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  4. Anyone do craft fairs?

Anyone do craft fairs?


12 years 6 months ago #154801 by mj~shutterbugg
Does any one here do craft fairs for holiday sales? I am debating entering one and want to know if anyone has had success and if you did cash and carry or special orders?

I am thinking of doing one or two this holiday season and wondered if anyone had any advice or what didn't work? I am thinking of printing out my best stuff x3 in 8x10's for cash and carry and having a few specialty items available for special orders. Thoughts?

yes this is a double post from the free lance board but no one answered :rolleyes
Think Off-Center ~ George Carlin
www.mjbrennanphoto.com
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12 years 6 months ago #154812 by Jeanne Merlo
I haven't participated in a fair in a long time. Funny about seeing your thread is that I was just talking to my husband about doing fairs next year. His sister is always entering fairs for her knitting. I thought it would be fun to enter some of my photos. So I'm all ears myself.
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12 years 6 months ago #154939 by effron
I don't, but know of a few that do with differing success. Here is a short, good read.......
www.entrepreneur.com/article/76936
Why so serious?
Photo Comments
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12 years 6 months ago #154947 by Baydream
I have several friends who do "craft fairs". Of course, prices are less than "art shows" or photo exhibits, but the volume can be higher. It's best to sell matted prints in sleeves like those from www.documounts.com to protect them during handling. 8x10 (matted to 11x14) and 5x7 (matted to 8 X10) seem to be the most popular.
You may want to have a couple of 11x14s matted to 16x20 to attract attention. Choose them wisely with lots of colour.

Have some business cards on hand (either order or print some of your own) but don't set them out for people to pick up. Talk to the people and if they are unsure and might want to purchase later, THEN give them a card (and when they purchase). Get the sale then because they may just forget about it if once they leave.

Good variety of subjects and remember the types of people who attend these shows. Show what THEY like.

Good luck.
Shoot, learn and share. It will make you a better photographer.
fineartamerica.com/profiles/john-g-schickler.html?tab=artwork
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12 years 6 months ago #154973 by Ali Stair
I don't do craft fairs, but I just came across someone on facebook last night who is doing one. I looked up the info and this craft fair says no selling. So I'm a little confused, I thought the point of being at a craft fair is to gain business...to sell.
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12 years 6 months ago #154977 by butterflygirl921

effron wrote: I don't, but know of a few that do with differing success. Here is a short, good read.......
www.entrepreneur.com/article/76936


Why cant you leave advice your always leaving links to "good reads"
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12 years 6 months ago - 12 years 6 months ago #154989 by mj~shutterbugg

Baydream wrote: I have several friends who do "craft fairs". Of course, prices are less than "art shows" or photo exhibits, but the volume can be higher. It's best to sell matted prints in sleeves like those from www.documounts.com to protect them during handling. 8x10 (matted to 11x14) and 5x7 (matted to 8 X10) seem to be the most popular.
You may want to have a couple of 11x14s matted to 16x20 to attract attention. Choose them wisely with lots of colour.

Have some business cards on hand (either order or print some of your own) but don't set them out for people to pick up. Talk to the people and if they are unsure and might want to purchase later, THEN give them a card (and when they purchase). Get the sale then because they may just forget about it if once they leave.

Good variety of subjects and remember the types of people who attend these shows. Show what THEY like.

Good luck.


Bay- As you can tell this is all new to me! Thanks!
Think Off-Center ~ George Carlin
www.mjbrennanphoto.com
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12 years 6 months ago #155093 by Eddy
Not yet. Do they offer cash prizes? :)
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12 years 6 months ago #155097 by steveheap

effron wrote:
I don't, but know of a few that do with differing success. Here is a short, good read.......
www.entrepreneur.com/article/76936


Why cant you leave advice your always leaving links to "good reads"


I found the link very interesting!

I've been looking into this as well. There is a guild locally that organizes craft fairs four or five times a year and juries the artists into the show. I went to the first one as a volunteer (on the entry desk) and then went round to talk to the 2 photographers who were showing. They had brought a lot of images (probably 100+), but it sounded a bit hit and miss in terms of sales. I've also talked to people who share an artist's gallery in a reasonably popular tourist town, and that sounds like a relatively large amount of work for relatively low reward. I think one person told me he made about $300 to $500 of sales a month.

I'm going to carry on my investigations, but in the meantime selling my photos as stock images seems to be an easier and more profitable venture!

Steve
My Stock Photo Blog
www.backyardsilver.com
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12 years 6 months ago #155104 by DH59
I did several last year, here in the UK, but they were a complete waste of time, effort and money. I never once made back my stand fee, let alone make anything on the images on sale. It was the same for all the sellers - just not enough people coming through (possibly some issue with how and where the organisers advertised), and those who did walk round were not spending.

I spent days cutting mounts and making greetings cards, and my husband is a picture framer, so he framed a few images, but it was all in vain.

I have done a couple this year, just to try different organisers and locations, but it's been just the same. I have cancelled one that I had booked in November, as I wasn't willing (and can't afford) to pay the almost £100 for the two days, but I have a cheaper, one-day fair at the beginning of December so we'll see how that goes. If that one doesn't produce more sales, being in the run-up to Christmas, I will give up, probably until the economy recovers a bit.
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12 years 6 months ago #155159 by icepics
I haven't tried it but met a local photographer who does. He's part of an artist co-op that has an annual outdoor 'art on the lawn' craft fair. I don't know how well he does but his booth was busy enough; he had a variety of sizes matted and for sale. The co-op is in a town in a scenic touristy sort of place which I imagine could make a difference.

Maybe it depends on how much it costs to rent a table and how much you can price and sell your photos for. If you try it and displayed some of your best photos that you've had posted here, they'd be pretty eye catching. Who knows, might be the sort of thing you'd have to give a try once and see how it goes; if nothing else I guess you'd learn what works and what doesn't.
Sharon
Photo Comments
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12 years 6 months ago #155161 by mj~shutterbugg
Well I am currently on hold with the IRS, but there is a ton of legality work to be done before hand. Vendor license, getting an EIN, as well as getting my business name registered to get a charter number necc. for the vendor license. All this is going to cost $100 not counting the entry fees and inventory costs. I also need to make sure this doesn't affect and take away my disability.
Think Off-Center ~ George Carlin
www.mjbrennanphoto.com
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12 years 6 months ago #155165 by icepics
You're smart to do your homework first. I've done some of that for a nonprofit but not for myself - yet anyway. Sounds like this will give you time to look into different craft shows etc. I've thought about trying Etsy eventually, I know someone who had a shop but closed that up and seems to do well enough thru Etsy and selling at craft and antique shows.
Sharon
Photo Comments
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12 years 6 months ago #155174 by steveheap
My wife has tried to sell jewelry through Etsy, which is definitely a way to avoid the fixed costs of craft fairs. I've used Zazzle for photographs - my best seller has been a calendar (of Kauai) that sold 8 copies last year and now has sold 4 for 2012, and a picture of the moon over DC sells well as a postcard. Not too much effort to get the products online and you can set your own commission. Zazzle handles all the physical work of printing and shipping.

Steve
My Stock Photo Blog
www.backyardsilver.com
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12 years 6 months ago #155181 by mj~shutterbugg
Yes I have an Etsy site, which doesn't do much. But as long as you do not earn more than $400 in a year you don't have to claim anything. I am hedging in on that number so I have to do the legalities.
Think Off-Center ~ George Carlin
www.mjbrennanphoto.com
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