My Annual Craft Show came to an End.... :+}

[Danny]

Good Morning to Everyone....
     This was my Forth year at the same place.  Heard there were between
1 and 2 thousand peoples that came in.  Saturday was a Steady flow of many.
Mostly Lookers and many, many Admirers.  Also men that just wanted to yack
about their scrolling history.  Heres my estimations....  80% Women.  10% Childern that just wanted to play with the crafts and maybe 10% men.  Had many, many peoples that just wanted to tell me how Beautiful my work looked.  Majority of these just eventually kept walking.  Bad year to sell Christmas Ornaments.  Took a lot of your advice from looking at my ornament display and put the price of each at $4.00.
Well after a half day with only selling ONE.  I dropped the price down to $2.00 just to hopefully be able to sell them.  Well couldn't go any lower and I came home with around 70.  I did put out a smaller display with what I consider the simpler ones to cut for a buck.  Out of around 40 I came home with 20.  Terrible huh?  I did after Sundays selling come home with a profit of $318.00.  I'm thankful for this anyway.
Last year was a profit of $601.00 and to me lesser quality items. 

Just a lil note....  Did a lot of talking and looking and for the majority of sellers the big sellers were Womens items.  Gal next to me made Purses our of Goodwill jeans and Walmart patches and was selling them for $17.00.  Her husband told me just Saturday alone she sold 139 of of um.  The people across from me was selling Pumpkin Logs (bout a foot long by 4" diameter) for $12.00 each.  Said Saturday he sold 47 of um.  Sunday I could see him bagging log after log all day.  Another woodworker made lil childerns wood things.  Potty chair, doll high chair, lil benches,
rocking horses etc. and sold out of some items Saturday.  He had scroll work displayed.  All Fancy Patterns that all had the little clock in them.  Didn't sell a one.

I am SERIOUSLY considering getting into another craft for next years show and only cut Scroll projects for Family and Friends.  Sorry this is so long.  Danny  :+}

[scrollgirl]

Hi, Danny:
It is hard to hear when scrollers don't do well.  It is so erratic it seems that it is hard to tell what will sell and what won't. (what are 'pumpkin logs' anyway?)  Many times it is just better to give scrolled projects for gifts to family and friends. With all the cheap selling stuff out of China, it is difficult to compete. I find this with my painting stuff, too.

Thanks for the report. We all appreciate hearing how others do in different areas. I am glad you made a bit of a profit anyway.

Take care, Sheila

[Vonsarge]

I recently visited a craft fair near home, here in the UK.
It was so obvious that most of the sellers had imported the goods from Europe and Africa. They were certainly hand made, but not by the seller.
I am thinking of trying a fair in the spring, but is it really a good idea?

[Toneman]

Sorry to hear it did not go so well Danny. I am getting ready for a tensil and tidings show this weekend and I hope I at least sell enough to to meet expenses! Did ok last show selling ornaments ($400.00) so hope I can match that this weekend. As Julie said, it is hard to compete with stuff from China like Hobby Lobby sells. I noticed some of the vendors at the lasr show was selling China made items. I feel since it was an arts and craft show, vendors should not be allowed to sell mass produced items from manufacturers. JMHO

Tony,aka,Toneman

[Danny]

Pumpkin Logs as the couple calls them are really made of Pumpkin like cake that has some kind of I think cream cheese filling.  Looks like the pumkin bread and filling is rolled into a tight tube like look.  They were offering lil samples all day.  Lots of takers including myself.  Very Yummy....  The Logs were actually kept in a little fridge, so guess must keep them cold.  Anyway they sold very well. 

Think I did see couple booths selling real nice looking lil ornaments.  Bet they weren't hand made.  Don't know how well they sold. 

Think I (we) need to get into making a product that a WOMEN or young girl likes OR maybe CHILDREN.   

