# Lessons from an art show



## pashley (Mar 22, 2008)

Recently went to an indoor craft show (not a woodworking show), and here's what I learned.

• Woman are easily 80% of the customers - gear your stuff towards them.
• Jewelry is easily…80% of the displayed merchandise.
• Unique, outdoor decorative stuff is usually a good bet, as long as it's in the $15 to $35 range.
• God please, no more knit stuff!
• If you have a food product to sell, you MUST provide a sample. 
• Traffic usually follows a pattern in these places; being the first vendor with cutting boards (jewelry, garden items, etc) is definitely a plus - someone might buy from you before buying from the guy with similar stuff another 100 feet down the path.
• Displays are everything. 
• Interact with customers, just say "hello" even. Saw a lot of people just sitting there doing something else - reading a paper, playing with their Blackberry, etc. Talking to passersby gets their attention, they might see something they want on your table.
• Dress the part. Selling wood stuff? How about wearing a nice white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, and a new leather apron - act and look the part. No NASCAR shirts, or one that says "BUSH SUCKS." Play the role. YOU can be part of the product, in a sense.
• Business cards! Several bunches all over your table. You might be busy talking at length with a customer, and I wanted to ask a question. Oh, you have a business card with your email on it - I'll contact you that way.
• Consider putting out something that catches people's eyes - food. Candies, crackers, whatever. Will draw attention to your table.
• Give your customer every opportunity to buy from you; don't make barriers to being able to take their credit card, check or cash. 
• If you have some good friends, here might be a trick worth trying: have them crowd around your booth. Nothing draws a crowd like…a crowd. People think something is going on, something to look at, so they come over too. 
• Trick #2. Have your friends walk around the show with some of your product, like they just bought it. If people see a few people with that product, they are going to think it's worth buying, for some reason or other, and will look for your product. It's a group-think mentality. What would you think if you saw 5 people, here and there, with a wrought iron Sheppard's crook to hang plants from? It's got to be a hot item!

So there are some of my observations…I'd like to hear yours!


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

good observations


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## SteveMI (May 19, 2009)

Your next job may be business consultant and book writer after this is done. I have been much too casual in checking out shows, you were really analyzing.

I'm a couple miles behind you on this quest and really appreciate the posts and sharing.

Steve.


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## bruc101 (Sep 13, 2008)

I like the 80% women part…if wifey or girlfriend likes and wants it them most likely hubby or boyfriend going to buy it. Good observation and anyone doing shows should get some important clues from your observations..I did.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

People always turn to the right as they enter. Those are the prize spots, just to the right inside, the worst is to the left just inside.


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## rhett (May 11, 2008)

My wife keeps telling me $15-$50 is the target market. Women will impulse buy, they do not want to discuss large purchases with their husbands and then figure out how to pay for them. I can't get past the thought of lots of stuff for little money vs a little stuff for lots of money. I would rather spend two weeks in the shop making a piece of furniture instead of one week in the shop making 200 widgits. Ofcourse, I also want to stay in the business of cutting wood. 
Off to the widgit factory I guess.


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## bill1352 (Nov 8, 2009)

I did an indoor show 2 weeks ago & the ideas sound about right. Only change would be the Michigan factor, price range $1 to $10..lol. nobody was buying except the $5 jewlery & the knit stuff. Even the guy with the hand made x-mas tree ornaments had a bad show. I'm hoping the next 2 Saturdays aren't as bad. I'm going to try 20% off signs on 2 shelves.


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## pashley (Mar 22, 2008)

Copy that, *rhett*. I hear you about one piece versus 50. However, I had another thought about that you might want to consider.

You obviously want to make the most $ per hour (I hope). Let's say you make a widget that will retail for $30 at the craft show. You have $4 in materials in it, and 20 minutes labor (because you made them in bulk, or a production run, you saved a lot of time on setups). So now you have 50 widgets. That means:

• You spent about $200 on materials ($4×50) and 1000 minutes (or about 16.5 hours) on these 50 widgets.
• Let's say you sold all 50 during the local three day show, and you were there 8 hours each day, 24 hours. So you now have about 40 hours work into building and selling these - a regular work week.

The gross sales will be $1,500 ($30×50). Net sales is $1,300 ($1500-$200 materials).

So you've made about $32.50 an hour for your trouble. Nice (dreamtime: if you did this for a whole year, that would be over $67,000 a year!). I don't know if that is clear of taxes - that's up to you. Even so, that would be about $20 an hour - still nice.

