Went To A Craft Show Yesterday And..

[kmmcrafts]

So this is a big show that's been happening for quite a few years and it's always packed with both vendors and shoppers, even a waiting list to be a vendor...

Not much for scroll work there at all.. there was 3 - 4 different vendors with turned pens.. couple vendors with turned bowls and some salt / pepper grinders.. one person have a few CNC signs and cribbage boards. 

Didn't see much of anything laser work until we got way down to the one end in a hallway ( was at a school ) and to my surprise there was some laser stuff but what was more surprising than that was the fact they allowed him to have his open framed laser engraver set up and was doing custom orders on the spot.. I cannot believe this would be allowed for many reasons besides the smoke that comes off these, LOL.. These kind of machines are supposed to give out special glasses to where in case a laser beam reflects off of something... In my mind this is like taking a cutting torch and cutting metal in a school hallway, LOL.. I do not get how this was allowed at all or even how the vendor even remotely thought it would be acceptable.. not to mention the liability of possibly blinding someone.. I realize for the most part with common sense these are fairly safe to run.. but you just don't know how much common sense a customer or a customers child might have if they seen the thing running.. Now.. if this was a outside event.. Maybe could sort of... nope.. still can't see having a open frame laser running where customers would be able to watch... Now, maybe he never fired the machine? I do not know... I never seen him running it.. but it was there and set up with the computer hooked up and he was messing on the computer doing some graphics work and had some people standing around him.. May have been a customer working on a design and then once agreed maybe he fired up the laser.. I'm not sure but I can say I sure don't think this would be allowed.. 

  

[edward]

I am not a fan of laser cutting takes away of craftmanship and scrollwork and woodworking. Go to the stores and thats all you find there. I guess thats the age were in  now. I did a show yesterday and myself and another person did real woodwork and a lot of oldtimers  are gone. 

[Gene Howe]

Most folks make or buy enclosures that have the proper colored view ports. I just wear glasses but I don't invite onlookers, either.

To date, I've not actually cut anything. It's just engraving. 

 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Gene Howe

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Like with any tool there is always danger and proper technique and use of tool is always paramount. This is how accidents happen. With all these new cheap lasers hitting the market as well as all these 3D printers these days, people are just not aware of the dangers not only from the beams but the fumes coming off these burning tools. that is why ventilation is a key when setting up in a shop. Just like working on computers all day can effect eye sight so can sharp blasts of light from lasers. I seen people bring scrollsaws and lathes to shows and yes scrollsaws are less dangerous but lathes can get dangerous if you have chips flying around and no barriers. Most shows do not allow these unless properly set up. Me being an outspoken person, I would have said something to them for sure. Just imagine the vendor next to them all day. You want to do custom work then take orders and ship. All part of business. One lawsuit in this lawsuit happy society these days and you lost everything. not good. 

With that said, good to see craft shows are still hanging around and getting to see other's talents is always what drove me into this in the first place. When I do shows I always loved seeing people's reactions and talking to them to get feedback and input. Those were special qualities I found best when on the circuit because it is instant feedback and knowledge. if doing web sites it is tough because all you have is wait and see if items sell or not and what price points. love seeing the talented artisans.    

[Juan Rodriguez]

I participated at a local craft show over the weekend. To my surprise there were a lot of "crafters" selling items made in China. I thought crafts were items people made. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

yes the juried shows are tough to come by these days but were the norm in the older days. Today if you have cash they take you in. I was at 2 shows that I did years ago where 3 crafters were asked to leave in the middle of the show because they had made in China stickers on the items they were selling. I remember this well because one of the so called crafters then went around to many other crafters and stared looking for same labels. when she picked mine up i told her you will never find one here. All made by me by hand. But nice try. 

[Wichman]

1 hour ago, Juan Rodriguez said:

I participated at a local craft show over the weekend. To my surprise there were a lot of "crafters" selling items made in China. I thought crafts were items people made. 

