#1) Be professional. Don't look like you're set up at a yard sale.

I would say to bring everything you have. You do not need to put them all on the table at one time. But if you don't have them there, you can't put them out at all.

I will say this - do not have extremely high expectations on your first show. People have never seen you before. You need to get your foot in the door and start becoming acquainted with the attendees.

While you are there, walk around and make friends with the other table holders. Notice how they have their tables set up and how they present themselves.

Take note of things you like and incorporate them into your presentation in future shows.

This may not make any sense right now, but I was once given an odd bit of advice - "An empty table sells a lot knives."

|quoted:

#1) Be professional. Don't look like you're set up at a yard sale.

I would say to bring everything you have. You do not need to put them all on the table at one time. But if you don't have them there, you can't put them out at all.

I will say this - do not have extremely high expectations on your first show. People have never seen you before. You need to get your foot in the door and start becoming acquainted with the attendees.

While you are there, walk around and make friends with the other table holders. Notice how they have their tables set up and how they present themselves.

Take note of things you like and incorporate them into your presentation in future shows.

This may not make any sense right now, but I was once given an odd bit of advice - "An empty table sells a lot knives."

Thank you, Karl! I will definitely bear this in mind. I don't have very high expectations as this is my first show. My hopes are to sell one knife and use this as an opportunity to get my name out there. If I can accomplish that then I will consider this a very successful first show.

From what you say, it sounds as though I should bring as many as I can, but only place a handful up on the table at once. Would that be a fair assessment?

|quoted:

From what you say, it sounds as though I should bring as many as I can, but only place a handful up on the table at once. Would that be a fair assessment?

Take this for what it's worth - think from the perspective of a knife buyer/collector.

If you see a maker with 30 knives on his table, then you see a guy who is NOT selling knives. Doesn't he have any customers? He must not be in high demand.

Now the collector sees a maker with 2 knives on his table. Why is that? It means he must sell them as fast as he can make them. That guy is in demand! He must make one helluva knife.

That's just one perspective. It is an enormous topic unto itself and could fill pages of discussion.

The Blade Show is three days long. You have plenty of time. Lay your knives out - some of them. Pay attention to which ones people look at and which they never pick up. Rotate the table fare with some under the table if you have a lot of knives.

Have fun.