were looking for lip balm, beeswax, and lotions.  I didn't have them.  Many were looking for local honey.  That worked against me.  Some folks just wanted to talk about honey bees.  I had dozens of people ask me how much I wanted for the 1 gallon honey jug.  No one bought it.
I might go back next year.  I will be better prepared, older and wiser. 
I thought I would share so that others may be helped from my experience.

This is some shoppers looking at free kittens.

Our display keeping dry after a storm blew through.  This was temporary and we were able to take down the screen.


Vendors had something for everyone.  I saw it all for sale. 
There were many travel trailers on hand for vendors to camp over night.  I even saw a for sale sign on one of the campers.

[riverbee]

"Nothing is lost when you learn from an experience."

very true, i seem to learn every time i sell anywhere............
sometimes what sells like crazy doesn't sell as well the next time and what didn't sell the last time, sells like crazy and i run out.

i have been meaning to try the jalapeno honey, but haven't yet. i think this would sell well, well at least i would buy it .......

what were you asking for the gallon jug?  these are hard sellers and i rarely offer them and only to someone i know.  i sorta got burned one time (and the least), seems the customer was buying it to repackage and sell my honey at a flea market............

[Bakersdozen]

i have been meaning to try the jalapeno honey, but haven't yet. i think this would sell well, well at least i would buy it .......

what were you asking for the gallon jug?  these are hard sellers and i rarely offer them and only to someone i know.  i sorta got burned one time (and the least), seems the customer was buying it to repackage and sell my honey at a flea market............

My sister seemed to think that the big ticket items would sell well and against my better judgement, I took it.  I was asking $65.  That's a fair price, I believe.  We sell gallons at the state fair for that price, and we have no trouble selling them.   
That was my first time selling jalapeno honey.  It was a great ice breaker.  I would ask people if they wanted a taste.  Some said yes, some said no.  The guy that bought the last bottle of jalapeno honey sent his buddies over for a taste test.  They all wanted some to buy and I had to tell them that their friend bought the last of it.  They were cussing their friend!

[riverbee]

that is a very fair price for a gallon jug of honey bakers, i have sold mine for more. i don't sell them often and because i sell a lb of honey at 10 bucks per lb, i am not willing to give much of a break on a gallon jug. (about 12 lbs). better for me to sell it by the jar unless someone wants to pay $120 for the gallon jug.   

"jalapeno honey.  It was a great ice breaker."

.......... sorry couldn't help it, okay, nevermind!

if i run out of something i offer to send it. sometimes buyers are okay with that, sometimes not, but it doesn't hurt to ask.