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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 21, 2022 10:37:12 GMT -5
So, this last weekend I had my second show ever! The Dahl Arts Center is a local place which is all about promoting art in the area. They do everything from having art gallery showings to community theater productions. The show this last weekend was setup to showcase the "merchandise" of local artisans. They had 19 spaces available. People had to apply with examples (pictures) of their work and a committee selected the 19 out of all the applicants. I was one of the 19 chosen. The Dahl did require a $100 vender fee. I was pretty stoked about the idea...but was nervous that my "artwork" (wire-wrapped pendants) would be a bit underwhelming compared to other "art" that was being displayed. My thinking was I might actually do fairly well if there's a bunch of other expensive artwork for sale at the show, people would be more likely to want to purchase "something" from the show...and my pieces would offer an inexpensive alternative to say a sculpture of Michelangelo's David! LOL Thursday was supposed to be the setup day, but the weather was horrible...19 degrees and snow, with 50+ mph winds. I really didn't want to go out in that. So, I called and was told it was okay to setup Friday morning just before the show. Whew! I showed up early on Friday with 8 display cases, three headless mannequin display thingys, and an extra 6' table (they were providing one 6' table and two chairs). Well, as I entered the room where the other venders were setup, the reality of the situation quickly set in. The room was a rather small room which was a bit circular in nature. There were vender tables setup around the outside perimeter and vender spaces in the middle of the room, so there was a circular pathway around the room with venders on each side of the pathway...if that makes sense. Well, wouldn't you know, my spot was right in the middle. When I had called on Thursday, I asked the actual size of the space. I was told it was an 8'x8' space...so enough for two 6' tables in a "L" shape...or so I had calculated. Turns out, the venders in the middle had an 8' "front" to their space...but because it was circular, the space was actually wedge-shaped. Bottom line...there was no way to put a second 6' table into that space. I had initially planned for this, so I quickly sprung into Plan A...yes Plan A was one table...Plan B would have been two tables...so I had to revert! LOL - Basically with only one table, I wouldn't have room for any of my "glue-on" bail cabochon pendants. Here was the other eye-opener of the event. It was not as "artsy" as I thought it was going to be. It was basically a craft-fair. Don't get me wrong, there were some really great "artsy" crafts by some of the people there - and there were some items I would consider "higher end" art. One person had some pottery, there were a couple painters of sorts, and the gal next to me had really nice hand-painted signs and cards. The venders were all super nice...and several of them I imagine are known in the local art community as they just came across as "artsy" people. So, as I looked around, I knew I was going to be one of the venders who had some of the more expensive pieces for sale...with a couple of the painters having pieces priced higher than mine. Friday was actually busier than I thought it would be, with foot traffic pretty steady throughout the day. Saturday was busier in the morning, but kind of lulled around 2pm. The show was open from 10-4 both days...which wasn't very long hours in my mind...but my feet said it was long enough! LOL I was very fascinated by people's reactions to my pendants. I could probably count on one hand the amount of people who looked at the pendants and didn't give me a positive comment as feedback on the pieces - none were negative. That was a good feeling to know people were impressed with what I had been doing. The sales on Friday were just a hair higher than those on Saturday...but were darn close to the same dollar amount made each day. I know there were a couple venders who either didn't make their $100 fee back, or barely made enough to cover it. The gal across from me only made $26 between both days. I did feel badly for her. When I did my first show this summer, I did pretty well. I thought I would actually do better at this show than I did at the first one, only because the first one was geared more towards rock hounds...and I figured this one was geared more towards jewelry wearing people. At this show, I actually made about 3/5 of what I did at the first one. Which actually wasn't a bad amount for 2 six-hour days. I'm not upset at all with the "income" from the show. I was fascinated by what pieces people were looking at mostly. There were a handful of pieces people were paying attention to each day...and those pieces were different on Friday then they were on Saturday! It was really funny to me. People kept picking up certain pieces and really looking at them...and it was neat to see people drawn to specific pieces. I did sell more of my more recent pieces I made as the designs of the wraps were a bit more intricate...but some of my very first pieces I did also sold! LOL - There was ONE particular piece that garnered the most attention. It was a Polychrome Jasper piece that was one of the pieces on my headless mannequins! Here's the kicker...it was sold the moment I walked in to setup! LOL - There was a vender there who had seen me at the show I did this summer. She had looked