Not all craft shows are equal. Some are stupendously good, while others are poor. You won't have any advance guarantees which it will be. Some shows that appear to be terrific turn out to be a waste of time. Other shows that seem ordinary are some of the best ever. Although you will always have a few of these surprises, there a few guidelines that will help you guess what a show will be like.
Seasonal
Christmas shows are best, and the closer they are to Christmas, the more you will sell. It's not that summer shows are bad - some are great. It's just that outdoors can be dangerous at any time of year – rain, wind or worse.
Admission
Shows that charge admission will usually have more sales than those that let people in free.
Rent
At higher rent shows you will usually sell more expensive work than at lower rent shows. It doesn't matter how much the space rent is, just how much you sell from that space.
Juried Shows
Because "juried" shows are selected, they usually have high-grade work. Customers come to these expecting to find high quality, expensive work. These shows also attract a higher ratio of customers to browsers.
Community and charity shows, on the other hand, usually get customers looking for very cheap goods.
Festivals
Shows that are attached to some kind of festival (like music, harvest, etc.) are usually poor - especially if the craft is only a secondary part of the show. But, then again, these are the shows that are most likely to surprise you.
The full article by Dennis Brady.
No comments:
Post a Comment