Heartland Antiques show, or how to set up your booth.

I often wonder if our customers know how we go about setting up a booth at an antiques show. So while we were getting ready to set up our booth at the famous Heartland Antiques Show in Richmond IN I took a bunch of pictures. Sort of a before and after.

So here is my space. Looks kind of scary, no? I have the back of those walls and 8' forward, so an 8' x 20' space. OK its 8 a.m and lets get going. First we check in, make sure we have the right space, get our badges, and pay any amount still due. Yes, we do have to pay to be here. Then we have to find the closest place to back in the van, so we don't have to carry all this heavy stuff too far.

Now it's about 45 minutes along. See all that heavy stuff Cy carried in? I of course was doing my assignment, shopping! No, really I helped carry. You can see we have all those orange boxes of smalls, and our folding tables set up and Cy is setting up our walls. Time for a big drink of water, a little sit down, and oh, yeah maybe I'll walk around a little and look and see who's here.

We're not the only ones working here. All the dealers are getting sweaty moving heavy things. Typically they do not have the air on while all the doors are open.

Here its 10 a.m. and we have the wall covers on, the props all set up. I have such a large space I rented an extra table and put my favorite table cover on, army blankets.Maybe a cup of coffee?

Here's a view under the table covers. Guess who? Freckles and Lucy! This is one of the nice shows that let me keep the babies under the tables. Considering the heat, its a blessing.

Here is Steve and Rita Carnine. Looks like they are almost done.Yeah!

Here's Carolyn Thompson and friend Sharon Matson. They are done too. Well, I guess I'll stop walking around and get finished up.

Well, finally done. Looks good no? I unpacked all the smalls, and then hung all the wall stuff on the walls. Then I arranged the smalls on the tables. Then I looked around and found a bunch of stuff that was not priced, so I had to look up the prices and price them. Then put out the sales book and pens, and the measuring tape and the bags and tissue, all ready for that first sale.

Here's the textile and old book nook. I wish you could see the beautiful silk embroidery on the wall better.

Here's the right side of the booth from the aisle, with our last hornbeam. In the background are the hands of tobacco, the leather bags and that barn lantern hanging from an iron chain. Almost done, had a few rearranges due to sales, but hey I'm not complaining. Good luck tomorrow we all say to each other. Now I'm off to look for that barbecue place that looked good last night.
After a full day of waiting on customers tomorrow, we get to do this all over again, but in reverse. Unhang the walls, pack all the smalls back in the orange boxes, take off the wall covers and take down the walls, fold the table covers,and fold up the tables. Then carry all the heavy stuff back out to the car and try and make it all fit back in.

I think we've got everything packed in the car. Almost, but not quite. Look who's patiently waiting! OK babies, come on lets go home! I'm beat.