Let's contrast that to a big piece you've made. I see you recently made a A&C glider chair. Let's assume:

• You have $150 in materials in it.
• You have 40 hours of labor into it. I assume that's fairly accurate once you take glue curing time and finishing time into account.

IF you sell that at a craft show, you'd want, what, $600-$800 for it? That would leave you a net sale of $450 - $650, or about $11.25 to $16.25 an hour - IF you made the sale. I don't see a lot of high end items like these going at craft shows - unless it's a really upscale show, at a big venue in say, Dallas or Los Angeles, where people have money for this kinda thing. Not to be a wet blanket, I'm just pointing out an observation.

So you see, the money IS in the "widgets", at least for local craft shows. If you wanted to make the same money, $32.50 per hour, for the chair, you'd have to sell it for something like $1,450. That's a tough sell, unless you have a product that is extremely high quality (like Kevin Rodel). I'd like to know how many a year he sells! Maybe quite a few, since he has a good reputation.

It's got to be kept in mind that local craft shows are a much different breed then huge high-end shows in high-money venues. I think a lot of the buying is impulse-based, though I'm sure that some people go in thinking, "I hope I can find a good cutting board for mom", or "I'd like to get a nice bracelet for that dinner party".

So what you want is obviously, an item that has a high price/production cost ratio and something women will impulse buy. In the widget example, that ratio is 78:1 (net sale per hour of labor). I don't include time at the show, because that would be a constant for anything you sell.

You also want an item very likely to sell


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## OhValleyWoodandWool (Nov 9, 2009)

Pashley the advice you give is right on. You also have to make sure the show that you're attending is geared to your audience. Is it more the flea market demographic? Then keep your items VERY CHEAP. My son is raising money for an ambassador trip to China this summer, he sells candy bars at a flea market he NETS about $35 an hour! I wouldn't be able to sell one of my pieces ther in a year. I tend to stick to higher end juried shows with an admision price for the folks just to walk in the door. Might mean lower trafic but those that are there have a much higher probablity of actually parting with some money.


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## Zelbar (Sep 14, 2008)

I have been doing a number of Farmer's Markets and craft fairs and what has worked well for me is I have two items that sell for $5.00 and $8.00 respectively that are made from scrap materials from my larger projects so costs are low and they are very quick to make. I sell about 25 to 30 of each per show. This nets me a base of about $350.00 per show. This pays for my costs of the show and some extra profit on top. Then all the larger items I sell at the show round out the sales for the day.

I also make sure everyone who stops by my booth walks away with my information. Even just a home printed brochure is enough, you don't need to spend a lot here. I get a number of calls for orders and special custom jobs from them that it makes it worth the cost.


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## Russel (Aug 13, 2007)

Very good and useful observations. Unfortunately, too many craft shows are filled with what I refer to as "Bored Housewife" stuff. Many of the shoppers are looking for something quaint. The shows where folks are willing to purchase higher quality product are few and far between, as well as expensive and difficult to get into. It's not an easy niche.


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

FWIW:

We've done 18 to 20 craft shows per year for more than ten years.
I now only do juried craft shows - no more hobbist events.
Also, we don't sell low end items to pad our time.
We focus on our core products that sell well with a big profit margin.

Note: My cost of materials seldom exceeds 20% of the retail selling price.


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## SteveMI (May 19, 2009)

Randy - What travel distance from home do you end up with in order to attend that many show? Is there any online source for juried shows or was that just word of mouth over time?

Steve.


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Steve:

Don't over-think it. Just do it!


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## SteveMI (May 19, 2009)

Randy - I am going to do it and making the products right now. Just looking for insight on needing mile radius (100 miles?) to have enough shows and how to find the juried events.

Steve.


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## KayBee (Jul 6, 2009)

Try this link to get you started.
http://www.artfaircalendar.com
There's also a magazine put out that lists art fairs and such. I can't remember the name fight now. I contains good info on the shows from the year before. Things like how much entry fee, judged entry, type of items sold and average sold per booth. Some eve break it down into average sales by type-wood, glass, jewelry and art.

It's worth finding a good show first, then worry about distance.


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## SteveMI (May 19, 2009)

KayBee - Thanks for the link. I lurked through a couple of the discussion groups and they reinforced that this past year was the worst in some time for sales. Its obvious that the website is new and growing.

Nothing under woodworking, but it seems each of the groups had the same theme. Slow sales, optomistic promoters, offshore resale getting in as art, and pricing declining to point of barely covering materials.