at the piece, but didn't have the money to spend this summer (she did buy a belt buckle this summer!). When she saw me walk in, she recognized me and as soon as I had the display put up, she walked over and said she wanted that piece! She said she had thought about that piece numerous times over the last six months. She told me to just leave it on display though. I really couldn't believe the amount of people that were drawn to that particular wrap over the two days. It was nice to be able to say..."Oh that one sold just a little bit ago!". And of course, the deer head garnered a lot of attention! LOL I also found it interesting that price didn't seem to be a deterrent. It was neat to see people taking their time and looking over the entire selection of pendants...and every once in awhile, someone would actually look at the price on the tag and kind of nod their head like the price was expected. I only saw a shocked expression a couple times...but they were looking at the highest priced Fairburn wraps! LOL One of the things that made me smile the biggest was the news coverage of the show. The local news came in and did a piece and talked about the event on the evening news. The story opened up with a close-up pan of all of my wraps! So, while I personally wasn't on the news...all of my wraps were shown! I'm really glad I did the show. I made a few new potential contacts for future sales. Two different people said they had bear claws and wondered if I could do something with them (odd that it was two different people! LOL). I had another couple say they had a grandmother's ring that they'd like to have the turquoise removed and wire-wrapped. Another guy said he makes knives and wondered if I could make spacers or handles. A ton of contact cards were handed out...so we'll see what comes of that! Here's some pics of the show. My setup...and a couple of the other booths. The Polychrome piece pictured was the piece that got the most attention...so I will be doing more in that style!
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 21, 2022 11:02:39 GMT -5
That looks like a nice little show, I dig the Buffalo and horse photography. We have a local art faire, and the jewelry always has the highest priced items. I really like that kind of artwork as well! I don't know how they did, as they were on the opposite side of the room...and I had my back to them, so I never saw what was going on with them. There was one other vender who had jewelry for sale. They weren't wire-wrapped. They were bezel set. I had asked her if she did the smithing on them, but she told me she didn't. She did come over to my booth on Saturday a little frantic. She had a lady who wanted one of her pieces, but the jump ring was a bit loose. She asked if I had any pliers with me...which I had just happened to throw in with my stuff as I was leaving the house. The jump ring was so small, she couldn't seem to see it well enough to get it fixed. So, I fixed it for her...and she was super grateful! LOL
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pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Placed another order in rockshed. Happy 2024 everyone!
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,391
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Post by pebblesky on Nov 21, 2022 11:39:52 GMT -5
It sounds a really pleasant and successful show for you. I like your setup. It looks very neat. If you happen to have that local news clips we would love to watch it too!
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 21, 2022 11:40:52 GMT -5
Great report, Jason! I'm glad everything went well. Sounds like you got some very positive and welcome feedback. I'm not surprised about the polychrome piece. I love the stone and the symmetry.
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 21, 2022 11:50:47 GMT -5
I really like that kind of artwork as well! I don't know how they did, as they were on the opposite side of the room...and I had my back to them, so I never saw what was going on with them. There was one other vender who had jewelry for sale. They weren't wire-wrapped. They were bezel set. I had asked her if she did the smithing on them, but she told me she didn't. She did come over to my booth on Saturday a little frantic. She had a lady who wanted one of her pieces, but the jump ring was a bit loose. She asked if I had any pliers with me...which I had just happened to throw in with my stuff as I was leaving the house. The jump ring was so small, she couldn't seem to see it well enough to get it fixed. So, I fixed it for her...and she was super grateful! LOL You’re a good person for helping her out, I question your business sense though LOL! I couldn't just leave her hanging! (Or her piece for that matter! LOL) It sounds a really pleasant and successful show for you. I like your setup. It looks very neat. If you happen to have that local news clips we would love to watch it too! Thanks PS! Okay...this isn't a good video. I recorded the piece off of my TV with my phone! LOL Great report, Jason! I'm glad everything went well. Sounds like you got some very positive and welcome feedback. I'm not surprised about the polychrome piece. I love the stone and the symmetry. Thanks Tela! I truly had a smile on my face both days! Now...I just need to make another 50 pieces like that Polychrome wrap...and figure out how to make all the "one of a kinds" look the different...but the same! LOL
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 21, 2022 11:52:53 GMT -5
You're a star!!! Or, your wraps are stars.