It just depends on the venue. The Farmers Market I used to sell at required crafters to make their own items, their are always cheaters, but the FM bylaws require vendors to allow inspection of their facilities; and that includes Farmers.

The current leadership of the market is relaxing quite a bit of the rules, one reason (of many) that I chose to not be a vendor there anymore.

Before I will apply to a craft show I will do a walk through, too many resellers and it's a hard no.

[Sycamore67]

Safety with a Laser is important and I am surprised that anyone would've been allowed to operate one at a craft fair.

I finally had mine up and running and just a 10 watt machine.  Even at that, I have tried to set it up safely.  The fumes, dust, smoke ,etc are an issue for me and I am exhausting outside.  My enclosure has an orange acrylic window for viewing and the laser is surrounded by a shield.  I have a steel honeycomb and a sheet under where cutting.  Of course, I have fire extinguishers at hand.

LASTLY, YOU DO NOT WALK OFF AND LEAVE IT RUNNING UNLESS YOU HAVE A CAMERA TO MONITOR IT REMOTELY.

Just like other hobbies, there is a lot more to it than one thinks.

As an aside, I really enjoy my laser and all the learning to use it. I am surprised at home much it takes to figure out the right setting for cutting or engraving.  I still use my scrollsaw but enjoy a change of pace.

[kmmcrafts]

I'm not against laser work being at a craft show because there is more "hands on" than one thinks.. more skill than one thinks too.. BUT.. I don't agree with passing them off as handmade... I sell my laser and cnc works right next to my scroll sawn stuff and explain the difference. 

I personally find that many / most folks today could care less how it's made.. they just like the item.. some will jaw drop when they find out the scroll work is really hands on handmade as opposed to the laser stuff.. but then they turn around and buy the laser item they actually like best.. with the laser you can just add so much more detail and personalization that's much harder to do with scroll work..

I didn't really start the topic to make it be handmade vrs laser.. more about the lack of safety of what this person with the laser may have been doing.. like I said.. maybe he wasn't actually running it but with everything plugged in it sure looked like he was set up to run it.. My laser is made with a enclosure and intake and exhaust fans.. not a small portable deal that I'd want to drag out to a show either.. Some folks with them will have a enclosed trailer where they have a mobile set up and that I feel is probably fine... I just cannot imagine running the set up he had with all the people around and the smoke that these create.. not to mention the fact that he could possibly blind someone if something went wrong with his system..  To be fair he was right next to a door.. maybe he stepped outside to actually run the project.. I would hope he at least did that..  

[kmmcrafts]

21 minutes ago, Sycamore67 said:

Safety with a Laser is important and I am surprised that anyone would've been allowed to operate one at a craft fair.

I finally had mine up and running and just a 10 watt machine.  Even at that, I have tried to set it up safely.  The fumes, dust, smoke ,etc are an issue for me and I am exhausting outside.  My enclosure has an orange acrylic window for viewing and the laser is surrounded by a shield.  I have a steel honeycomb and a sheet under where cutting.  Of course, I have fire extinguishers at hand.

LASTLY, YOU DO NOT WALK OFF AND LEAVE IT RUNNING UNLESS YOU HAVE A CAMERA TO MONITOR IT REMOTELY.

Just like other hobbies, there is a lot more to it than one thinks.

As an aside, I really enjoy my laser and all the learning to use it. I am surprised at home much it takes to figure out the right setting for cutting or engraving.  I still use my scrollsaw but enjoy a change of pace.

CNC's are way more complicated than a laser.. You have to worry about spindle / router speed... speed of up and down as well as left to right.. how deep of cut you make and how many passes needed for the finished depth.. Then there is usually a lot of finish sanding of all those details that was carved out.. It's a lot to do.. for me it's more work than just scroll sawing... typically IF I need more than one piece it's also faster with a scroll saw.. but the time you set up the machine and all the finish sanding etc.. I can stack cut three signs faster than I can carve a couple of them..

[zimmerstutzen]

18 hours ago, Juan Rodriguez said:

I participated at a local craft show over the weekend. To my surprise there were a lot of "crafters" selling items made in China. I thought crafts were items people made. 

