Craft Show After-Thoughts
The second of two craft shows completed yesterday. Here are some craft show after-thoughts that are giving me a lot to think about right now.
Long-Time Craft Show Vendor After-Thoughts
I spoke with many of the vendors I see once or twice a year about the mysteries of success and failure as a craft show vendor. Suffice it to say, we have a lot of theories on why one show is successful and others are dismal failures.
This past weekend was neither. Overall, it was a somewhat meager turnout of potential customers, and I sold about $500 less than I usually do. Given the very slow foot-traffic at the event, I’m lucky to have eked out that much.
The tepid results have re-ignited the conversation of whether I should continue vending at craft shows. The shows require a lot of my time and effort. And up until this year, I could easily justify the satisfaction I got from doing the shows. This year I didn’t have the same balancing ratios of effort to satisfaction.
But I have plenty of time to decide. I also have a lot of inventory to consider. But that will be the case for whenever I decide to stop vending.
Current Knitting
I was able to finish the most recent Close To You Shawl I started last week.
It came out extremely well and even with the increasing width of this design, the stripe patterning didn’t turn the colors muddy or blotchy.
Next I will test this yarn in my Knitted Cross Stitch Scarf design to see how it works in that.
I’m sorry that the turnout, and paycheck, was smaller than hoped for. Last year, after Covid released us from it’s deadly grip, people swarmed to the shows and spent $$! This year, I feel like people are struggling more, financially.
The break that Covid imposed taught me to prune my show list. I now only do shows where I don’t have to set up/ break down in one day (Goodbye Shadfest!). I only did 3 this year. I’d add a couple more if I found ones that are a fit for my style of jewelry.
I love that I was invited to sell for 6 months at the 2nd Floor Art Gallery! Kenoka is kind, creative and attentive. He runs a beautiful gallery that has helped so many artists/craftsfolk sell their work. You should email him and send photos. I think your knitting would sell really well there. I’m very grateful to be there this season!
I’d love to find a Gallery or Boutique to sell my work on a regular basis.
That’s the direction I’d like to take, because doing shows is hard on this aging body, and I doubt that I’ll ever lose my passion for beads and gemstones and the magic of metalwork.
Good luck finding your way! ❤️