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pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Placed another order in rockshed. Happy 2024 everyone!
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,391
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Post by pebblesky on Nov 21, 2022 11:57:49 GMT -5
Wow that local news highlight was great!
Please show us your 50 pieces of Polychrome wraps in detail in the future!
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Nov 21, 2022 12:00:48 GMT -5
Excellent report, Jason! It's so cool that all your wraps were shown on the news. Glad you did well. It's always a learning experience doing a "new" show. What you should do in the future is scope out some of the shows around you when they happen. That way you can decide whether or not it's a good fit for you to sell your jewelry and you'll know ahead of time what to expect.
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 21, 2022 12:04:33 GMT -5
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 21, 2022 12:06:57 GMT -5
Excellent report, Jason! It's so cool that all your wraps were shown on the news. Glad you did well. It's always a learning experience doing a "new" show. What you should do in the future is scope out some of the shows around you when they happen. That way you can decide whether or not it's a good fit for you to sell your jewelry and you'll know ahead of time what to expect. Thanks Robin! I was so stoked to see the wraps on the TV! LOL Good idea doing the scouting! I do know of a couple venues that happen throughout the year...and I do believe my stuff would do well at those. Gonna have to start looking at the civic calendar a lot more closely to see when things are coming up!
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 372
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Post by brotherbill on Nov 21, 2022 12:11:44 GMT -5
Good report and interesting observations.
You should consider going vertical with your setup to maximize your display capacity. A few pieces of rough on the table always seem to generate conversation as well.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,773
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Post by gemfeller on Nov 21, 2022 12:45:36 GMT -5
Glad your show was a success Jason. All he comments above are good and helpful I think. Here are some personal observations from several years of doing regular weekend shows some years back.
1) There's a buyer for every single item you offer. It's simply a matter of putting your stock in front of enough eyeballs.
2) Don't try to anticipate what will sell best. Certainly some items are consistent winners but I made it a policy to make several pieces I absolutely hated for each show. And they often sold first! So much for my personal taste...
3) Pricing can be interesting. If prices are too low customers will often not show much interest. I found that by marking some items up they frequently got more attention and sold faster. Curious, but human psychology can be manipulated sometimes.
4) Pass out loads of business cards at every show. I was amazed at how often people who didn't buy at a show but took a card, remembered me and made a point of seeking me out for later purchases or recommended me to friends who became customers. It takes time to build a following.
Best wishes for your future ventures. You have skills.
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 21, 2022 12:49:24 GMT -5
Good report and interesting observations. You should consider going vertical with your setup to maximize your display capacity. A few pieces of rough on the table always seem to generate conversation as well. Thanks Bill! Yep. Vertically was considered. The display cases I have now, won't really allow for it. The lids only open to flat. So, trying to elevate any of those...or even trying to lean them forward (which I tried) doesn't work. I'd like to come up with something though. Someone at the show talked about adding pieces of rough...so that's another idea that I'll have to put into play! I do think the space was so limited that it wouldn't have worked real well with this one. But it's something that makes sense to incorporate! Good call on that!
