Craft/art sales

[Gretch Flo]

I just completed a 2 day show in mich. this week end and another 2 weeks ago and did very well in a state with the highest unemployment. I also helped In Mass. at a friends open house nov 28,29 and they did the best they had in years. On the other hand my open house that had been successful for 3 years, was terrible in early Oct.,
How are all you folks doing out there?? Is the economy turning around for you???? Gretch

 

[David Wilkins]

I don't do shows, people have to track me down to buy my stuff. This fall wasn't bad. What I do a lot of is teaching, it was my busiest fall ever and my winter schedule is looking jam packed.

 

[MichaelMouse]

You are in an unusual situation. Those state employees who are so abundant in your area had their jobs "saved" by large infusions of cash. I'm sure that other areas would have been a tough sell in these times. No fear on the part of bureaucrats. They'll take care of their own even when it means neglecting their assigned duties to do so. I read so often in the papers that this program or that will be cut or scaled back for lack of funding, followed by the line, "but no jobs will be lost."

So I guess the answer, as always, is Location, Location, Location.

 

[john lucas]

I photograph for a lot of artists who do craft shows and apparently it's a real up and down thing. Some shows have been very successful and then the next one won't be. They seem to have trouble predicting but in general most aren't doing that bad. It has killed off a few who just could not make it through the bad show delima. Some will stop in to see me and tell me they just had thier best show ever and then the next person who comes in will be singing the blues. So it sounds like the Location,Location,Location thing is an absolute and sometimes just pure guesswork.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

price points are very important in the local market 😱 we had local show across different crafts, eggs, turning, jewerly, pottery,photos, paintings, we had good traffic 1st night, but it is price

early this year i visited several antinque shops in the area, most have booths that are rented out, 10 x 10 and larger areas, mostly furniture, lots and lots of glassware of all sorts and quality, mayby one ole beatup oak bowl in one of five shops

i was surprized at the lack of wood turnings in the antique stores, there is some spindel turning in some of the better furniture pieces???????

 

[robo hippy]

All of my shows have been down this year by 1/3 to 1/2, with the exception of the local fall home and garden show which is always slow, but this year was actually profitable. I am currently doing our local Saturday Market's Holiday Market, which moves inside at the fairgrounds every weekend till Christmas Eve. Most are reporting it as being slow, some are normal, and others are doing well. Show business is always fickle. Every day seems to be one persons best ever, and some one else's worst. You just never know.

robo hippy

 

[waltben]

I cut our shows in half this past year, but they were still all over the place (Mid-Atlantic area). Art/Craft in general did worse than wine, music and other ones. A couple were very surprisingly good. Overall we'd be starving if we were trying to make a living at it (like many of our friends). I think things may be getting better though (or maybe I drank too much wine at the last festival!).

 

[Vaughn]

I've seen lots of ups and downs (mostly downs) since Fall 2008. In my area (Los Angeles) I've seen a drop in the number of people willing to pay for turned work, especially the higher-priced pieces. But as has been said, it's really hard to predict how a show will come out. I've had my best show ever and my worst show ever at the same venue (Brentwood), six months apart. The only thing I've seen that's consistent about show business is that it's inconsistent.