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| Me in the early days of vending, hi mom! |
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| Making inventory |
Craft shows are a gamble, an exciting and potentially
lucrative gamble. There’s no better high I know of in my job as a maker than
setting up at a show and finding that all the people looking at your work want
to become customers. A crazy-good, or even a moderately good show can boost
your spirits tremendously. Not only do you suddenly have a wad of working
capital in your pocket, you’ve been looking all day at the smiling faces of
people who are telling you your work is lovely and worth money! It’s fantastic.
All your incredibly hard work has paid off. Your late nights of frantic making,
your tedious repetitive tasks, your careful labeling, your thoughtful
packaging, your schlepping. All of it rewarded.
So when a craft show is a bust? Not only are your booth fee
and hours of your life gone, a bad show can deflate you so fast that it’s hard
to remember that it’s not the end of your business. It’s likely not even a
comment on you or your work, it’s probably just that your people did not show
up. Sometimes that’s because NO people showed up. You can tell that’s the case
if other vendors also say the show is lame for them. But if other people are
doing fine all around you? That likely means your people are not in this crowd.
That happened to me this past weekend.
In 2008 I applied for the first time to vend in the newish
craft show, Art in the Courtyard. It’s a show that runs as part of the Lowell
Folk Festival, the largest free folk festival in the nation. Every year the
Folk Fest takes over downtown Lowell ,
MA
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| Folk Fest 2008 |
This year I applied but I did not get in. I was shocked and
disappointed, but I understand what a juried show means, not everyone who
applies gets chosen. I was, however, put on the wait list. I didn’t have too
many hopes of getting in but I started making inventory anyway. A week after my
rejection I was told there was a cancellation and would I like to vend? Would I?!
I was jubilant. This show has historically been excellent for me and provided
the money I need to pay for expensive holiday booth fees which are typically
due in the summer when makers’ coffers are very low.
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| My booth this year |
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| Closer up |
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| From behind the table |
Saturday is usually the biggest day of the weekend for me
and I liked my location. Rain was possible but it didn’t rain for most of the
day. Whether it was the gloomy forecast or a new summer music festival that
started up in Boston
on the same weekend, there just didn’t seem to be the volume of people I’d seen
in years past.
My sales were sparse. It feels so baffling while it is
happening. And you can start to feel really bad about what you are offering for
sale. And the sinking feeling you experience when it becomes clear that each
sale will be hard fought for and rare is just so dispiriting. You try not to
indulge in fantasies, but your expectations can get so high ahead of a show.
I know other vendors weren’t having super days but they
didn’t seem to be having the awful day I was. I tried to puzzle out why. The
main thing was I just didn’t see as many of my right people in the crowd. These
folks who did show up loved music and exotic foods, but they were not into me at
all. I also think my product line has been the same for a long time so the people
who love my work and stopped by to say hello didn’t see anything new to get
them excited. And maybe I just didn't have enough products in general.
In the end I managed to keep my spirits up because I’ve been
in this game a long time and I know not every show is a winner. Sure I felt
bruised. You work just as hard for a bad payday as a good one and it’s very
hard work. I really liked my show neighbors, super guys with great attitudes
who were fun to joke with. I find a multiple day show engenders a bit of
backstage camaraderie that I love.
Some specific things I do to keep my head up when a show is
not going well:
1.) Smile and be cheerful and relaxed toward everyone who
enters your booth, tell them you are doing great when they ask. It will
absolutely not help to appear desperate or grumpy. (Of course you can vent quietly to friends
and fellow makers so you don’t go insane, but try not to broadcast it.)
2.) Remind yourself over and over that your people did not
come to this show. Does your work sell well elsewhere? Online? In shops? Then
you have right people, they just didn’t shop at this show. Or at least not this
year. Or this isn’t the right season for your goods.
Note: If you hate doing shows you will probably not do well
at them. But that’s OK, you don’t have to do them at all! It’s not a
requirement. If you are just new to shows and don’t hate them, keep going,
you’ll get better at selling your work in person over time, especially if you watch
seasoned sellers at work and learn from them. If your work doesn’t sell well
anywhere then you probably need to reassess your product line and
marketing/branding.
3.) Take a look at all that inventory you built up! Yay, you
can still sell it; send it to your consignment shops, try to get wholesale
orders, stock your online shop, or just be ready for the next show.
4.) Drink. I’m sort of kidding. (But not really). What I mean
is, do something nice for yourself afterwards. Take a night off you workaholic!
Take a bath, play video games, read a book, whatever it takes to relax and
recharge. Get some hugs if you can. If you can’t get them in person collect
them online, those work too. Tomorrow you can unpack and reassess. Plan your
next move. Use the experience to spur you to make changes, up your game. That’s
what I’m doing! I’m speeding up development of new products. My next show is in
November and I am going to kick ass!
But if I don’t, I know how to handle it.
((hugs))