They did identify a couple events near me that I am going to review this weekend.

Steve.


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## Blake (Oct 17, 2007)

good information! Thanks!


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Steve:

I don't have a fixed radius. 
Besides, my locale and yours are completely different. 
Chances are my target markets are different than yours and my craft is different than yours.
In the end, you can fit your stuff to some chosen radius in your locale or you can choose a radius that fits your business requirements.

On juried craft shows: You only have to find one, then attend it and take notes. 
Ask the vendors for their suggestions, but avoid being a pest. 
Lastly, be honest with yourself.
Don't waste your time trying to jury your stuff where it doesn't fit.
Make sure that your stuff is a fit for the types of shows you want/should be doing. 
If your goal is to make money, be willing to accept constructive criticism from professionals and avoid free advice from hobbyists.


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## woodcrafter47 (Nov 24, 2009)

When we sell at yardsale ,we always have something for free, no cost ,like toaster tongs made from scrap pieces of wood . always run out of them ,with something in hand ,they are likely to buy something they like.
Women like free stuff. also keep it simple and easy to carry.


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## mancave (Jan 4, 2010)

$4 materials, 20 minutes, $30.00. What kind of widget could fit that criteria?


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## jcsterling (Aug 1, 2008)

My 2 cents on shows. most juried shows use an online application site such as www.zapplication.org or www.juriedartservices.com . digital images must be in a certain format (explained on site) and most shows require a booth shot. expect to pay 
$300-$2000 for a 10×10 booth. Do your research before applying to shows. Also note that if you intend to do shows this spring/summer you need to apply now.


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## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

Kaybee, the magazine is Sunshine Artist. It's a great resource for craft show participants.


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## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

This is an interesting site also. http://www.makeforbusiness.com/index.php


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

John:

We are now booking juried craft shows for the coming year. Our fees are in the range of $25 (one day) to $480 (three days). Most show fees are under $250 (three days) or under $100 (one day). Most of these events are run by arts and crafts guilds, societies or by professional promoters. Most are offering free admission to the general public and some charge for admission ($5 to $10). We seldom sell less than 10 times as much as our show fees.

The real challenge for me is to sell more than my wife buys from other vendors.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

John, What kinds of projects sell well for you?


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## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

I've started booking also. The deadline for many of the Spring shows has already passed or getting ready to pass. Most of my shows are done by professional promoters and some promote multiple shows and locations. Some also have a Spring and Fall version of the same show at the same location. The fees run between $60 and $250 with most being in the $135-$150 range. Some charge a booth fee and a jury fee and some don't.


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## jcsterling (Aug 1, 2008)

I may have a different perspective on shows than others. I primarily use shows to showcase my work . My main goal is to get commission work but I'm always happy to sell a piece of furniture off the floor. I do sell a lot of little boxes and larger jewelry boxes out of my booth. I have found that my customers won't buy from me until htey have seen me multiple times. It can be discouraging to have someone walk into your booth and say how much they like everything only to turn around without buying anything . However, if you don't make an effort to get their contact info,give them your card or brochure, or engage them in some way you'll never get the sale. I always make sure to have plenty of cards, postcards,and brochures available. Booth design is also a topic that needs to be addressed. How do you get someone into your booth? What makes you any different than some other woodworker that they saw 5 minutes earlier?For more on this discussion you can go to a article written by my wife http://www.handmadeinpa.net/2009/08/booth-appeal-do-you-have-it/ .


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## WIwoodworker (Apr 10, 2008)

John…That is a sweet looking booth setup. The presentation really does make a difference. My very first show I built a quick and easy low budget booth (I only had 3 days to prepare) and it looked quick and easy. Quirky and attention grabbing because I had samples of very nice figured woods on hand for people to ooh and ahhh over but it definitely lacked the professional and polished look you have going on. New look this year. I'll post pics when it's unveiled.

Pashley…Thanks for sharing your observations. I would add that if you are not comfortable selling you should definitely spend some time working on your pitch. I sell for a living and I can tell you the number one reason people don't make a sale is that they don't ask for it. You can know everything there is to know about furniture making and build beautiful pieces but if you don't ask the customer to get out their wallet a large percentage will just walk even if they have an interest. It holds true for impulse items as well as custom furniture.

Make it fun. Ask for the sale.


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## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

It's the nature of the business John. I get a little irritated by people who come in, look around, walk out, look back over their shoulder and say "nice work". I would just as soon they not say anything, but they do it in large numbers at every show. I would like to say "This is not a museum exhibit, buy something!". I'm the opposite. I'm there to sell as much I can during the show, but invariably get at least one commission per show.

