I am constantly improving and editing my materials and display. I like to keep it fresh and seasonal. I've changed how I display the net bags: for the launch party, I just had a huge flat stack of them, like a pile of crepes, because I was crazed, quite frankly. The net bags and baskets arrived about 36 hours before the party so there was no time. I show them in a small basket if it's not a big eco-crowd, and if it's a big eco-event I stuff a basket with bundles so the tops show, like little rosettes. That looks nice until everyone inevitably pulls out a few bundles to look at them. Now I like an overflowing basket on its side.
I've been wanting to make a new hang tag for the produce bags. Initially I rejected the hang tag idea for the net bags since I support the elimination of any non-essential packaging. We use as little packaging as possible; that means a little 100% paper raffia and 100% recycled paper hang tags. That's the extent of it. You carry your basket away, of course. There was one buyer in Glendale who actually asked me for a plastic bag to put her basket in! I looked at her and smiled and explained we advocate eliminating plastic bags. That is the only time since the launch that I have been asked for a bag.
But I've found that sometimes people like a hang tag for the net bags; not if they are going to take them and use them immediately in the market; those people very politely hand me the raffia for reuse. But a lot of people buy them for gifts, a go-green intro gift, party/dinner/lunch/baby shower favors, and it's nice to have something that explains the product, or at least gives an indication.
The other advantage to the hang tag is that it tells you where the bag came from. When I ordered the net bags, I made a point to put my own label on them, visibly, and on the outside, not the inside. But it is constant now -- repeat buyers come and say "everyone asks me where I got them. Can I take some of your business cards?" I kept the company name pretty simple, the website is just the company name.com and the name is on the label. So now when patrons tell me people want to know where they got them, I've taken to pointing to the label on the net bag and saying "that - dot com." Oh...
Anyway, last night we went out to dinner to celebrate D's Confirmation, and at the end of the meal I had a tiny single espresso, with a little lemon rind. It was a particularly good espresso, which I normally drink in France (with little or no effect) and very very rarely here. I got home and was wide awake. Until 1:30am or so. In that time, I looked at 1,330 script fonts, fiddled with a variety of styles, layouts and text conbinations.
In the end, I modified the previous net bag hang tag, which was color and designed by a dear client, Linda, in Calabasas. She used them for the holidays to give her friends citrus from her trees (clever!). I am a classicist, and I decided to go with black ink on recycled paper, to keep with my theme and to save on ink and printing costs, which means I can offer a low cost product. I am using the font from the logo (I still like it best after viewing another 1,330!) and added a more concise explanation and the website address. I'll start to show them this weekend; see what people think.
I've been wanting to make a new hang tag for the produce bags. Initially I rejected the hang tag idea for the net bags since I support the elimination of any non-essential packaging. We use as little packaging as possible; that means a little 100% paper raffia and 100% recycled paper hang tags. That's the extent of it. You carry your basket away, of course. There was one buyer in Glendale who actually asked me for a plastic bag to put her basket in! I looked at her and smiled and explained we advocate eliminating plastic bags. That is the only time since the launch that I have been asked for a bag.
But I've found that sometimes people like a hang tag for the net bags; not if they are going to take them and use them immediately in the market; those people very politely hand me the raffia for reuse. But a lot of people buy them for gifts, a go-green intro gift, party/dinner/lunch/baby shower favors, and it's nice to have something that explains the product, or at least gives an indication.
The other advantage to the hang tag is that it tells you where the bag came from. When I ordered the net bags, I made a point to put my own label on them, visibly, and on the outside, not the inside. But it is constant now -- repeat buyers come and say "everyone asks me where I got them. Can I take some of your business cards?" I kept the company name pretty simple, the website is just the company name.com and the name is on the label. So now when patrons tell me people want to know where they got them, I've taken to pointing to the label on the net bag and saying "that - dot com." Oh...
Anyway, last night we went out to dinner to celebrate D's Confirmation, and at the end of the meal I had a tiny single espresso, with a little lemon rind. It was a particularly good espresso, which I normally drink in France (with little or no effect) and very very rarely here. I got home and was wide awake. Until 1:30am or so. In that time, I looked at 1,330 script fonts, fiddled with a variety of styles, layouts and text conbinations.
In the end, I modified the previous net bag hang tag, which was color and designed by a dear client, Linda, in Calabasas. She used them for the holidays to give her friends citrus from her trees (clever!). I am a classicist, and I decided to go with black ink on recycled paper, to keep with my theme and to save on ink and printing costs, which means I can offer a low cost product. I am using the font from the logo (I still like it best after viewing another 1,330!) and added a more concise explanation and the website address. I'll start to show them this weekend; see what people think.
On Saturday: Maria and Nicole will be at CdM market, I will be at a school benefit in West LA; Sunday: Michelle & Robert will be at Studio City market and I will be at the Brentwood market. I'm going to dye some net bags too tonight and try them with the new tags. I decided what I want to do with the dying for a "pretty," commercially acceptable look so we'll see how it works out!
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