I was just wondering (since the time is here again) what sells best at craft shows for you guys. I'm talking local craft shows.
For me it seems to be handmade bead rings from either brass, plated wire or copper using czech fire polish beads or glow in the dark beads. Inexpensive but cute and people really seem to like them. At times during a slow show they have paid my booth expense.
These outsell any gemstone bead ring more than 30 to 1. Interesting but perhaps because the gemstone bead rings are more expensive and made from Sterling Silver or 14KGF materials.
Average price of individual product purchase is about $5.
How about your areas? I'm in central Washington state.
Gemstone earrings have always sold best for me in terms of numbers. In terms of dollar sales, probably dichroic glass pendants and gemstone necklaces. In all depends on what kind of show it is and what time of year.
Admitting that I haven't read all of your post (yet), thanks for the rant. Where I am people expect craft fairs to be garage sales, at garage sale prices. Well, at least to some extent. And most of them real expensive to get into, require you to commit to 2 or 3 full days (I work too, this takes vacation time, which at least I have), and are badly advertised. At the moment I'm strapped for time, and committing money to fairs that I may not be able to make is not exactly on my agenda, but for the one I have been to (OK, artists' fair at an art supply store that doesn't have beads), I sold some bead and pearl strands, seed beads, a necklace and earring set and another couple pairs of earrings. Reminds me, I have to email the owner of that store that you have to put in calendar listings every week ... (I may take over for her as she's about 2 weeks from being due to have a baby).
Hi Sterling; Yes, I can totally understand what you're saying. It gets discouraging but the people who run the shows don't really care one way or another it seems as long as they get the spaces filled so they can pay the building rent and make a profit.
Like the poor quality items that come in from other countries for cheap prices, this type of "craft show" does little for an artist who puts heart and soul into her/his craft in any venue including fiber arts. It's sad. Unfortunately we only have one show here that I've found that tried to have only handmade items. It went very well for all vendors and the people were a totally different crowd who appreciated the time and effort.
We only had one lady that time who tried to bargin and made nasty remarks about one vendors things (which were very nice things by the way) Finally the vendor just said, Excuse me Mam, but this is NOT a garage sale where you can bargin...
Most people look at my stuff in a craft show and say, "Wow that's pretty" or "Gee I wish I could afford that-it's beautiful" or "Oh my God, how do you DO that ??" and then walk away or buy a $2-5 item. Mostly, as I said, people buy very cheap stuff and this is not just the economy--I've noticed it for years. The only time I didn't was at a bead show in Sisters Oregon and people really understood the quality and I sold a LOT. It was the ONLY reason I'm still doing this. At least it let me know that what I was doing was not bad...
So......I understand where you're coming from... ;-) Sylvia ===========================================
which is why I'm not doing those "professional craft shows"anymore. I'm taking every opportunity to get into my glass supplier's fairs which are free (and try to advertise as much as I can: the next one is next Saturday: if you're in Hilo, there's an Artists' Fair at Hilo Art and Glass Supply, 318 Kinoole Street, a block up from the Hilo Farmers' Market, hoping to help keep that store going, we need it, and the people there are really nice.), I signed up for the East Hawaii Cultural Center (not for profit org. that has art exhibits, local music, etc, mostly free admission, and if I don't make it to that fair I'll consider it a contribution to the EHCC) Arts and Fine Crafts Fair (the Saturday after Thanksgiving), and considering to sign up for the HIlo High School PTSA craft fair in spite of that I seriously doubt that I could possibly make it (and/or have any jewelry inventory left if the other fairs go half decent), but that's where DD went to high school.
I don't think I'll get any more of my rather simple lampwork made before the next fair, already told DH that I'm glad he's got his new computer because he's not likely going to see a whole lot of me before mid December (that's more due to work than due to craft fairs), but I'm still trying to get my stuff out there, only I'm not willing to pay a whole lot of money for it at this time. - And I can't say that I'd particularly care if the people who put up the expensive events go broke. They raised their prices, very few still offer single day events, other than the not-for
-profits (the YMCA is another one that does, and at a good price, but I can't possibly do 3 Saturdays this month.).
There's got to be inexpensive events where you are, you may have to do some of the advertising, but get yourself out there and always remember that it isn't a garage sale (even if I put a listing on hiloyardsales.com today. Heck, it's free, one more person may read it.)
Artists' Fair at Hilo Art and Glass on Sat., Nov. 15, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Art and Fine Crafts Fair at East Hawaii Cultural Center, Sat. Nov. 29, 8-4 Artists' Fair at Hilo Art and Glass on Sat., Dec. 20, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
We have a bi-annual Gem and Mineral Show in Salem VA that is great... the vendors are carefully monitored and most of the stuff is quality. Of course the display table costs $600 for the weekend, so that kind of deletes the cheapos. Plus the members of the local gem and mineral club are on hand to monitor things.
On the other hand, most of the craft shows I've been to either have the cheapo stuff made overseas, or crafters who don't realize what their wares are worth and sell them too cheaply. I quit vending at those, it just wasn't worth the time, effort and expense to try.
There are a lot more people where you are than where I am. I just had the first craft fair where I paid for and took in more money than I paid, about $1/hour I was there. Subtract the materials and I'm still below even. All I sold was earrings. Funny enough, I sold
2 pairs of malachite+Swarovski crystal hoop earrings in spite of that I arrived with only one pair. I made another 2 pairs while there, because, I have a necklace that they go with. People who have enough money to pay for the necklace don't buy jewelry at craft fairs around here it seems. (BTW: I paid $25 as a member of the organization that held it, and I'm not willing to pay more than that.) DH said something to the effect that its "an earring kind of economy ".
I went to another craft fair the day before because I had some time to kill and found that they hadn't been able to fill the space, and it was rather dead at the time when I went there (so, OK, it was a lot of people's dinner time).
$600 fairs in this state are in Honolulu. There's 10 times as many people there as there are on this whole island (which is maybe about 10 times the size). That's 300 miles, a round trip air fare, and staying in a hotel on top of the fair, not to forget air shipping the stuff.
Karleen, you're in the middle of people, I'm in the middle of nowhere, and I guess everybody else is somewhere in between :-)
(of sorts) People who pay $2.65 for a gallon of (regular) gas (just went down another dime this week), upwards of $5 for a gallon of milk and $6 for a box of cereal and $0.47/kWh for electricity are, of sorts, in an almost permanent "survival" mode. Gas having come down from $4.499 (is never went above $4.50 here but it did on the other side of the island, and some of the smaller islands are still way up there) is leaving a bit more money in people's pockets here, but a lot of the people here still see craft shows as cheap/free entertainment. They don't come to buy, they come to hang out, and maybe learn something.
I overheard one of the vendors (pottery) saying that it was an event for either really low priced stuff or really high priced stuff, and that's pretty much what Kalera said when I talked to her last summer.
Maren (Got one more fair on Dec. 20, at Hilo Art&Glass Supply. I can sell supplies there, and even make the odd completely unrelated Craiglist sale.)
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