No Two Markets Are Ever the Same

One thing I’ve learned from taking Reberry Emporium on the road is that no two shows are ever the same.

I can set up at a witch market one weekend, a gothic market the next, and an oddities show after that. And every single one has its own personality... Different spaces... Different crowds... Different energy... And somehow, a booth setup that worked perfectly at one show suddenly needs to be completely rethought at the next.

And honestly? That’s part of why I love it.

Building Reberry, One Booth at a Time

There’s a lot more that goes into setting up for a show than putting products on a table and calling it done.

Every little detail matters to me.

Where the shirts hang... How the handmade pieces are displayed... What catches your eye when you first walk by. Whether you can actually see everything without the booth feeling overcrowded. What needs to move two inches to the left because, for some reason, it just looks wrong where it is.

Yes, I will absolutely stand there staring at something until I figure out why it’s bothering me.

Being my own boss means I get to make all of those decisions. It also means I have to make all of those decisions.

But I wouldn't trade that freedom for anything.

From Witch Markets to Oddities Shows

One of my favorite things about traveling to different markets is seeing how Reberry fits into each one.

At a witch market, people might be drawn straight to the spell jars, oils, herbs, tarot pieces, and other witchy goodies.

At a gothic market, something completely different might catch their attention.

Then we roll into an oddities show, and suddenly another corner of the booth becomes the star.

It keeps things interesting. It also keeps me constantly learning. About my products, my displays, my customers, and even my own art.

I get to see what makes someone stop walking.

I get to watch them pick something up and immediately show it to the person they're with.

I get to hear, “Oh my god, this is so me.”

Those moments never get old.

The Best Part Isn't the Setup

As much as I love getting all the tiny details of the booth just right, my favorite part comes after everything is finally in place and the doors open.

The people.

I love meeting the people who wander into my booth. I love talking about the things I make, explaining where an idea came from, helping someone find something that speaks to them, and watching people connect with my art.

There’s something completely different about seeing someone react to something you've made in person.

Online, I can see that someone ordered a product.

At a show, I get to see their face.

I get to hear the laugh when they find one of my more sarcastic designs. I get to talk with someone who is genuinely interested in how something was made. I get to meet people who have purchased from Reberry before and came looking for the booth again.

That connection is one of the biggest reasons I keep doing this.

A Little Bit of Chaos, A Lot of Love

Show weekends aren't always glamorous.

There’s packing, hauling, unpacking, setting up, rearranging, realizing something doesn't fit where I planned, changing it again, spending hours on my feet, packing everything back up, and then doing it all over again at the next stop.

But somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, I get to stand inside this little traveling world that I created.

My art is hanging on the walls.

My handmade pieces are filling the tables.

People are walking through, laughing, asking questions, finding things they love, and taking little pieces of Reberry home with them.

I get to travel... I get to create... I get to meet some wonderfully weird people... And I get to call this my job.

Every setup may be different, but I still love doing every damn one of them.

Until the next market,
-Rebecca