My walk to work this morning. Not so much a problem for me (snow is fine; wind is fine; even cold is fine; it's rain that's a nightmare) but my four year-old companion struggled like Napoleon's retreat from Moscow (if the Imperial Guard kept whining about their socks slipping off).
The causeway. On my way to board the Ship of Fools.
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My little table sign from the Fat Goose this past Sunday (crumpled during take-down). I enjoyed this event quite a bit (surprising myself, since I hate everybody) and learned a great deal about fairs and selling. Namely:
• You cannot sell books. Yes, these are "made" (written) by you, and even moreso when you illustrate them as well, but it's not what people want to see on your table.
• People only want to see handmade things (as in: completely handmade things) on your table.
• Things must be obvious. I spent a lot of time explaining what my cigar-tin stories are, which turned out to be okay, since it added to their value. But in a crowded venue, where people are being pushed along, it's much better to display items that are easily understood.
• Art is a hard sell. Again, you end up spending a lot of time explaining the process, just to make people understand the work that goes into making something original. That said, it is much better to have original art, as opposed to prints or posters (re: the handmade aspect).
• Whatever you set up with, that's it. In other words, there is no time/room to do any kind of wrapping or other extras.
• Business cards are great. Sometimes people need to go home and think about it, and then contact you after.
• Crafters are awfully nice people. Polite, patient, friendly, accommodating – all in this together, they just hold their breath and do their best.
I did fine. Sold a lot of cigar-tin stories and small drawings. My packaging was well-done, and people seemed to like my work, in general. I hope to do it again.