When I decided to start vending I knew I was going to need a tent. What I didn't know is how important this one item is for a vendor, or all of the reasons you have to be very intentional when buying one. To help you avoid some of the mistakes I made, I thought I'd share what I learned. Just ftr I would never suggest buying the pictured tent for yourself lol. Because I realized I was talking about a lot of specific items I've used, I decided to set up as an Amazon Associate and I earn from qualifying purchases.
Without further ado ... an honest evaluation of the vendor tent.
Tip #1 - Do not be pulled in by all the pretty colors
And there are so many pretty colors! The first tent I got was a blue one, but then I saw tents that were pink and yellow and green and black and every color you can imagine! Thankfully, by the time I saw all of the gorgeous colored tents I had already realized that the sunlight shining through the blue tent was distorting the color of my art! When I bought my most recent tent I still gazed longingly at the beautiful tents, but I made sure when I checked out of my cart it was the white tent that was on the way to me. It's also important to note that some markets require a white tent. At the end of the day, you may decide one of those beautiful colors will work fine for you - and maybe what you're selling will look great in the light of the sun through cotton candy pink. If so, I will be a little jealous.
Format each tip's title to H2 to keep your post neat.
Tip #2 - When it comes to tents, shape and size do matter
This is one of those lessons I learned the hard way. That blue 10'x10' tent I started with wasn't only casting a weird discoloration on my art, it was also "slant leg." That's code for "
the freaking legs are slanted in and the base of the legs are 10'x10' but the roof is only 8'x8' and you will not have a tent cover over your entire space. Also, because they slant in, unless you have a smaller display than I do you will have part of that in the sun too. Then there's the event where I only got a 5'x6' space so I bought a 6'x6' tent - prayed I could have that extra foot going out the back of my space and not into someone else's space (I did -- but I've also not gotten a space that small since and that was not a cheap tent ... I need to find a use for it!). Thankfully, I now have a straight leg tent that allows for the entire 10'x10' booth space to have full cover. One last one on shape and size -- make sure you can , transport, lift and store it. While we were using an older tent we forgot we had (yeah, I said that ...) it was really heavy and didn't break down to a reasonable size. We had to get very creative about transporting the tent to events and it was extra challenging when I had to go alone and get it in and out of the car, not to mention setting it up.
 That blue 10'x10' tent I started with wasn't only casting a weird discoloration on my art, it was also "slant leg." That's code for "the freaking legs are slanted in and the base of the legs are 10'x10' but the roof is only 8'x8'
Tip #3 - You have to put the tent up
You might think this goes without saying it but I'm saying it because it's one of those things I didn't really think about until I was going to my first event that my husband wasn't going with me to help set up. And, yeah, it's super obvious that you will have to put the tent up but until you're standing in the space and realizing that you can't reach the top of the tent, or that the way you have to put it up involves reaching places you can't reach or having strength you might not have, the reality that YOU have to put THE TENT up hasn't really sunk in. The new tent we bought is from Crown Shade has amazing new technology -- often called EZ-up -- that lets you pull out the legs so that you can duck under and stand in the middle and, with one hand, you push up on the middle of the tent and it locks up. Then you duck back out and raise the legs and you're in business. I've never been at a show trying to set up a tent by myself, or seeing someone else do it, that there aren't neighbors willing to help you set up. It's one of those things that we all need help with at some point. But when you can make choices that limit how often that happens, it's a good idea to make those choices.
Tip #4 - Some details you can't know are important until you need them
There are so many things you can get with and for your tent and I can't tell you what you're going to need because it's often not even up to you - it may be a requirement of the venue. And you can often get a tent that comes with a lot of bells and whistles - but sometimes the value they bring just isn't worth the cost. Here are some of the things I've encountered:
Walls -- some tents come with fancy walls, even walls with windows. If you can afford them and, especially, If it fits your space and style, go for it. Before you do, check out the price of walls you can buy that attach to any tent and the price of your tent if you don't include those fancy walls. Do you really need windows that will, most likely, look into the wall of your neighbors tent? Or, even worse, into their unwalled tent! I bought a set of 3 walls that fit any tent. Most markets I only need 1, if any. I bring all of them so I can loan them to fellow vendors who are suffering in the sun or trying to keep their art from melting. I have also been very grateful to have them when the wind kicks up because it stops the bursts from taking out my items.
Lights -- if you're doing an outside market at night it's very important to know if the space is well lit or if you need to provide your own lighting. If you have to provide your own you will want to do some research on what kind of lighting will work best for you. I've seen vendors use all manner of lighting -- some come with full setups and generators to run them. I was frustrated by the cost of lights I was seeing until I shifted to searching for rechargeable camping lights. I started with two camping lights that offered good lighting - but I learned quickly they didn't last the whole night so I moved to starting with one and then switching it out when it was drained. Eventually I bought two more and now I start with two and switch them out as needed. The next bit of light I added was a wonderful string of battery powered fairy-light filled light bulbs. There are 10 different blinking options and they are lovely and set a special mood. Once I started using some clear acrylic cases to display some of my clocks (to prevent the wind from blowing them off the tables!) I bought a set of puck lights that can be put in the cases to make sure the clocks have good lighting on them (I've opted to use them during day shows where I decide the clocks need extra attention drawn to them or if I have things displayed on top of the boxes and light isn't coming through the top.). I've got 3 mini lights that last longer and keep some light in play over special and important areas. And the most recent addition is a blow up light with an LED strip that has magnets that attach it to anywhere around the tent frame I put it. It worked so amazingly well that I bought another one and can't wait to see how the space looks with two!
Weights - you really do need them! I don't know why I thought this was much ado about nothing, but the first time I had to take my tent down because it kept trying to take flight I became a true believer! This is another item that might come with your tent - or be an optional add on - but make sure the bags you get will hold enough weight to keep your tent down. You can use bags or weights. I've seen both be excellent. What I have are bags ... and yes, you do need to fill them with sand.
Tip #5 - When in doubt, ask
Whether you're starting out, or wanting to try something new, remember that you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Ask - either the person who manages the market you're attending, other vendors who are using something you think would work for you, or even your customers - one vendor told me that she asked some loyal customers how they thought she could improve her space. They gave her ideas and she adopted them - and is so glad she did. When I showed up with my blue slant leg tent (yes, I set it up for the first time at the market -- last time I did that!) I started asking the friendly vendors near me about their tent - where they got it and how much they paid. This also doesn't apply just to tents.
You can do this!
I know when I was starting out I had so many questions and felt so nervous making purchases -- especially because I felt like there were so many things I could spend my money on, but I knew I could only spend my money once. I wanted to make sure my purchases were investments. I still do! Hopefully these tips will get you headed in the right direction. I'd love to hear about your favorite tips, or any questions you have about tents for vending.
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