You hit the nail on the head WIwoodworker. There are a lot of exhibitors at these shows, not just woodworkers, who sit in the back of their booths and read a book all day. They don't even acknowledge customers. What I enjoy the most about doing shows is the interaction with people. If you don't convey your passion to potential customers, no one else will. I've noticed that people will come in and look around and not say anything while in the booth. But, if you greet them, they will generally start asking questions and interacting. I think speaking first sends a message that I am approachable. 50% of my stuff sells itself, the other 50% sold because I talked them into it.


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## SteveMI (May 19, 2009)

I went to a couple shows in second half of 2009 in order to get a feel for the way they are run and to see what was selling. One observation was that at the shows with no entry fee for the public, that a lot of them were never intending to buy and only were there for something to get out of the house. Listening to casual comments at the refreshment area confirmed it when they knew each other and were talking.

Allen and closetguy hit it on the head that you need to engage the people and actually sell. Can't be too aggressive that you put people off, but need to pick up on any sign of interest by the people. A leading comment on the type of wood, joinery, skill/method to make it or even equipment used to make it can start the conversation leading to a sale. I watched a number of booths that were "selling" and the people at them were engaging the customers rather than just sitting and waiting.

Definitely use stools instead of lawn chairs. Smile all the time and dress in a manner that is consistent with what you are selling and audience. Wearing shop clothes (neat/clean) can make an impression on the buyer that you did make the items and didn't get them wholesale. Think of Norm or Borland, no insult to have a tape measure on your belt and shop pencil in your shirt pocket. A tool belt would be overdoing it.

Steve.


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## mynoblebear (Nov 22, 2009)

One thing that I found works well is putting the tables up front and the chairs in the back with contact information near and a binder full of pictures as well as a place for the resting patron to put their name and contact information so that you can contact them when you are in the area again and or you create a new piece. Get them in your booth off their feet get and or give contact information and close the sale or shift your conversation to another patron letting them decide it is time to go on their merry way.


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## JimArnoldChess (Mar 15, 2010)

I agree with what has been said except for the business cards. Yes, you have to have them, but I don't give them out unless people ask for them, and even at that I ask them which piece they are interested in. What you will find is that the more bizz cards you give out the more junk mail and spam you'll get, craft shows are a gold mine for people to collect business addresses and then sell them to mailing list people. If you are able, watch and see how many 'card takers' will go from one booth to the next and just grab a card and move on. Obviously they are necessary, but people who are genuinely interested in your product will tell you how much they like it, or they will wait till you're free and ask questions. I've never NOT given one when asked, but ask them which piece they like best when you do and you'll understand what I mean. Craft shows can be a goldmine, no doubt about it, and don't discount local Saturday afternoon church bazaars and fund raisers too…low or No rent, and people are inclined to spend money when its done through their church, especially when its fine handcrafted work


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## NathanAllen (Oct 16, 2009)

I work in the tradeshow industry, not woodworking specific, but I've spent a good chunk of my adult life planning events, tradeshows, managing booth programs for a corporation, etc.

Raffles: everyone who buys something from you gets a chance to win this, that or the other thing. I'm not talking about a new motorcycle, how about and end table with $30 worth of materials in it?

Website: have a website? drive traffic to it by having people sign up for a mailing list. Even better, if you get an e-mail address from a purchase send a personalized thank you after the show

Avoid Timesinks: some people aren't there to buy, they're there to get as much of your attention as they can, your job is to avoid giving them more than the bare minimum. Don't be rude but do be brief.

Location: Signing up earliest will let you choose the best booth, if it's a first come first serve then show up as soon as possible during setup

Aisle Appeal: People have already decided if they will be stopping at your booth ten feet before they're in front of your booth. Observe the rules about staying in your booth and height restrictions, but items need to be angled so that they are visible from 10 feet away.

Don't Block: don't have a table across the front of your booth, it may work if you're selling insurance policies but most of the time you want people entering your booth, once they cross the line you have 10×10 or 8×8 to make a sale

Don't Overclutter: use draped tables for storage, don't use every inch of flat space otherwise it'll look crowded and not unique


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## SteveMI (May 19, 2009)

How about some people giving an update on the economy at craft / art shows in 2010. Are people opening up their wallets a bit, is attendance up over last year, are number of sellers growing or shrinking…

Steve.


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