Sale:Lessons Learned

Hi All:
 
I have been working in the annual rhizome sale for about 6-7 years and have 
 learned some valuable lessons.  The Mesilla Valley Iris Society held our  
annual sale at the local mall this past weekend.  We set up at 8:30 PM on  
Friday night and sell Saturday and Sunday. We always have some Irises left 
over  on Sunday.  Most of our Irises have pictures
 
We sold out of Irises on Saturday, even those without pictures!  We  made 
$2900.  Three years ago we only made $700 for the sale.  That  year we didn't 
have any advertisement and that part of the Mall where we sold  Irises had 
several closed stores. 
 
This year
    *   had flyers placed in many of the garden stores and around town 
    *   placed a little blurb in the local paper "Garden Briefs".  It  
appeared several times over two weeks 
    *   Found other nearby cities garden clubs on the web and emailed them 
news  about the sale.  The next nearest Iris club was a 4 hour drive. 
    *   moved the sale near the mall theater 
    *   wrote an article for the newspaper on growing Irises in the desert 
    *   placed pictures of the irises on the club's web site 
    *   had people fill their address on postcards at April's show.  We 
then  mail them the postcard before the sale 
    *   Advertised at a local garden club during their "Tour of Gardens" in 
 May
I got the idea for a newspaper article after seeing an article on  
hydrangeas in the local paper.  Hydrangeas, here??!! I believe  hydrangeas will not 
tolerate our alkaline soil and desert environment though the  stores do sell 
them.  However, there it was in the paper.  I thought  somebody should do 
an article on Irises.  So I wrote one up, complete with  pictures and 
pictures of the gardens and sent it in and request they place it  before the sale.  
It appeared on the front page of ""Mi Casa" section  Saturday morning.  
There is nothing like the power of the press.  I  think I have a yearly job.  
Next year, I may write about medians or  rebloomers.
 
Does anyone have any lessons learned that generated increase sales?
 
Scarlett
Reporter ;-)

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