Craft Shows

So right now on Etsy's Storque there's a great article on how to set up a craft show display that looks professional but doesn't cost a lot. I've participated in one or two craft shows so far, as well as a few smaller sales on the UNT campus, so I found this article both interesting and helpful. Thanks to Paw & Claw Designs for writing the article!

You can see from the original forum threads here and here that there were quite a few interesting ideas people had. Some people purchased vintage or thrifted items such as trays and bowls, while others built their own handmade displays from hardware store materials and picture frames.

The flickr group for craft shows also has quite a few pictures of other booth set ups. It's interesting to see how people outside the jewelry craft realm set up displays of their wares.

I personally have used some chocolate boxes that are faux leather with a clear plastic window, as well as a hinged display case (bought on sale at Michaels - 50% off) however I'm not sure how successful the display case method is. It's very effective at preventing people from stealing my jewelry, however I think it tends to make people just glance and walk away. It seems to me that people are more interested in purchasing jewelry when they can pick it up and hold it and look more closely.

What do you think? Have you used display cases, or noticed anything similar to this?