The last Show I attended was at The Expo Center in Tucson, Arizona. The old building had antiquated flourescent light fixtures situated at least 100 feet above my table. The lights cast a harsh bluish tint on everything. And to top it off, the flourescent light fixtures directly above my booth were burned out! It took 36 hours (and a lot of pleading) to get building maintenance to replace the burned out bulbs. I suffered an entire day in the gloom of my space. Not good, for selling jewelry!
Here are some options to provide better lighting for your jewelry display - Be sure to shop around for the best prices.
A.) PORTABLE BATTERY SETUP
Provides power for 4 desk lamps and 1 cc processing machine or laptop computer.
Provides power for 4 desk lamps and 1 cc processing machine or laptop computer.
(1) 12 volt 50 amp battery - approx. $145 ($75 for 30 amp battery).
(1) 12 volt, 1.5 amp battery charger (approx $35).
(1) 400 watt Inverter with 2 outlets (approx. $40).(1) 6 plug outlet Power Strip (6 foot cord, 6 outlets approx. $10).
Total cost approx. $160 with 33 amp battery or, $230 for 50 amp battery.
Total space needed for transporting this portable battery setup to a Show = approx. 1.5 cubic feet. Less space than one heavy duty 25 foot extension cord.
The 50 amp battery runs for 50 hours before needing to be recharged. It weighs 40 lbs, so you may need a hand-truck to carry it to your booth site. Option: You can buy a 12 Volt, 33 amp battery ($75) that weighs only 25 lbs, but it will need to be recharged after 30 hours. You can charge it up at home.
The Inverter is connected to the battery. It converts the battery voltage into standard 110 volts for your lights. The Inverter has 2 electrical 110 volt plug-in outlets. You can plug a 6 outlet Power Strip into the inverter for your lights and laptop or cc processor.
I needed to run 4 lights and my laptop computer (or cc processing machine). The 50 amp battery provided enough power for a 2 day Show. I didn't have to lug it home for recharging after the first day. Note: You DO have to make sure the battery is not sitting directly on the ground in case of rain in an outdoor Show, so bring a 2 x 4 board, or other type of riser, to keep it off the ground. This is not a problem for indoor Shows.
B.) SOLAR LIGHTS - No Batteries!!!I found a great new Solar solution for the lights! Here's some alternative SOLAR ideas to the Portable Battery Setup:
Flexible Tube Clip Lights - See photo. This compact solar light clips to your display and can be pointed in different directions. If you are in an outdoor Show, it will automatically keep charging from the ambient sunlight. If you are in an indoor Show, you will need to recharge overnight or have ready-charged replacement Solar batteries on hand. (Solar Flexible Tube Lights - $35 each)
Note: These Solar lights are quite powerful since they use LED technology. They provide 6 hours of indoor light per charge, so you will need spare (pre-charged) solar batteries for 12 continuous hours of running time at a 2 day indoor Show.
BONUS: These Solar lights provide color correct lighting! And they are not HOT like standard light bulbs. Perfect for gem and jewelry displays.
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For cc processing:
(1) JPOS Software - Operates on any Windows laptop pc.
Software: Free. Laptop Swiper: $79 for receipts.Note: You will need backup laptop batteries if you process charges continually during the day. Or, you can swipe the receipts and process them later in the evening.
Or,
(1) Wireless Merchant Account using cell phone processing. You will need to swipe charge forms in order to provide receipts or alternatively, provide hand-written receipts. Swiper: $39.
(1) Solar operated Cell Phone Charger - $60.
Total cost for (4) solar lights: Approx. $144, (not including cc swiper or Solar phone charger).
Total space to transport to Show = Less than 1 cubic foot of space - No heavy batteries, no chords, no bulky lights. I hope these ideas spark some creative solutions for your Art Festival jewelry displays.
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SPECIAL - 25% off Coupon for Solar Lights and Cell Phone Charger
I was so impressed with these Solar products that I purchased a large quantity of them and can offer fellow Jewelry Artisans a special 25% discount.
Please feel free to contact me, especially if you wish to purchase the Solar Phone Charger or Solar Flexible Tube Lights. Both come with a 60 day replacement guarantee.
a.) Flexible Tube Clip Light (red) $35 - 25% = $26.25
b.) Solar Cell Phone Charger $60 - 25% = $45
c.) Flexible Tube Light Base (silver) plus Flex Light & Cell Phone Charger $90 - 25% = $67.50
Please email me directly if you would like to take advantage of this special:
Amulets@Esprit-Mystique.com
Virginia Vivier
http://www.EspritMystique.etsy.com/
1 comments:
Great ideas! My neighbor at a show last year had battery-operated lights. I like the solar light idea a lot, though. It sounds better than lifting a 40-lb battery in and out of the car.
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