The Monday After

I'm so glad I don't have to work this week. I am truly tired to the bone today. All that setting up and breaking down and smiling and being friendly all weekend wears a person out. I didn't change much about my display. It was a smaller area than I had before so I didn't put out my barrette display and I just scattered a few here and there on the table. And wouldn't you know it I actually sold one of them for the first time at a show. Saturday was a very good day, not an amazing day but a very good day. Sunday was pretty dismal. I had one good sale and several nice young girls admire my things and buy some little items. Saturday I passed out over a hundred business cards mostly to people who really seemed interested in my work. In addition I made right at 4 times my booth fee. I've heard people say that they are happy if they make 3 x's the booth fee so I really have nothing to complain about. I also made a great trade for a necklace I love with Jest Studio. There were a lot of people selling very traditional crafts there which is not a bad thing at all but it was nice to talk to someone else who also sold on Etsy and did some really unique work.

It was not as profitable as Strange Folk but who knows what will come out of the contacts I made. I talked to one woman at length about her dream poncho she would like me to make her and there were others who had ideas for custom scarves they would like. I went ahead and paid for my booth for next year and I will be in my same spot. It was a very good location in the main hall. Most of the people who are in that area have had the same spot for years. I found out that there was actually over a hundred people on a waiting list for this year's show so signing up for it last year on the day of the show was actually a great investment. I was lucky to have Diane next to me this year. It was so nice to have someone to watch my booth for me while a took a little break and talk to about the customers. She won't be doing next year's show which is a bummer but I did get to know the vendors around me who will all be there again next year.

I heard other vendors who have been doing this for years complaining about the effects of the economy. They said they were making around 2/3 of what they made at the same shows last year. I really don't have anything to compare it to since I'm such a newbie. My personal observations were that I didn't see the effect on the Saturday shoppers a bit. They were the die hard shoppers who fell in love with something and bought it. Sunday I felt it. People were much more hesitant. I could see them fall in love with something and then I could see it in their eyes as they talked themselves out of it. I really don't know how to stop the backward spiral of do I really need this.

I've gotten pretty good at helping convince someone how good they look in one of my scarves but I couldn't really do the other. It is usually really easy. I can tell when they put something on that really suits them, their face lights up and they get that sparkle in their eye. It's easy to encourage that impulse and usually once I show them the look in the mirror they have to have it. I am a shopper myself and I have a friend who always says do you want me to talk you into or out of buying it. I know what cues are helpful for taking the plunge. But I also know what it feels like to want something you can't afford and I don't want one of my scarves to be a regretted purchase. So I didn't do any truly hard selling.

I did tell people who were struggling with a decision that I take credit cards which sometimes does help make the decision easier. I must say signing up for Propay was the best investment for my craft show sales I ever made. If you are undecided about it let me tell you I've made at least $400 in sales I know I would not have made with out taking credit. It is definitely worth the $40 sign up fee. Overall it was a good weekend and I'm happy with how it went.

Up Close and Personal

So my first big show of the season was a big success. I have 2 more coming up in the next month and so I'm starting to feel the anxiety again. I definitely have more confidence going into the next one but because each show has it's own vibe and target there is still the uncertainty. My next one is the Lindbergh Rotary club show. It is the largest craft show in the St. Louis area and has close to 500 vendors. I went last year and walked around and helped out a friend's mom who has a booth each year. It is overwhelmingly big and sprawls out throughout the high school. I signed up on the day of the show last year and will be right next to Diane who always brings in the crowds.

It will be a very different crowd from the one at the Strange Folk Festival. I'm predicting a more traditional and "soccer mom" group. I've tried to focus on things the past month or so that would appeal to this market more. I've kept to the colorful, fun scarves but stayed away from some of the more goth elements I enjoyed creating for Strange Folk. I've never taken a business or marketing class in my life, but one thing I do know is that you have to know who your audience is. I think I actually learned that in a journalism class but it applies here too.

I also think it's important to check out the water before you dive in. Last year I just did a few little shows for fun and the experience. But I gave a lot of thought to which shows I wanted to do for this year. If possible I think it's helpful to actually go to the show the year before you sign up. I didn't have a chance to do that for Strange Folk but I did check out all the information I could about it on-line to make sure it would be a good fit. I'm hopeful that Lindbergh will be a good market as well, as it was the biggest investment so far with a $90 booth fee. I know this isn't much compared to big art shows but it was to me. The timing on it is good for me, being the weekend before Thanksgiving so the weather should be cool and people will be really starting to think about holiday shopping.

My last show for the year is the weekend after Thanksgiving and it is a real change for me. I'm doing the Big Ass Indie Art & Craft Show. Here is what it says about it on the Mad Art Galleries website:

Mad Art Gallery presents the Big Ass Indie Art and Craft Show, your alternative to the alternative holiday craft shows. Our 2008 show offers three days of shopping (December 5, 6, 7) in St. Louis' most spectacular and well-known venue for art exhibitions and unique events. Our show focuses on presenting original art and hand-made crafts of the highest quality in a shopping environment designed to provide your customers with a pleasurable shopping experience.

I'm not real sure what to expect with this one. It is more of a boutique style in that I don't have to be there the whole time. It is going to require a lot of leg work so I really hope it is worth it. Everything has to be tagged and itemized on a spread sheet. I'm sure I'll be talking more about this process as I work on it. I'm not the most organized person in the world so this will be a challenge for me. I didn't follow my rule of checking the show out ahead of time. I was invited to sign up for it by a convo on Etsy and decided to go for it. It should be a more creative market and I'm hoping since it will be with mostly art, some of my higher end pieces might get some attention. It was only a $30 upfront investment but they will be taking 10% of my earnings. This is comparable to etsy and paypal fees so I think it will balance out. I'm sure I'll be rambling on about these shows as they get closer and my anxiety level increases.