More Reflections on PhatFiber Samples
I was going to write a reply to Jody's comment to my last post about the PhatFiber Sampler box but realized (as it got longer and longer) that maybe I should post it instead!
She was wanting a little more detail, as a yarn and fiber seller, on my opinions as a buyer, on what I saw and liked or disliked. Always, when I first open the box, there are things that catch my eye instantly. I readily confess to having magpie syndrome and the sparklies always get me, but once I get over that I spend more thoughtful time going over each and every sample.
Although I would like to say color doesn't matter, it does! Not necessarily "what" the color is, but rather the combinations in a multi-colored sample or the variations in a monotone that goes light and dark. Some color combos make me go "yuck!", others make me grab that sample first - even things I wouldn't have thought I'd like, if you asked me ahead of time. I think experimental combos have their place but if you want to narrow down your clientelle right off the hop, send your "I thought maybe I'd try this what do you think..." combos! LOL!! Having said that, I realize not every taste is the same and some things I don't like, others will drool over. Still, I think it's really about showing off your best take on the box theme. For example, December's theme is Music Box. Some contributors decided it was Juke Box instead so there's a whole different feel to their rock 'n roll theme contributions. Music Box makes me think of little girls in pink tutus winding up the antique to dance to the Nutcracker. Quite a disparity in interpretation! The first box I contributed to the theme was Old Masters (ie: painters) and many of the samples included a business card with a picture of the famous painting they chose their color theme from. I was deeply impressed and the color samples were truly beautiful! I haven't seen samples follow the theme so well since!
She was wanting a little more detail, as a yarn and fiber seller, on my opinions as a buyer, on what I saw and liked or disliked. Always, when I first open the box, there are things that catch my eye instantly. I readily confess to having magpie syndrome and the sparklies always get me, but once I get over that I spend more thoughtful time going over each and every sample.
Although I would like to say color doesn't matter, it does! Not necessarily "what" the color is, but rather the combinations in a multi-colored sample or the variations in a monotone that goes light and dark. Some color combos make me go "yuck!", others make me grab that sample first - even things I wouldn't have thought I'd like, if you asked me ahead of time. I think experimental combos have their place but if you want to narrow down your clientelle right off the hop, send your "I thought maybe I'd try this what do you think..." combos! LOL!! Having said that, I realize not every taste is the same and some things I don't like, others will drool over. Still, I think it's really about showing off your best take on the box theme. For example, December's theme is Music Box. Some contributors decided it was Juke Box instead so there's a whole different feel to their rock 'n roll theme contributions. Music Box makes me think of little girls in pink tutus winding up the antique to dance to the Nutcracker. Quite a disparity in interpretation! The first box I contributed to the theme was Old Masters (ie: painters) and many of the samples included a business card with a picture of the famous painting they chose their color theme from. I was deeply impressed and the color samples were truly beautiful! I haven't seen samples follow the theme so well since!
Next to color is tidiness. I've seen some samples just tossed together in tissue
paper which is really a shame, especially when the fiber is so nice. I think some
sellers have great stuff yet very little thought goes into what it will look
like after it has been shipped twice - once to PhatFiber and then out to the box
buyer. Even fiber samples done up simply as a coil with a nice ribbon can travel well and be memorable when the fiber and or color speaks to you. Here's a flip side thought - the braided samples (yes, some contributors spend hours braiding their samples! Wow!) travel extremely well and make a smashing presentation, especially because they look just like the full size thing they are trying to tempt you to buy - but - you don't get a good feel of the fiber until you take it all apart (one downside) and I am personally not especially fond of braids, even though almost every seller uses them for shipping, because it all has to be thoroughly pre-drafted before you can spin it. Remember though, I'm a gal who will spin from clean locks without carding too, so I'm not only a lazy knitter! LOL! Some samples
are excessively packaged in fancy plastic bottles or elaborate containers and I feel
it adds to their attractiveness, not necessarily their saleability. I mean, the packaging looks really good but I'm not
interested in buying packaging. I want a sample that when I see it and especially touch
it, makes me want to spin it and create something. Those are the samples that
make me check out a shop. I don' t really want to have to fight to get at it first. Creative packaging can make your sample stand out but I believe there's a fine line there, and something about gilding a lily..... I've always thought that a sample of pencil roving might be cute and attractive wound like a ball of yarn. See what I mean? It doesn't require lots of extra bells and whistles if your fiber is really great to start with. And believe me, the great fiber does stand out! All I have to do is close my eyes and let my hands go over the fiber samples.
