schoolteacher

I am sooooo excited. Got tickets to the Des Moines quilt show in October. Any advice for a first timer? Anyone else going?

PaperPrincess

Comfortable shoes. Notebook. Camera. If you don't have good sales resistance, take only as much cash as your budget allows and leave your plastic at home. I usually go to shows for 2 days. Look at quilts one day & shop the next!

GrandmaPeggy

Listen to PaperPrincess. I do not carry a purse, so instead, I use one of the fanny packs. However, there are a lot of shop lifters and pick pockets at the shows, so I keep in in front. I take a light weight reusable shopping bag folded in a back pocket of my jeans, just in case I shop. I found a great one for a couple of dollars a few years ago at the office supply store near me. You will get tired of the plastic bag handles cutting into your arm and the longer handles on the reusable bag can fit on your shoulder, with the purchases fitting snuggly between your body and arm. I put a phone in my front pocket. Unfortunately, my body only lasts a few hours, so I make only one day of the show. Try not to go on Saturdays as the people are shoulder to shoulder. I prefer Fridays, as most folks are still at work. We see many foreign visitors at the Houston International Quilt Festival. Have fun. You will love seeing all the beautiful quilts. It is just like going to the Fine Arts Museum to me. That is the way I got hooked into quilting, although my grandmother was a quilter too.

Scissor Queen

All of this plus take breaks often. Even if you don't think you're tired take a 10 minute break and sit down fairly regular. Most of the shows I go to aren't so big that you can't do the whole thing in one day if you take regular breaks.

schoolteacher

Great ideas. Wondered about a camera. Thanks for the feedback.

Pagzz

I like to carry a tote bag on my shoulder if I carry a purse it is one with long handles and I leave it mostly empty. Going through vendors I end up with business cards, flyers, small samples, and small purchases that I can toss in the tote and keep my hands free. A tote with an easy access pocket for your camera is especially nice.