Where's the chocolate cake.... worst show ever!

[Amber]

*sigh*, yup, worst show ever. $43 in sales....... my table cost 84 bucks for goodness sake*grr*.
Being new to craft shows and what not, and knowing that since I don't really do ladybugs, hummingbirds and fill my table with suncatchers, I can get that I'm not everyone's cup of tea. I do try a couple butterflies and dragonflies, they sell well but I hate them and they take up very little room on my table compared to coasters, votives, bowls and pendants. I'm o.k. with that though, I like making what makes me happy and selling small then making things that just don't fit who I am just to make some extra dollars. Today though was horrendous! It was a nice looking show, with good vendors selling a variety of work that was of good quality. The weather co-operated and tons of people were out at the show, (tons to me is about 400 or 500 with about 40 to 50 vendors). Most tables were like me and did next to nothing in sales, some sold nothing and some were scraping by enough to cover the table fee. Keep in mind I booked two 4 foot sections, while most booked one so they only had to sell forty bucks to cover........ pitiful! My expectations from shows aren't much, I by no means make as much as others, but I can usually count on a quiet show for 150 and a nice show for 250 which is great for me :). This thing today was a huge disappointment, I'm relieved that I wasn't alone but it sucks to be at a show with tire kickers wandering the aisles.

[Barbara]

Sorry about the disappointment.  Always nice to feel the appreciation of your artwork.  Guess it was the day for the tire kickers and no buyers.

[Kev]

My first and only show was a tire kicker convention...lol

[Amber]

I'm slightly bitter, can you tell *lol. The mister flew out at noon to go to Ottawa for a couple weeks and I've only a smattering of time with him this year with his work (I always think next year will be better but really it's no different then the last 8 years *L), anyways I wish I had stayed home with him and had a relaxing coffee with a proper goodbye. I feel like I wasted the day, and I really would have liked to see him off. Ah well, what's done is done, contacts with other vendors and the fun chatter is right up my ally so that part was really nice :).

[Kev]

Cut off a big piece of cake for me ! I totally understand.

[JoanFrances]

So sorry Amber,that really stinks.  I have done a few shows like that.  People telling how nice my work is but not buy. 

At one show when I was still doing ceramic, one lady had the nerve to tell me she was able to get one piece something like I was selling at a "Yard Sale" for like 2 bucks.  Yeah, lady used, second hand stuff is always cheaper, is what I wanted to tell her LOL

Don't let it get you down. Did any of your business cards go?  Sometimes, that leads to a commission at a later date. 

Do you lay your sun catchers on the table or hang them.  If you can get them displayed with the sun going threw them the sparkle catchs the eye better, just a thought.

[nansea121]

Hugs Amber!!!! Sorry to hear this show didn't work out for you this time. It takes a few slow ones to make the great ones feel even greater! When your hubby comes home again, have some chocolate cake with him:)

[Amber]

I had a few cards go but that was far less then usual too, even my rack info cards that usually get picked up like hot cakes by people looking but not buying just didn't really leave the table *boo*. I did meet some interesting vendors though so some of them took my card, which is nice.
As for the suncatchers I did hang them on a pretty metal tree branch display, and my table looked nice with some height displays and some lamps for light which actually were lent to me by a nice booth neighbor! I just found that people didn't touch my stuff as much as normal and everyone seemed to have a hoo-humm kinda vibe when they walked by.
I met one young woman who works with pottery, she's goes to our local arts college and she does a really nice work, this was her first show and before I bought a mug she had zero dollars in sales. Poor crafter had no idea if that's the norm so I told shows are usually much better! I'd hate for her to have a lousy first show and not bother with many more.



side note, I've moved on from the cake and opened up the wine *lol! If this doesn't do it then nothing will *winks*.

[Kev]

Cheers friend!

[JoanFrances]

     that oughta do it to ya LOL

[Amber]

Now we're talking!! *smiles*

[Lynn]

Sorry to hear it didn't go well for you today.  The wine should help things!

[Evelyn]

Amber,
I can join you on the "couch" - been there, done that, lost money on my last craft show, didn't even make enough to cover the cost.  Really felt like I wasted all my time and effort, not only in setting up and taking down, but making everything.  It was really disappointing...so have a couple of drinks for me and hopefully everything will improve.

[Lady Helen]

Sorry that sales weren't better for you.

[Kev]

Amber...if you could please have a few drinks for each of us that lately have had bad shows..you should be feeling pretty good in no time...see...what are friends for. 

[Amber]

Thanks for letting me *wine* everyone!
~snickers~

It's nice to talk to people who can 'get' the disappointment :).

[Judy K]

So sorry. I have been there. It seems to me over the years that some shows are consistently good and some consistently bad. I don't do the weak shows anymore, but I had to sit through them 2 or 3 times to find out which is which.

Visiting with your old friends the vendors is always good. A real community forms.

[Anne]

 I agree with Judy.  I've done a LOT of shows over the years (but then I AM one of those people that do the ladybugs and dragonflies).  I will not do a show where the attendance expectations are only 400-500 people, nor would I do a show where the table cost is only $40. I'm of a mind that you get what you pay for.  The best shows to do are the ones that are juried. People go to those shows prepared to spend their money and they are looking for and recognize quality.  You can still make those small things and do them well, and given the economy that seems to be what sells mostly. Hopefully the next show will be better, but I'd look for the bigger well established shows that draw the larger crowds.

[Amber]

I think the hard thing is here the big shows are only a few times a year and it's too hard for me to travel alone out of town to do other ones. We have a big one in September that I'm prepping for and it get's about 6000 visitors and then next one is not until in November and then following that December, mind you these shows are spread over 3 days to accommodate that many people. If it's local and big I can hire someone to help me but anything out of town is now scratched of the list. I was looking to do one on May 8th in Woodstock, I booked in think that the hubby would be able to travel with me and work the show but he was just asked out of town again. I don't think I can man a booth solo for the really big shows.....
Basically if I want to get my name out there, then doing exhibits, hanging larger works in restaurants and doing small shows readily available to me are all just as important. And I do like most of these smaller shows, a couple hundred bucks to me every few weeks if I can get is great *lol. If I could pick from bigger shows though I would probably just focus on them, but New Brunswick doesn't have many and Fredericton even fewer. I think my province has 6 big shows, three are here in my city, I am lucky that for a small city of 50,000 we have a big cultural community that supports the arts though!

[Lou Ann]

Amber,

I do a fair amount of small shows as a vendor and I have shopped a lot of the larger juried shows here in Nashville and I think you need to decide if you want to do big or small. Around here the inventory is not the same at all. At the small shows people want items that are $25 and under but at the bigger juried shows people are more interested in art work and commissions. I do see both types of vendors at the shows I've done and when I talk to them about the other shows they do, this distinction becomes very evident...

Lou Ann