Around here, there is a differentiation between a "vendor show" and a "makers' market"   Vendor's shows may be open to makers, but not vice versa.  Makers markets are strictly for items made by the seller.    Farmer's markets and flea markets around here have become just extensions of Chinese junk stores.    

An interesting alternative outlet has popped up in an old warehouse near here.  The maker rents a set of shelves and keeps it stocked.   There are dozens of other makers who have also  rented shelves and do the same.  The owner of the shop provides security and a cashier.  the computerized cashier system prints daily, weekly and monthly accountings for the maker's and funds are paid out accordingly.    I was impressed with the variety and quality of the items for sale.  There were a few scrolled items, turned items, carvings, hand made soaps, pottery, sculptures, metal work,etc.    The place is open TFSS and holiday Mondays and it is a couple blocks off a major US highway, in the center of a cluster of large antique centers.  The shop had a pretty good crowd.

[kmmcrafts]

16 minutes ago, zimmerstutzen said:

Around here, there is a differentiation between a "vendor show" and a "makers' market"   Vendor's shows may be open to makers, but not vice versa.  Makers markets are strictly for items made by the seller.    Farmer's markets and flea markets around here have become just extensions of Chinese junk stores.    

An interesting alternative outlet has popped up in an old warehouse near here.  The maker rents a set of shelves and keeps it stocked.   There are dozens of other makers who have also  rented shelves and do the same.  The owner of the shop provides security and a cashier.  the computerized cashier system prints daily, weekly and monthly accountings for the maker's and funds are paid out accordingly.    I was impressed with the variety and quality of the items for sale.  There were a few scrolled items, turned items, carvings, hand made soaps, pottery, sculptures, metal work,etc.    The place is open TFSS and holiday Mondays and it is a couple blocks off a major US highway, in the center of a cluster of large antique centers.  The shop had a pretty good crowd.

Have a few of those shops around here.. I sold at one back around 2012 - 13.. got okay sales however it seemed things liked to just walk off too... you was responsible to go weekly and tidy up and replace inventory etc.. The problem I had more so was you had to rent the space as a signed contract in 3-6-12 months.. I think I could have done very well over the holidays but it seemed impossible to get those months available.. Then the owner that runs it her husband got very sick and the store ended up being closed several days a week while she sat with him at the hospital.. while I totally understand that situation.. I also paid a contract for my items to be in a open x amount of days / weeks.. no kickback for all the closed up days.. at the end of the contract I lost a couple hundred to sell there.. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I too sold in stores like that for about 5 years. I was in 6 stores in 3 different highend malls in NJ. The owner was a husband and wife team that hired a couple of dedicated workers. It was based on a contract for certain amount of space. There was a commission but what was so nice was they did protect things, took all sales and orders and called you when orders were in or if they see your area being cleaned out and you need to restock. they wanted all crafters to do well and we did. My contracts varied because I was in so many of their stores and got great discounts. various times of the year they loved putting different crafters products in their front windows and have to say they did this with many of my items one Christmas season and I sold out almost instantly. that was one busy year. Holidays were the best times of the year and if you cater to the specific holiday with your product you did very well. have to say i did quite well doing those stores but it was a job along with my career job I was traveling great distances to keep stock on shelves and also coming home tired at nights to hit the saws. then things turned quickly when the owners sold the business and the new owner had only one person working in the store. I had way too much stolen goods and broken items that I had to pull out of all. Plus the fact was that malls just became hangouts for kids and true customers were leaving and buying on line just like it is today. Infact I just learned one of the largest malls in NJ in my area will be shut down after this Christmas season and a Hospital will be built in its place. That mall lost so many huge name stores over the years and is what killed it. 

Anyway those consignment type setups can work well depending on location and the people running it. It can work. 

[rafairchild2]

Just had to say, I went and read this entire thread.  Great conversation and I love reading about experiences and such. A very enjoyable thread to read. This is what I like about SSV vs say FB. Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Keep it flowing.