soapsydaisy
Well-Known Member
I saw this article
http://www.handmadeology.com/tips-for-preventing-theft-at-a-craft-show/
and it reminded me of several events from my years of selling/managing farmer's markets. I think too often vendors become comfortable at the markets they sell at and become careless.
I can recall selling strawberries at a busy street fair at night 6 or 7 years ago. My neighbor was selling honey and was doing fairly well that night. He was by himself and had a single table in his booth. As he was busy talking to customers, a young man ran into his booth (mind you a single table with a cash box sitting in plain sight) and grabbed the cash box and ran. The market was so happening with crowds and loud music that the vendor could not ask for help right away. The young man had gotten away with all of the money the man had made that evening, to make matters worse, the vendor had left an envelope with the money he had made in his morning market and the money from the night before. The young man did not get caught and the vendor was out over $1200.
The vendor could have taken some simple steps to prevent this theft:
Please be careful when you are selling. Keep a lookout for people that are "hanging out" behind booths or sitting for a long period of time just observing the market. Most thefts occur when the market is busy and there are large amounts of people crowded in a booth.
http://www.handmadeology.com/tips-for-preventing-theft-at-a-craft-show/
and it reminded me of several events from my years of selling/managing farmer's markets. I think too often vendors become comfortable at the markets they sell at and become careless.
I can recall selling strawberries at a busy street fair at night 6 or 7 years ago. My neighbor was selling honey and was doing fairly well that night. He was by himself and had a single table in his booth. As he was busy talking to customers, a young man ran into his booth (mind you a single table with a cash box sitting in plain sight) and grabbed the cash box and ran. The market was so happening with crowds and loud music that the vendor could not ask for help right away. The young man had gotten away with all of the money the man had made that evening, to make matters worse, the vendor had left an envelope with the money he had made in his morning market and the money from the night before. The young man did not get caught and the vendor was out over $1200.
The vendor could have taken some simple steps to prevent this theft:
- He could have put up the sidewall on the back of his EZ Up.
- He could have had another table or 2 to make a "u" shape within his booth.
- Used his pockets or a vendor apron to hold his cash box instead of an exposed cash box.
- He could have brought some extra hands to look out, even if it was his wife, brother, nephew, son, kid that lives across the street, etc.
- He shouldn't have left his other money in the cash box. When doing back to back markets, the vendor should try to find a consistent spot to store the cash. I always preferred to lock it inside the glove box of the truck.
Please be careful when you are selling. Keep a lookout for people that are "hanging out" behind booths or sitting for a long period of time just observing the market. Most thefts occur when the market is busy and there are large amounts of people crowded in a booth.