The yarn samples in the box are fairly straightforward. Pretty much all of them come in sweet twisted mini-skeins, ready to cast on with. Very much a what-you-see-is-what-you-get proposition and I have to give real kudos to the indie dyers because so far I haven't got a yarn sample that made me say "Meh!". In fact I recently purchased a skein of lace weight yarn because I liked the sample so much. I'll post pics when it arrives.
But after all this I can't say enough about tagging! Even if you can't afford professional business cards - and there's no shame in that, since I print my own - at least include something that looks like you spent more than 5 minutes with an old typewriter! What goes in the box is the customer's only "look" at you/your business. If your printed representations look like you didn't care enough to spend a few minutes, it's hard to inspire a customer to care about what you sell. You don't have to spend money to make your stuff look good, just expend a little creativity. How about using fancy fonts, multi-colored text, colored paper, textured paper, decorative edge cutting scissors, a bit of ribbon to tie it on... glitter sticks? As I said in my last post, my business cards don't hold their own compared to lots of the others and I'm going to have to do something about it - but it doesn't include running out and spending big bucks on professional printing.
I want to mention a transition I noticed, from a non-PhatFiber seller, Susan's Spinning Bunny . Like me, she hates braids and doesn't ship her indie dyed fiber braided, she used to just wind it into balls. It wasn't easy to tag and was also awkward to ship. Recently, she has started zig-zagging her fiber about a foot in length (laying it back and forth) and then rolling printed cardstock labels around the main length. The new labels are attractive and the size and shape of the fiber bundle is easier to ship as well. She stayed true to her opinions about compacted braids but came up with an easy and more marketable method of packaging her fiber. And yes, the printed labels are a vital part of projecting her business image. Just seeing that made me think again about how important those darn printed cards and labels are (with or without a discount code)! They really say, Yes! it's a business - or - No, just a casual hobby.
The yarn samples in the box are fairly straightforward. Pretty much all of them come in sweet twisted mini-skeins, ready to cast on with. Very much a what-you-see-is-what-you-get proposition and I have to give real kudos to the indie dyers because so far I haven't got a yarn sample that made me say "Meh!". In fact I recently purchased a skein of lace weight yarn because I liked the sample so much. I'll post pics when it arrives.
But after all this I can't say enough about tagging! Even if you can't afford professional business cards - and there's no shame in that, since I print my own - at least include something that looks like you spent more than 5 minutes with an old typewriter! What goes in the box is the customer's only "look" at you/your business. If your printed representations look like you didn't care enough to spend a few minutes, it's hard to inspire a customer to care about what you sell. You don't have to spend money to make your stuff look good, just expend a little creativity. How about using fancy fonts, multi-colored text, colored paper, textured paper, decorative edge cutting scissors, a bit of ribbon to tie it on... glitter sticks? As I said in my last post, my business cards don't hold their own compared to lots of the others and I'm going to have to do something about it - but it doesn't include running out and spending big bucks on professional printing.
I want to mention a transition I noticed, from a non-PhatFiber seller, Susan's Spinning Bunny . Like me, she hates braids and doesn't ship her indie dyed fiber braided, she used to just wind it into balls. It wasn't easy to tag and was also awkward to ship. Recently, she has started zig-zagging her fiber about a foot in length (laying it back and forth) and then rolling printed cardstock labels around the main length. The new labels are attractive and the size and shape of the fiber bundle is easier to ship as well. She stayed true to her opinions about compacted braids but came up with an easy and more marketable method of packaging her fiber. And yes, the printed labels are a vital part of projecting her business image. Just seeing that made me think again about how important those darn printed cards and labels are (with or without a discount code)! They really say, Yes! it's a business - or - No, just a casual hobby.
Posted by Gloria Patre at 12/9/2010 6:11 PM 
Categories: Musings
Tags: PhatFiber Sampler Box November seasons of Light
Categories: Musings
Tags: PhatFiber Sampler Box November seasons of Light
That was very intersting to read. You made me click on Spinning Bunny's link, and now I've signed up for 2011 Fondle This! fiber club! You are a bad enabler! :o)
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Thanks Monica
That was very well written and I LOL at your reference to the "Magpie Syndrome". I will keep what you said in mind, especially as I am working on Hubbert Farms fibre sample packets for a few stores.
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