The gal next to me selling the purses traded me my scroll craft for a purse I wanted for my wife.  She had them decorated with all kinds of different things from Sports to Hunting to Fishing to different special occasions.  She did Great....  Danny  :+}

[GrayBeard]

We are "artisans" not 'crafters'!

I scroll for ME!

~~~GB~~~

[chelcass]

I agree with GB, I scroll for me.  I rarely ever sell my items.. They are gifts I make for family and friends.  Plus I just like seeing them hang on my curtains for me to enjoy. 

You just never know from one year to the next what people want to buy, and as said there is a lot of *JunK* being sold as homemade.

I sorry your show was such a dissapointment Danny.  Did you save the purse for christmas???

Chelcass

[dgman]

Hey Danny, sorry it didn't go so well. Sometimes you just don't know what will sell. Maybe it's time to find a different show.
I had a show about three weeks ago. I had a display of the mini birdhouse ornaments right out front. Next to that I had a small artificial Christmas tree with small ornaments hanging on it, and the larger ornament displayed under the tree. These two displays attracted the customers to see the rest of the stuff. I sold out of the small ornaments priced at $3 or two for $5. Sold half of the large ornament priced at $6 or two for $10, and half of the min birdhouse ornaments priced at $10 each or two for $18. I sold some clocks and plaques and portraits and all kinds of other stuff. I made just shy of $800.

[Danny]

GB and Others I am really starting to get the same feeling about if I really, truely want to spend my time attending Craft Shows.  It is a big low when so many people stop by and offer me Great Compliments and make me feel good, but when so, so many do this and keep walking its just a Big Let Down.  Think 4 years is about enough.  Family, Friends, Church and maybe a special order should make me happy. 

Chelcass .... I couldn't wait for Santa, but my wife was there when I made the trade.
The Gal that made the (its not only a Purse.  I call it a medium size bag) purse even
put a Dollar Bill in one of the pockets.  Now wasn't that a nice thing to do?

Dan....  You have always impressed me as has others that live in a bigger area/state or what not that do well with their Craft Shows.  Somehow I feel lil cities (which there are the majority of) just do not have people that appreciate Scrolling.  Maybe where you are people believe a dollar is less value than most other places.  Don't know....    Reading posts like yours Dan makes me feel Proud to be a part of this Scrolling family.  Congrats....  Anyway....  Danny  :+}

[Billy in Va]

Hey Danny  How often do you get the question  Did You Make all of this?

I get it a lot and I do have several answers  -  all but one smart-ass.  I just answer Yes I did.

[newfie]

Hey Danny did our local sale this Sunday i did alright.but i did notice alot of baked goods and man they sold fast there table was packed all day if i was better at baking then scrolling thats what i would have there next year.

[countryscroller]

My one and only craft show is coming up on December 8. It is held at my grandma's church and this will be my second year going. Looks like it will be a portrait year for me because I cut over 20 portraits over the summer.

[maritimer]

Hey Danny, try not to get to bummed out over it.  I know it is discouraging to do all that work and get lots of compliments (which is always nice to hear!) but no sales.  I'm beginning to think it's the year.  I had my second show on Saturday and cleared $68.00.  My first show went in the hole $80....now that's really not good!  Both shows people are just not buying.  If anything they're picking up small ticket items.  I have 3 more shows coming up...it can only get better!    One thing I'm not doing is lowering my prices....I figure people don't work for nothing and neither do I.  The right person will come along I just have to wait for them and if it doesn't happen this year then I'm already for next year!! 

Pumpkin logs sound good....

[Billy in Va]

Danny I agree, folks just aren't spending as the once did. I did two shows in oOctober and the peopke were there the sales were not. The lady next to us does shows all the time and she said sales are down everywhere  I think it was DGMAN that said  if you make your booth rent you had a good day. Sometimes I set some items out at the road and have done pretty good that way.  Sold more here in one day than at a flea market. go figure! Keep on scrolling!!!!!!

[tbolt]

If we can pay for our space a tank of gas to get there and some money for supplies we are ok its just a hobby . Every thing Danny said is spot on