The show scene

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jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,083
Location
NJ, USA.
With this terrible virus that has hit us all very hard in many ways and continues in just as many ways, there is talk about opening America up again. We all have been affected in the closing of shows down if you do them. Now with talk about starting up again, if the possibility is available for your state or county or whatever gives the blessing and things come back on line will you pursue the show circuit again??? If you do please report back to us all on what changes had to be taken, what the crowds was like, what precautions were needed on the shows part and also on your part. Was it worth it??

I know myself I have a couple shows in the fall and right now there is no way I want to even chance this. Not worth the couple dollars to be made if there would be any. I believe the crowds will be sparse. Here in NJ we are hit hard and getting worse in my area right now. We are the hot spot. Hope people add to this throughout the year. I will try to reboot every once in awhile as we get closer to summer.

The important thing is stay safe and stay well. This is serious stuff and please do not take it lightly. Just look at the death numbers and that is an eye opener.
 
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Karl_99

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Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
1,672
Location
Winfield, PA
All of the shows that I had applied to through August have been cancelled. I'm trying to keep online sales going.
 

socdad

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2010
Messages
1,136
Location
Dayton, Ohio
Everything, but one, through July has cancelled or postponed. All shows that have cancelled have refunded 100% booth fees & many have reserved a spot in next year show. I'm not sure what will happen come August & into the fall, wait & see I guess ...
 

aldjmc

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2017
Messages
101
Location
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
With this terrible virus that has hit us all very hard in many ways and continues in just as many ways, there is talk about opening America up again. We all have been affected in the closing of shows down if you do them. Now with talk about starting up again, if the possibility is available for your state or county or whatever gives the blessing and things come back on line will you pursue the show circuit again??? If you do please report back to us all on what changes had to be taken, what the crowds was like, what precautions were needed on the shows part and also on your part. Was it worth it??

I know myself I have a couple shows in the fall and right now there is no way I want to even chance this. Not worth the couple dollars to be made if there would be any. I believe the crowds will be sparse. Here in NJ we are hit hard and getting worse in my area right now. We are the hot spot. Hope people add to this throughout the year. I will try to reboot every once in awhile as we get closer to summer.

The important thing is stay safe and stay well. This is serious stuff and please do not take it lightly. Just look at the death numbers and that is an eye opener.

I don't sell, but my wife and I do like shop at craft shows and markets. You won't catch us anywhere near one until there is a vaccine and/or a scientifically proven treatment which are likely more than a year away... If I did sell at shows, I'd be looking for ways to reach new customers online.
 

Bryguy

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2013
Messages
970
Location
New Hampshire
Our area has an Art tour in October and a show which usually takes place in May. These are the only places I sell. The spring show is cancelled and the Art tour is up in the air right now. If the art tour goes forward, I'll have to consider whether or not I want to put this high blood pressured 70 year old at risk. I won't know until we see how much things have changed. Right now I'm playing things very carefully. In the meantime I'm thinking about an online presence. I want to keep making pens, but how many can I have piled up! Fortunately the last three days I've been spending on a new kitless Aluminum pen have been total failures, so I've had three days of pen making and I don't have even one pen to show for it. At this rate moving my pens won't be an issue, butI'll still have the pleasure of working on the lathe! Drilling and tapping Aluminum is more than a little interesting!
 

howsitwork

Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Messages
2,299
Location
Thirsk
Can't comment on shows JT but can comment sadly on virus. Stay safe and trade online. Even antibody testing ( if you've had it and have immunity ( not 100% certain currently) ) is not up and running over here. Testing here just shows if you currently have active virus.

Tapping aluminium can be interesting. Paraffin or milk ( yes seriously milk ) work well as cutting fluids . Not put in coffee after use, only before !

Stay safe

Ian
 
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Messages
8,206
Location
Tellico Plains, Tennessee, USA.
I only do one show, but it's a weekly event from May through December... they have canceled all craft vendors and are only allowing farmers with food products, plus they've moved it off the square to a smaller location.... had planned to skip the season anyway for reasons mentioned above... not worth the risk.... we live out in the country, closest neighbor is about 1000 yards away and we're just hanging out at home til this is over.
 

Larryreitz

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2015
Messages
702
Location
Salem, CT USA
I opted out of a Memorial Day weekend show in Rhode Island that I've done for years. My Fourth of July weekend show (a local venue that I've also been doing for a long time) has been canceled. After giving it a lot of thought I have decided to participate in a mid-June show. So far it hasn't been canceled. It's a smaller show in the upscale town of Essex, CT. It has never been mobbed with patrons so that limits exposure making it easier to practice good booth hygiene. I've generally done fairly well at it and, If it isn't cancelled, it will be interesting to see how many folks come around.

My booth has photography on canvas as a back drop with the pens upfront on a table. I'm thinking I'll leave the small gallery wraps in boxes at home as people typically paw through them and I could not clean them off. The pens are a bit of a different story. Buyers, if any show up, will want to write with them. I'm thinking I'll let them know that I'll replace it in the rack and that way I can wipe it down first. If anyone reading this has alternative suggestions, I'd very much like to hear it.

Larry
 

sbwertz

Member
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
3,649
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Even if things open back up I still plan to stick with online order/curbside pickup for everything that can't be shipped. Need to buy stock in UPS and FedEx.
 

monophoto

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2010
Messages
2,542
Location
Saratoga Springs, NY
I would expect the show scene to be rather sparse this year - both in the number of shows, and in the crowd size at those that do run.

I don't sell at shows, but I do attend several, and this year I probably will take a pass.
 
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