Craft Show results

18 years ago

Well,our first craft show on the Sunshine Coast is done.We sold 5 pieces,justifying our prices nicely.We found our bigger(read:heavier!)ones did not sell,but some garden centres want to talk about product placement with them,including our large ones.And the biggest bang for the buck included pieces painted with Modern Masters metallic paints.Everyone who passed by LOVED these finishes!

As to the prices:a greenman,about 9 inches by 17 inches,was 79 dollars.Our"Tree Guy",a mold from Concrete Success,was good for 59 dollars.People paid without a problem.

for those of you reading this thread and live in Western Canada or NW US,consider checking up on the Filbert Festival,on Vancouver Island.The booth costs are high(600 dollars) for 4 days,but the returns can be staggering.Case in point:The lady next to us sells jackets for about four HUNDRED dollars,each.At the FF,people were buying two or three at a time!!She was VERY happy!

Anyhow,cheers from a tired here!

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Comments (11)

scooterbug
18 years ago
Sounds like you had a worthwhile showing of your handiworks.

Congrats on da sales.

Wondering if I have da same tree spirit/man ?

I tried a diff low-tech paint technique on a few thing including him.

Have fun playing in da mud ;-)

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:73089}}
rickharmer
Original Author
18 years ago
Yep,same guy!What we've done is alter the exposed eye by cutting the mold so that we can put in a large glass eye instead.Looks totally cool!And,you can get lots of different colours of eyes(I use Michaels for this) to compliment your face colours!
Cheers from here
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I think the real long-term issue for artists is that now, in the information age, people are becoming accustomed to not paying for things at all. I was, in my first couple of years selling handmade artworks on eBay, constantly asked, why I'd make, sell, and ship original art pieces (gouache, acrylic, pastel, etc) often well below the cost of the materials. Everyone seemed to suspect I was lying, or cheating customers somehow. The real answer was, nobody was buying those pieces if I priced them above a dollar because a lot of people these days in the digital era seem to be irrationally conditioned to expect everything for free or nearly free. Problem is, nothing is really going to be free. Everything has a cost to it, and in these cases I pretty much absorbed the cost of the items I was losing money on, by doing other tedious jobs like transcription tasks for around $5/hr. The cost was my time, and all my genuinely creative projects moving forward at a snail's pace. The cost was that a lot of the things I've tried to work on, that people want me to finish, aren't getting finished any time soon. If every customer is this stingy, and everyone pirates everything, or wants everything available for free, it'll kill the software industry, games industry, movies, music, books, etc - or clutter them all with lots of ads like television. Sort of a 'prisoner's dilemma' situation, on a much larger scale. I saw this coming years ago and made a determination that I would never pirate anything. I'd be one of the ones who paid for digital products. I'm weird that way. There were some artworks back then that I made to order for customers, and sold for as little as a penny. And there were some listings priced at a penny that *still* wouldn't sell. Right now, now that I have 120 ratings on eBay, all positive, people are beginning to get that I'm actually doing this, that it isn't a joke or a trick. That's good, because now I'm actually able to sell some large art pieces at prices where I actually turn a profit on them. Not a big profit, mind you, it's more like $2-$3/hr, but at least I'm not losing money on all of my items. (Though, in between all my fixed price stuff, there are still listings with 99-cent opening bids.) An example of an ad I posted in a few places: My eBay shop The other thread discussing my work. A big thank you, BTW, to everyone who did buy from me, whether the amount they spent was a penny or a dollar or anything else, as those early ratings on eBay were key to establishing a track record there. It's really helped. I am excited about the future and how things are going now. I'm optimistic that soon I'll be able to ramp up development of indie games and videos and do some really fun stuff. So thanks, everybody.
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So glad to hear you did well. But noticed nothing said of your weenie warmers.But it sounds like you cleaned up on potato bags. Glad to hear you did so well. Sometimes you wonder if folk still want hand crafted things. At least with the current news on a lot of the China imports, it may give the home grown-home made industry a boost. As we do keep safety in mind and certainly don't use lead paints in our projects. But either or, congrats on your success.
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I couldn't agree more! it's ALL about organizing your "stuff". I sew for my supper, and if my own workroom wasn't well organized I'd be dead in the water. The other aspects that I've found problematic over the years are: 1.) poor lighting 2.) not enough tabling. You have to have good, task-specific lighting. As I've gotten older and my eyes have begun to do the "40s bi-focal thing" I've become more aware of its importance. Drafting lamps that you can clamp onto things are extremely helpful and can be purchased on sale at big box stores. Tabling is more problematic, I think. This is especially true if you want to make draperies or BIG things. Working on the floor is an option (buy some soft knee pads!!!) but working on your hands and knees sucks and if it sucks... well, you ain't gonna want to get up and finish the project the next morning... ESP. if you've had to clear the space for dinner, etc.. Also under the "organization" tent is SCHEDULING. This is so very, VERY important to home sewers because too often you guys have NO clue how long a project will take! I know how long something will take within minutes of assessing it. But I've been sewing professionally for close to 30 yrs. now, AND I have the tools and machinery to do the jobs with greater ease than many of you do. Here's an example: It takes me 3 1/2 hrs. to cut out a fully boxed cushion, the requisite welting ("piping"), assemble it completely, cut out the foam, and stuff it. But I've made HUNDREDS of them. Working with one machine, no experience, on your dining room table it might take you a full day. SO, it makes it lots easier if you have a place where you can set up, AND STAY SET UP until you finish the project. In my years sewing, and also TEACHING sewing I've found the greatest barrier to FUN is setting up and putting away.
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I love your turtles, and congrats on the sales! As for the people, I feel you pain. Trust me, it's not just crafts that get this sort of thing. I write romance novels for Harlequin and you wouldn't believe the number of people who think they can crank out some quick money by writing them too, as if there's an easy formula, you can just think up a romance and whip it together in an hour or two. I agree with the artist who advised you to simply generalize, explain that it's an involved process that takes a lot of practice. Maybe suggest a good book on the craft they should buy if they're interested in trying it. After all, you're there to sell your wares, not hold demonstration classes. And for those who say they're going to go home and try it, just smile and say, "Good luck with that." My husband gets the same thing. He works trade shows selling sports memorabilia, and the most common phrase he hears is, "I can get that on E-bay for half the price." Which leads to the question, "Then what the heck are you doing here?" For sure, when you open yourself to the public, you'll run into your share of boorish people and others who are, at heart nice, but just don't think about what they're really saying. It's a trial, for sure! But really, it's a compliment when you make something look easy. It speaks to your talent, because--and I know because I'm someone who is just learning the craft--it's a heck of a lot harder than it looks. And this is said by someone who scours through the how-to books, is starting out simple and working my way up, and participating in loops like this. Anyone who thinks they can just go home, break up some tile and stick it on a stone sculpture will end up woefully disappointed in their results and will be back next year, appreciating what a bargain yours are!
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tufaenough
18 years ago
Happy to hear you had a great experience Rick.
Looking forward myself to seeing your work.

