it has happened to me at ren faire...my 2 cents.

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Posted by jennifer on October 2, 2001 at 00:31:24:

In reply to: Grumpy me having trouble with henna politics at Renn Fair- help? posted by Lauren on October 1, 2001 at 21:08:02:

yes, it would have been better if you had gotten it in writing then
you would have been able to have your own booth.
i have had this happen to me and generally i cut my losses and either
have fun hennaing myself...drawing attention to myself and therefor
able to had out my cards...or henna friends and do the same thing. if
you are hennaing yourself though, they cannot say that you are taking
away from the booth but you still get noticed and... "oh, yes, i do
henna but am so sorry i cannot do it here. would you like my card? if
you like we can meet (where ever)"
anyway, good luck, sorry you got caught in that trap. jennifer

: Without going into a great long rant (tempting though it is), I
need
: some help resolving a problem at a local Renn Faire.
: I thought I had been registered to do henna at the Fair, which is
one
: hour away form my house, in exchange for dance performance.
: Apparently, I was not offically registered, and another merchant,
: this one from six hours away, got the exclusive right to do henna
at
: that fair. Okay, my fault for not getting things in writing.
Lesson
: learned.
: My main goal at this Fair, which is local to me, is networking,
: meeting other local artists, and getting my name out to the
locals.
: I don't care if I actually DO henna there, although that would be
: nice.
: I got in touch with the lady running the other henna booth and
found
: that since henna is a sideline designed to get people in her booth
to
: buy her other stuff, she'd be willing to let me do henna all day
: Saturday and to spell her when she needs a break on Sundays, with a
: very reasonable share of my profits.
: When i got there, I found that she would let me do henna only if I
: put her design book out and open while I was doing mine, and if
: anyone wanted hers, she'd do it. I was not allowed to do anything
on
: Sundays at all, since she had an extra person in the store that day
: and could concentrate on henna. Since I was feeling kind of sick,
I
: asked if it would be okay for me to work out of my own booth so my
: husband could take care of me a bit, but still pay her her cut.
She
: said no, since I was across from the gate, and people would see me
: first and not come to her. In fairness, I must say that since she
: was official and I was there only by her sufferance, annoying
though
: it was, I understand that it was her right to say and do all this.
: Here's my issue- She has one sign saying "mehndi" in gothic
letters,
: which is not readable from more than 10 feet away, and I was
actively
: looking for her. It took me two rounds of the fair to locate her
: booth. Her "designs" are stencils, which she charges $3 to $20
for.
: I had quite a few people stop by with a gleam in their eye, happy
to
: have found someone to decorate them, then they see the stencils,
: their faces fall, they sigh and walk away. Some of them looked
: reproachfully at me. Honestly, I would have done the same thing.
I
: wanted to shout "No, it's not me doing the overpriced cheesy
: stencils! I do real henna art!" but I swallowed it. I did make
some
: very important contacts and got leads on a couple classes and other
: area artists who may want to buy henna from me in the future. Even
: though I did very little henna that day (it was very cold), I felt
it
: very worthwhile for the contacts I made.
: Sunday, I put up my usual sign at my shop with cards affixed to it
: saying "Local henna artist here Saturdays only", "For henna designs
: Today, ask at (other shop's name)", and "Take a Business Card, Sign
: the Petition, and please Ask Questions". I went over to the other
: shop before putting up the sign and told one of the workers who I
: sorta knew (the owner was out) that I was simply networking today
and
: NOT doing henna and would send anyone who wanted it to their shop.
I
: figured this was like giving them a free sign in a more visible
: location. A few hours later, the Fair manager asked us to take our
: sign down, as it was making the other booth owner angry. I don't
get
: it. If I'm not doing henna, and am actively sending anyone who
wants
: it to her, how does this hurt her? All I want is to get my name
out
: locally.
: Can anyone think of a way to get around this? I don't think I'll
: bother doing henna if it's as cold this Saturday, so I'm not
worried
: about that aspect, but while I don't want to make enemies, I do
want
: to get my name out to the locals.

