I have a pet peeve when it comes to the vintage world...
It affects me when I am photographing a show.
It affects me when I am looking for a particular booth.
I see it affecting customers as they shop, and I wonder how many vendors / curators DON'T see it.
But then.... my pet peeve is something that ISN'T seen:
It's missing signage.
Sadly, the lack of a sign in a booth is a very common mistake.
At every show I attend (and that's a LOT), I see several booths without signage.
In photos shared on social media - by shows and even the vendors themselves! - I see it every day.
There have been times I'd love to have contacted the vendor who created such a lovely display,
but I have no idea who it IS - because they didn't make a sign with their name on it for their booth.
To quote Nancy Kerrigan, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY???
Why on Earth would anyone go to all of the trouble of having a booth in a show
and then NOT put their name on a sign in that booth?!
It defies logic.
Especially when there are more easy ways to create a sign than I can count.
There are difficult ways, too, and that's fine... just make one, for heavens' sake!
Put that baby on your booth wall, hang it from your pop up, stick it on the front of your cash stand!
Here are some incredibly amazing signs that I saw on my recent trip to
where some of the best vendors / curators in the vintage biz show off their stuff.
Yes, there are still people there who didn't have signs....
but THIS is how the PROs do it:
Though all of the signs above are neutral in color, they have incredible visual impact.
From scale and lighting, to unique materials and simple construction,
you NOTICE the name of the vendor/curator in the booth as soon as you look at it.
Details:
Lisa Souers gathered up all kinds of letters and mounted them to old boards.
Junk Hunks revived marquee letters and lit them with patio lights.
Farm Salvation and FOUND painted on old glass windows.
Storehouse Goods painted on a rusty old windmill part.
Home Sweet Home painted on simple chalkboard panels.
Atelier de Campagne had a scrap of metal laser-cut.
The signs in this image all have color in common, running the gamut of the rainbow
while also presenting the brand of the business in visual form.
As individual as the people who made them, they speak before customers are even IN the booth.
Details:
The Urban Gardener simply painted her biz name over a thrifted framed painting.
American Country Charm ironed letters onto children's denim overalls.
Marigold Vintage used a children's chalkboard.
Apron Strings used a cabinet door. Unexpected Necessities used a headboard.
This Old House painted on old wood planks.
Tailfeathers used blocks painted with letters, topped with birds.
This is basic marketing, folks... just like biz cards and social media accounts,
you need signage in your booth at a show, and in a store.
Help customers find & remember you!
Help show hosts, photographers, writers promote you through sharing!
So.... to recap, you can use these items to make a sign:
framed paintings . chalkboards . children's clothing items . cutout wood letters . old wood boards
headboards . cabinet doors . old windows . old window screens . an old windmill tail
laser-cut metal scraps . salvaged sign lettering . salvaged marquee letters . salvaged ANYTHING
fabric . paper . posterboard . cardboard . paint . stickers . felt pens . pencils . crayons
here's some of the signage I created for my past vintage business:
small signs on the cash counter and on the register . a flag flying over the booth
a headboard made into a sign, attached to the fence outside my barn where my shows were held
decals applied to canvas panels that created sides of the booth
a painted kitchen cabinet door that hung from the tent frame
It wasn't hard to make those signs, and I used them for years.
Do YOU have a clever, creative sign for your vintage business?
Share a photo of it on my facebook page!