I remember my first show (woodwork) like it was yesterday. I was so excited and worried it would go poorly, people would laugh at my work.
The show was a huge success. The other venders welcomed me with open arms.
I was hooked. After that success was measured in how much fun it was to be there. The money was secondary. I just wanted enough to keep at it.

They were great days.
Christmas shows were the best!
tango88
18 years ago
Hey Rick --- Big Congrats! Sounds like you were a hit. The finishes sound very cool...any pix of the pieces you sold?
rickharmer
Original Author
18 years ago
My wife,the photog in the family,will get them on later this week.The affair was fun,although attendance was down.Apparently,in the community of Sechelt,where the craft show was held,in the years when the Writers Festival is going on as well,the crafters get more sales.This year,there was a "Show and Shine"for the auto crowd.Not the buyers that the writers are(sorry,Billie Ann!).
cheers from here
billie_ann
18 years ago
Rick, As much as I like hypertufa and concrete pieces I love my corvette more.
I forgot to proof read those photocopies I made for you. I'll be sending them to your B & B address this week.
Congrats on a great show. Billie
Rainsend
18 years ago
Nice to hear you did well. It sounds so exciting. I love going to craft fairs (as a customer). Most of the time things are a bit too high priced for me. On the other hand we have actually bought some nice but expensive things too. When you see something you really like the price isnt as much a problem.

This fall my friend and I will try a craft table at a local fair. I would like to do some small things that arent too expensive but are unique. And actually selling SOMETHING will be such a thrill.
scooterbug
18 years ago
TAnks Rick, I'll check into dat, Good idea !

(((*-*)))
Dena6355
18 years ago
Your experience sounds like some positive strokes on the back and the bug has hit to do more.
I am pleased for you.
The eye that you talk about, it looks like an actual eye, or is it a colorful glass gem, no iris pupil etc?
Cheers from here to there,
Dena
rickharmer
Original Author
18 years ago
Just a large(about 1 inch diameter)glass marble.It's effective.Pix to come by Friday!
jazzbone
18 years ago
I'll throw in some kudos here. Congratulations on your success. I visited a local place called "The Arbor" that sells all kinds of concrete statuary, fountains, stepping stones, and planters. Your prices don't seem a bit out of line with what I saw... and I'm in the southeast where most things are considerably cheaper than the west coast.

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