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: yes, it would have been better if you had gotten it in writing then : you would have been able to have your own booth. : i have had this happen to me and generally i cut my losses and either : have fun hennaing myself...drawing attention to myself and therefor : able to had out my cards...or henna friends and do the same thing. if : you are hennaing yourself though, they cannot say that you are taking : away from the booth but you still get noticed and... "oh, yes, i do : henna but am so sorry i cannot do it here. would you like my card? if : you like we can meet (where ever)" : anyway, good luck, sorry you got caught in that trap. jennifer : : : : : Without going into a great long rant (tempting though it is), I : need : : some help resolving a problem at a local Renn Faire. : : I thought I had been registered to do henna at the Fair, which is : one : : hour away form my house, in exchange for dance performance. : : Apparently, I was not offically registered, and another merchant, : : this one from six hours away, got the exclusive right to do henna : at : : that fair. Okay, my fault for not getting things in writing. : Lesson : : learned. : : My main goal at this Fair, which is local to me, is networking, : : meeting other local artists, and getting my name out to the : locals. : : I don't care if I actually DO henna there, although that would be : : nice. : : I got in touch with the lady running the other henna booth and : found : : that since henna is a sideline designed to get people in her booth : to : : buy her other stuff, she'd be willing to let me do henna all day : : Saturday and to spell her when she needs a break on Sundays, with a : : very reasonable share of my profits. : : When i got there, I found that she would let me do henna only if I : : put her design book out and open while I was doing mine, and if : : anyone wanted hers, she'd do it. I was not allowed to do anything : on : : Sundays at all, since she had an extra person in the store that day : : and could concentrate on henna. Since I was feeling kind of sick, : I : : asked if it would be okay for me to work out of my own booth so my : : husband could take care of me a bit, but still pay her her cut. : She : : said no, since I was across from the gate, and people would see me : : first and not come to her. In fairness, I must say that since she : : was official and I was there only by her sufferance, annoying : though : : it was, I understand that it was her right to say and do all this. : : Here's my issue- She has one sign saying "mehndi" in gothic : letters, : : which is not readable from more than 10 feet away, and I was : actively : : looking for her. It took me two rounds of the fair to locate her : : booth. Her "designs" are stencils, which she charges $3 to $20 : for. : : I had quite a few people stop by with a gleam in their eye, happy : to : : have found someone to decorate them, then they see the stencils, : : their faces fall, they sigh and walk away. Some of them looked : : reproachfully at me. Honestly, I would have done the same thing. : I : : wanted to shout "No, it's not me doing the overpriced cheesy : : stencils! I do real henna art!" but I swallowed it. I did make : some : : very important contacts and got leads on a couple classes and other : : area artists who may want to buy henna from me in the future. Even : : though I did very little henna that day (it was very cold), I felt : it : : very worthwhile for the contacts I made. : : Sunday, I put up my usual sign at my shop with cards affixed to it : : saying "Local henna artist here Saturdays only", "For henna designs : : Today, ask at (other shop's name)", and "Take a Business Card, Sign : : the Petition, and please Ask Questions". I went over to the other : : shop before putting up the sign and told one of the workers who I : : sorta knew (the owner was out) that I was simply networking today : and : : NOT doing henna and would send anyone who wanted it to their shop. : I : : figured this was like giving them a free sign in a more visible : : location. A few hours later, the Fair manager asked us to take our : : sign down, as it was making the other booth owner angry. I don't : get : : it. If I'm not doing henna, and am actively sending anyone who : wants : : it to her, how does this hurt her? All I want is to get my name : out : : locally. : : Can anyone think of a way to get around this? I don't think I'll : : bother doing henna if it's as cold this Saturday, so I'm not : worried : : about that aspect, but while I don't want to make enemies, I do : want : : to get my name out to the locals.
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