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 21, 2022 12:54:27 GMT -5
Glad your show was a success Jason. All he comments above are good and helpful I think. Here are some personal observations from several years of doing regular weekend shows some years back. 1) There's a buyer for every single item you offer. It's simply a matter of putting your stock in front of enough eyeballs. 2) Don't try to anticipate what will sell best. Certainly some items are consistent winners but I made it a policy to make several pieces I absolutely hated for each show. And they often sold first! So much for my personal taste... 3) Pricing can be interesting. If prices are too low customers will often not show much interest. I found that by marking some items up they frequently got more attention and sold faster. Curious, but human psychology can be manipulated sometimes. 4) Pass out loads of business cards at every show. I was amazed at how often people who didn't buy at a show but took a card, remembered me and made a point of seeking me out for later purchases or recommended me to friends who became customers. It takes time to build a following. Best wishes for your future ventures. You have skills. Thanks Rick! Those are all great points!! I have definitely learned the "different strokes for different folks" aspect. I've made pieces that I really didn't care for...but my wife absolutely loved them. I've made other pieces which I thought were phenomenal...and got the "That's different" comment...which is a nice way of saying they don't care for it! LOL I actually did do that with the pricing. I had "high end" pieces...and then average priced pieces. I sold more of the higher priced pieces than I did the lower priced pieces! Fascinating! pebblesky - Thanks for posting those pics!
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Post by fernwood on Nov 21, 2022 13:29:30 GMT -5
Sounds like a good show. The TV report was nice. I liked seeing what was there.
I think your display was very attractive. Agree with having vertical displays.
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Post by liveoak on Nov 21, 2022 15:12:37 GMT -5
Obviously the news reporter also liked your stuff to highlight it all.
Most excellent.
Another positive is that you've met some of the local craft/art crowd & that might get you an invite to other local shows.
I thinking helping the other seller out was a good thing, as you want to build a good relationship with fellow sellers.
I realize that everyone is competing for the same $, but at the same time building friendships with fellow sellers can help you out as well.
(like if you're at a show alone & need someone to watch your table, so you can pee !).
It's encouraging to you ( and others just starting out) - 2 shows and both were good or relatively good. I look forward to hearing your next show report
Patty
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
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Post by Brian on Nov 21, 2022 15:14:48 GMT -5
Congrats on your second successful show, Jason! I can’t say I’m a bit surprised that your work was very well received. The television coverage was excellent, but next time try to sneak in a sign with a name and contact info on it! That would really help drum up some additional business.
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Nov 21, 2022 15:17:41 GMT -5
Well done Jason!
Here's another vote for going vertical. As imaginative as you are, I bet you can come up with some interesting ideas for displaying your pieces.
It's too bad about the pie shaped spot, that had to be frustrating. It's good to see you persevered and had a good weekend!
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 21, 2022 15:54:42 GMT -5
Sounds like a good show. The TV report was nice. I liked seeing what was there. I think your display was very attractive. Agree with having vertical displays. Thanks Beth! Yeah...gonna have to figure out something about those verticals! Obviously the news reporter also liked your stuff to highlight it all.
Most excellent.
Another positive is that you've met some of the local craft/art crowd & that might get you an invite to other local shows.
I thinking helping the other seller out was a good thing, as you want to build a good relationship with fellow sellers.
I realize that everyone is competing for the same $, but at the same time building friendships with fellow sellers can help you out as well.
(like if you're at a show alone & need someone to watch your table, so you can pee !).
It's encouraging to you ( and others just starting out) - 2 shows and both were good or relatively good. I look forward to hearing your next show report
Patty
Thanks Patty! I winked at the news reporter when they were walking around...so maybe that helped! LOL There's no way I couldn't help that gal out...I had the pliers there for a reason...I just didn't know they were going to be needed by someone else. Oh...and I definitely took advantage of my neighbor for pee breaks! LOL - She was a blast to be next to. Great sense of humor...which was definitely needed in the later afternoon hours! Congrats on your second successful show, Jason! I can’t say I’m a bit surprised that your work was very well received. The television coverage was excellent, but next time try to sneak in a sign with a name and contact info on it! That would really help drum up some additional business. Thanks Brian! I had my contact cards laying just at the end of the displays...if they would have just panned the camera a little further! LOL Well done Jason! Here's another vote for going vertical. As imaginative as you are, I bet you can come up with some interesting ideas for displaying your pieces. It's too bad about the pie shaped spot, that had to be frustrating. It's good to see you persevered and had a good weekend! Thanks Nik! Good to see you on here. I think everything happens for a reason...and even though I was expecting pie this coming weekend, it happened a little sooner than I thought it would! LOL I'll definitely figure out something to go vertical. If I keep the display cases, I'll have to alter the hinges so the lids behave like I want them to...
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