Preparing for the OOAK Show
The One of a Kind show is fast approaching, and it is going to be a very different shows than anything else I've ever done before. Besides the fact that it is so big (number of vendors) established (there are also shows in Toronto, Chicago and New York City, one of which I will make my goal to travel to next year), and also quite compartmentalized. By that I mean that a lot of my unusual and innovative products I'm not permitted to showcase. There are going to be no poison rings (which are vintage, collectible items) and no perfumed pendants either (although they are extremely innovative, and were designed especially for me AND made by hand in my home village). There are also going to be non of the gourmet items that have become such a strong part of my presence at the markets - because they are such irresistible: the perfumemd teas, truffles and chocolates are all out of bounds because I'm not classified as a food vendor. This is a challenge from the point of view that in this tough economy, having little affordable luxury items (aka chocolate bars that cost $12 for 50gr) really help a high end business make ends meet even if people seem to be more hesitant before reaching their wallet for bigger bills to pay for a flacon of perfume.
But I see this as a blessing in disguise, because: a) the size of my table (4' long) will not have space for everything anyway, so being told to cut out particular products makes my curating job a tad easier; and b) this will once and for all make it very clear that the focus of my business is perfume, and will enable me to reveal this side of my business with more focus and showcase perfumes that I don't usually put on display, such as my one of a kind collection.
But I'm also pulling out other scents from my vaults - old formulas that were never released but I think are neat and unusual and special and that this is a good time for them to get some exposure. And also some very new and recent formulations that I haven't released to the public yet (meaning: they are not on my website, and won't be there for a long time). In the next few posts I will be telling you a bit about them so those of you who are visiting the show will have something to ponder or hunt for when you come to my table. As in my next upcoming post about the Sandal Tree perfume.