One of the opportunities that a trade show gives us is the ability to catch up on the news about our popular product lines and see previews of what print advertising is promising. Astonishing as it may sound, news from manufacturers can be hard to come by and trade shows are a great opportunity to corner product representatives and get some up to date gossip.

Horse of a Different Color, Winter 2014 Herd

We mentioned in a previous blog that we saw the new set of Horse of a Different Color at the WESA show in January and at the Denver Mart show we had the opportunity to see these pieces again, ahead of their official release in March. Retailers and shopkeepers are very much like consumers. We’ll get a glossy flyer from the manufacturer or, these days, a matte digital photograph in e-mail, and we are left wondering “what does that thing really look like?” Until you actually hold the piece in your hand, you don’t know what it really feels like, what the true colors are and rotating the piece to face the other way provides a completely different perspective.

Advertising images lack general sensory input. We’ve had customers complain because a piece they bought was not colored the same way as the one shown in the advertising. It does not happen often, but sometimes a manufacturing decision is made to change the color of an element in a figurine and the final product does not have the same look as the original. Bells or beads attached to a figurine make sound and create a completely different sensation than a picture. Even touch is a significant factor as the texture of the figurines varies widely, from gloss to smooth to rippled to textured. We have seen the surface of a figurine be the deciding factor in a purchasing decision. And there is smell. There are paints and glues that make items far less desirable until they have had a chance to fully air out. And then there are general differences in pieces that no one has any control over. Remember, while the figurines are all machine molded, they are also all hand finished. Fine detail may vary. The placement of accessories may be just a touch different. Even things like feathers or flare may be oriented differently, based on how they were attached, how much glue was applied and how the piece was set down to dry.

In the age of internet shopping, we understand consumer concerns about making a purchase. We always talk about judging a book by its cover, but in reality an element of the purchase is the deep desire to flip the cover open and read a few lines.

Trade shows provide us an opportunity to see new releases ahead of their official street date and gives us a chance to more clearly speak to what our customers are interested in purchasing. In a way, this is an opportunity for the retailers to do a little window shopping and develop a sense for the products they intend to carry.

[whohit]2014-02-27 Denver Mart part 4 – Using Your Senses[/whohit]