[kcwaterguy]

Well, while I was at my son's school bazaar, I was invited to a church's bazaar for this Saturday... the biggest difference is I think this one will have TONS of traffic. They have advertised in the local paper every Friday for 2 months and also in two of the local Parent's Magazines.... they will also be on the news/morning program the day before. Also major word of mouth.... so if I can get the little orders from the crappy bazaar last week, then I think this one will be GREAT. Jinxed myself didn't I??

Wish me luck!!

Sean - KC

[Marci MN]

Wishing you luck!!!

[Thomp]

last saturday, i went to a local festival her
the annual pecan festival. Calfax la.
kinda local 25 mile drive, took longer after we entered the township to park the car than it took do drive the country roads to get there,

now i been here in this town 23 years, and never went to any of these things, i been told that my crafty work furniture and carvings would sell really big, the festival took the entire length of the normally sleepy southern town down main street, has divided direction traffic flow, a plaza of sorts, food vendors on one side and 2 rows of you name it booths on the other side,

i was surprise to find only 3 wood craft vendors, among the hundreds.
one was pretty pricy with intarica and segmentation, both scrollsaw work,
one feller was carving walking canes and was too busy to talk to, and another had made quite a few potato bins from pine stained walnut and coated with poly, and shelves but no carving, except the cane knobs.

other vendors were wholesalers of granite & Fiberglas copies of carvings and rag merchants of which very few wasn't commercial knock offs, some cheap Mexican leather items and a rock hound.. had lots of plastic turquoise, tiger eye quarts & rock for sale..

kids toys, and 2 bands playing Cajun zydeco music,
guess ill get a pile together for next year, $50.00 a day for a booth, may make me Rich... HA

the grounds wasn't being taken care of very well, and when we rounded the end of the street the eatery row was next,
Chicken on a stick, curly fries cotton candy and pork rines boiled corn & Cajun sausages were among a few of the eatery stands but when i got further down, i like to have fell out laughing, GATOR ON A STICK! well that's Pure Cajun,,,

Without appetite, as i said the grounds now looked like the floor of the super dome during Katrina, the trash drums cascading over, the walkways were nearly white with food wrappers...
there had to be 1500 people within a 1/4th mile walk it was busy... lots busier than the state fair here
i dont get exposed to this much, is this normal?

[owlhause]

Good luck on your show Sean!

Thomp....about shows in general....in the art/craft category there are thousands upon thousands to choose from.

You will find they range from the most horrible experience you can imagine to the most heavenly (in the last 20 yrs I've been to both and everything in between)

If you are serious about actualy making a profit at a show, I'd suggest sticking to juried shows (which still guarantees nothing but helps) have a wide variety of price points and research the show in question through a trade publication like "Sunshine Artists".

It just comes down to what kind of show experience you're looking to have as to how you approach it.

Greg

[Kenny_S]

Thomp, If it is outside, what you posted is pretty well the norm for outside food vendors and the rest. However, there are some who take pride in their events and have the trash picked up every hour or so and grounds keeper picking up trash.
I am heading to two cities this weekend to Christmas cfrat fair, One will be the usually Mom and Pop crafts which is where I buy if I found something I can't make and the other, well, Chinese stuff which is a disservice as both shows are supposedly home/hand mande products. Lots of candles that when you pick up the glass container it says made in China, I quickly walk away from them.
But the food, well ah, I am kind of a chow hound and Ya know they ain't made in China.

I can kick my rear end for not setting up in one of the shows this year. Would I get rich, Nah, Not in to carving for the big bucks,hahahahaha, love meeting people and having agreat time. However, Like last year, I didn't have enough ready for Christmas locally so , will see if I have return orders this year. If not, then I will participate in one next year.
It is a nice way of getting exposure also.
Thomp, give it a try.

OH BTW, price range for booths are from $35 to $100 depending on size, a two 8 foot table booth and one of the shows is $50. That would be 16 feet long by 10 foot wide.

[Thomp]

I wish you all luck in your endevors,
i myself wont be setting up any booth i cant deal with the public,

too many thief's, tricks, haggling, and dumb butts for me to deal with, no need for me to try.

but on the other hand my daughter just lives to get into the public and just talk till shes blue in the face all day, think ill turn her loose at one of them events, and me and the grandson set on the porch and fish in a bucket... or something as usefull

i got bout 50 slick faced caicatures in the shelf, ill paint on some eyes, put a knob for a nose and send them off to the world marked to $50.00 each, and let the hagglers work down to $20-25 ea....
ill at least get wood and paint money back..

thanks
thomas

[Kenny_S]

Most of the time Thomp, There isn't any hagglers there but once in a while you have one who wants something for nothing. That is where a sign say, "Price subject to the attitude of the customer". It does eliminate a lot of those type of people.
Now, dealing with the public, well, that isn't so hard.
Like I said, you can find some carvers that way also or people who will want your craft/carving and order outside of the show.

Why waste time fishing in a bucket, Take the young lad and catch some good fish. I'll be down to help you eat them, .

[Thomp]

kenny,

i aint got a portable cage to keep him in, and keeping a kid on a leash aint kosher in public...HA!
the porch has a gate on it, and he hasnt been able to crack the code to escape yet....

[MelNM]

Thomp let us know how it goes if you decide to sell, I'd be interested to find out.
Mel

[kcwaterguy]

Wow what a difference in the two shows. This one had way way more traffic and the church did a great job organizing it with great horsebrutality. BUT...........

The sales were horrible.

With buying lunch, sodas, a ring for my girl and marbles for both kids, I lost $6 on the deal. I sold 1 bookmark and 1 coaster set. Glad I marked up the coasters for this bazaar... lol.

Overall a fun show and many cards went out so those emails or calls better be coming!!! Last good thing is the couple who bought themselves a coaster set are thinking of ordering one for Xmas gift... so by the 10th I might have another one sold.

Sean - KC