Bendita Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 After all this time Preaching on how I give my stuff away well I finally decided to test the waters and booked my self a table at a fairly elite arts and craft show here in Merida Mexico just to see if there is any kind of market for the stuff I make. Well as you can probably guess from thew title after I paid 150 pesos for a large table and 100 pesos for lunch and water/coffee I lost 20 pesos today not counting easels and table cloth but of course I get to keep them anyway but it was a total wash out. amazingkevin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton717 Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 sorry to hear that. I never had much luck selling at crafts show. I give some stuff away and that usually leads to future sales. I sell more than by word of mouth than I ever have at a show. When someone wants something they come to me and I don't have to sit for hours/days at a show. Another good thing about not doing shows for me is I don't have to keep a lot of inventory. I can make it when ordered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I have, been even afraid to try. When I made pens I was working for a flower shop delivering flowers, a great parttime retirement job, I showed the people I worked with some pens I had made. They wanted me to set up a display at the shop counter and they would sell them for me,,,,, until I would have to get $50 each for a pen to pay for cost and time... They were figuring $10 range,,, People in my area just are not willing to pay what it will cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryEA Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I usually make a little. I go mostly for the interaction with other scrollers. Someone to talk to, and here what they think about scrollwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bendita Posted January 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 oh you live and learn I had to test the market and found it very cool so no more I'll go back to giving it away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrolling Steve Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Sorry to hear things did not go well.....You do great work so keep on scrolling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Bendita, someday people are going to be paying big bucks for your art work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multifasited Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Sorry ,was there once ,no more ,still have vivid memories ,not all good ,some seem to do well ,but when I got out a pencil & used actual #'s to it ,I made no sense other than if you in to being the entertainment and comrodery of the shows and being involved .Shops want your stuff on consignment +30-40 % .I can get insulted here and not in front of people by a know it all drunk ! or user ! impressing his tattooed princess ! If you want to make money there sell barbeeque and hot dogs& drinks or shaved ice ! amazingkevin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Things will work out,Don't jump ship in the middle of the storm smooth seas are right around the corner.You need to get known and known as a regular to attract the money people for your caliber stuff.Word gets out ,believe me.I can hear horse whispers when the craft show gossip start's about what they saw there that weeks.Your products are sensational,give it time ! That's all any of us have.Just like classic car shows word gets around ,you got to see this guys stuff. Remember you can't take it with you,Get out and have some fun.Tell some scroll saw story's to back up your projects, set up a el cheap-o scroll saw to let them see what's involved.Remember now Rome wasn't built on a day!Be proud of what you've done and show it off! pete44 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Twenty peso's is nothing and some time which ended up an adventure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bendita Posted January 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Thank you all for your comments and your word of encouragement I wasn't there for the money in the first place I was only testing the water. But I'll go back doing what I was doing and enjoy my cutting time. The only thing I was really looking for I guess was recognition and some oohs and aahs which I didn't feel I even had my table there and I had to point it out to people, Just no interest. It will all go back to Canada with me where I know people appreciate my art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatie Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Really sorry to hear that Hans, you do such beautiful work too. People are crazy. Marg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirithorse Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Hi, Hans, Sorry to hear the experience left a sour taste in your mouth. I do most of my sales by word of mouth and don't usually feel pressured to have the right projects or an inventory of stock. Your work, on the other hand, belongs in an art gallery; not a craft show unless it is very high end!As you said, just keep enjoying the scrolling. You know you'll get lots of Ooohs and Aaahs from this forum!God Bless! Spirithorse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Scroller Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Hans do give up I felt the same at my first show. This is only my second year the first two times I didn't do much and once people knew I was there they came back with money and I had orders from people to take back on the next show. At last Christmas well that just took off and now I'm getting Easter and Valentines stuff ready for next month. Hey I would go anyway I just enjoy the people thing and there comments.Roly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWSUDEKUM Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Hans sorry to hear about your slight misadventure. As you may well know the market is fickle and can be hot one time and cold the next. I do not know what you had up for consideration and for sale but one time out is not a disaster. You may have picked a tough market to "test" the waters. You mentioned that it was a fairly elite show. Were there any other scrollers there? Did anyone work with wood? My point being is this, your goods could have been too good for an unprepared customer base. Anyway sorry to hear about it. The main thing is you still enjoy making things. We still marvel at what you make my friend. DW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Sorry about your craft salw. I don't do many sales other than one at the vocatial school, in the spring. Most of my sales are Christmas time .( October thru Dec 15. ) I have found out that $20 to $25 sale but over that it is a slow sale. From what I have seen of your work is that it is worth a lot more than $25. IKE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC Scroller Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Shows are very unpredictable. Most are boom or bust. My advice is to not quit after on attempt. Also shows in November and December are the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savannah Scroller Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Thats the very reason that i have not tried to sell any of my stuff. for one thing i do not feel that my woodwork is good enough. i am not the greatest at finishing wood such as staining and such. I am going to try a large community yard sale held sometimes in April that will be my first attempt. I am really doing it for the experance thats all. As you can see i can't spell worth a darn either. KEEP ON SCROLLING!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I'm sorry to hear that too. That's why I don't sell mine either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 As you probably know by now, i am not into craft sales. It is not worth all the prep and making a lot of things just so I have a good variety to sell. then afterwards i would have to start storing unsold items in a bunch of forgotten boxes, but then in a year or two of doing that, I could start digging out all my boxes and competing with Kevin and see who has the most accumulated boxes of cut things. NO that is really not a good idea, Kevin already has too big of a head start on my idea. I keep busy enough for me as it is. All I w ant to do is sell enough to pay for supplies. much more than that would take my scrolling fun to a different category,,,,,,tht being work. i didn't retire to do that. Dick heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bendita Posted January 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I need to clarify something here, some people here seem to be of the opinion that I'm trying to break into the craft sale market but that wasn't my intention at all (been there done that) I'm totally against that sort of marketing our products I know of a lot more profitable ways to dispose it. The point that I was getting at was only that I was disappointed by the response (or lack off) from the public. the second reason was to try and get rid of some of my pieces as my house is full and I'm running out of people here to give them too. My next plan of attack is to donate them to charities so they can raffle them off. But thank you all for your kind advise. .../Hans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 i DO HAVE SOME PRODUCTION WORK ON nATIVITY SCENES, BUT OTHER THAN THAT i MAKE WHATEVER I FEEL LIKE MAKEING.. i DO HAVE SOME LEFT OVER STUFF BUT i WILL SELL ABOUT HALF OF THEM THIS YEAR AND THEN GIVE AWAY MOST OF THE REST. i DON'T FEEL LIKE IT IS WORK i WILL MAKE ABOUT 40 OR 50 NATIVITY SCENES THIS YEAR BUT THAT WILL BE SCATTERED THRU ABOUT 8 MONTHS tHAT IS LESS THAN 2 PER MONTHS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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