Good question right?  How on earth does one know how much inventory to make?  How many different items should I have?  And how many of each item?  Here is how I made an educated guess.

First thing is frist, what items am I going to sell, what is logical, what do I think people will like.  After a few hours of lists, doodles and pondering, here is the final list:

• Vintage Pillowcase dresses
• Vintage Handkerchief Skirts
• Felt Jackets
• Crayon Portfolio’s
• Super Hero Capes
• Bandana Bibs
• Vintage Scrap Pendant streamers
• Vintage rick-rack flower hair clips, felted hair clips and tulle flower hair clips
• Ornaments of some kind, just a few designs
• Scrabble letter, fairy necklaces

Now for how much of each item. This show is 3 days long (yikes!) and has been around from many years.  It’s very popular, people come from all the surrounding towns and many Davis locals love to buy Local Davis artists items.  From this I think, lots of pieces.

After talking to my mom, who is a craft show veteran, she said for a 3 day show (yikes!) you need lots and lots on inventory, you never know what will be popular, if other people are selling similar things, who is coming to the show, lots of moms? (I hope so Davis Mama’s). From this I think, lots and lots of pieces.

Then on to technical data, asking John.  He loves to crunch numbers.  He broke down how many hours I logically can sew and create in a day, how many days I have until the show (57), how many different items I was going to make, how long each item takes to make, again educated guessing.  He came up with me need to sew at least 3 to 5 hours a day to have a descent inventory.  From this I think, no more sleeping and lots, lots and lots of pieces.

As you can tell, how much inventory for a first show really comes down to, for me, pulling a number out of the clouds and turning that number into an educated guess.  I feel good with my numbers, they seem to be on target, to what target I don’t know, I hope I will have enough.  We will see

Here is a sneak peak for tomorrows post, an attempted tutorial of sorts

Hope you enjoyed day 3, be sure to follow me