Saturday's Craft Show

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jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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12/5/15 Saturday I did a craft show that I have been doing for about 10 years. I did really well. $2000+ show $150 for table fees. 9:30 to 3:30.

As I said I have done this show for some time and the last couple years it was so-so and I stuck with this show because of past history and it is a fully hand crafted show with some great crafters. My point is maybe the economy is really turning around and people are spending again. People were not hesitating to buy. I had a steady flow all day and even sold after pickup time. Now i only sold 2 pens but all my other items were doing well. It makes me wonder if I should once again enter a few more next year. :) great to see and brought back memories from shows in the past when $2000 and $3000+ were the norm.

Forgot to mention I also have 3 orders and this may or may not present a problem. I just could not turn down the orders but I have not been able to get in my shop for almost 2 years now because of health issues. I feel well enough to be able to get these done so I will try. Good to talk to people when everyone is in a good spending mood. :)

I hope others that are doing the Holiday show circuit are finding it a pleasant profitable year. Good luck.
 
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winterwood

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Plattsburgh, New York, USA.
I also did a show this week-end sales were down about 10% from last year.

I had one customer come to me with iphone or what ever it was and tell me she just checked my prices against those on esty and I was within reason and walked away. I could not believe it and was left speechless.

Dennis
 
KenV

KenV

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Juneau, Alaska.
Sounds like an inventory reduction sale for you which is all clear cash flow.

Hope you do get to the shop and can put your creative ideas into tangible form.
 
jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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hanau said:
Nice job, what else where you selling?
Click to expand...

I make many many many different items. I am a scroll saw artisan first and foremost. I combine this with my other woodworking skills. Throw in my love for clocks and you have something like this. These are much older photos and I have truely thinned down many of the items because I mainly am a one person operation these days and I can not handle the volume by myself. I have shown these photos and many more of items that I make over the many years on this forum. But you will get the idea. I will say this between the price of wood rising every year and other materials it is getting harder and harder to maintain prices. People need to understand and for the most part they do.













KenV said:
Sounds like an inventory reduction sale for you which is all clear cash flow.

Hope you do get to the shop and can put your creative ideas into tangible form.
Click to expand...



Ken you are spot on. Alot of my items do not go out of style so carrying over from one year to the next is no problem. It is always surprising how certain items become hot from one year to the next and you can never figure it out. I gave up trying. This year the Irish people were out in force. I sell an Irish Claddagh clock and Claddagh napkin holders. I sold out whatever I had in stock and have orders for more. Go figure. I went all of last year and not sold one Irish item.

My turned birdhouses are another trendy item. Sometimes I sell a couple and others 10 -15 per show. My fruit baskets are probably the one item that is sold with consistency each and every year no matter how the market is going. Every show 4-6.

Have to say between last year and especially this year I have thinned inventory to dangerous low levels:biggrin: I do need to return to the shop. At the end of this month I should know where I stand on my health issues in the eyes of the doctors. I think I will bribe them with some pens:biggrin:


Thanks for looking.
 
hcpens

hcpens

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San Antonio, TX
It would be VERY hard to do the work you do, and not be able to get into my shop. So hope you can return and grace us with more of your work.
 
jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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hcpens said:
It would be VERY hard to do the work you do, and not be able to get into my shop. So hope you can return and grace us with more of your work.
Click to expand...


Thank you Richard. I am surely going to try. It has been tough but I was able to pass some time here with you all:) Will see how things go.
 
butchf18a

butchf18a

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woodland, wa
winterwood said:
I also did a show this week-end sales were down about 10% from last year.

I had one customer come to me with iphone or what ever it was and tell me she just checked my prices against those on esty and I was within reason and walked away. I could not believe it and was left speechless.

Dennis
Click to expand...

Dennis,
Ignore those people, they are simply looking for a bargain with no appreciation for the time, effort and skilled required to turn a quality pen. I don't know your work yet will assume it is quality and a good value for price you ask. When I have someone do that I don't even bother, they are generally predisposed to finding some justification for not buying from you. I'd rather spend my time discussing options with serious buyers. They don't all buy, yet enough do that I don't need bargain hunters.
 
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