craft fair disaster

Hi all,

well, it was my first craft fair, and so, with all the craft fairs
going on in even this small place, I started, well, somewhere.
I thought a mall location couldn't be all that bad, with 4 cruise
ships in port over the 3 days, roof over my head, food nearby.

Well, it was bad. Most of Friday the mall was empty. Talked
to a few people, most of whom didn't know that there was a
craft fair. Talked to my neighbor, she sold something, but
not enough to cover cost by a long way (coming from the other
side of the island they had to stay in a hotel, and as her
husband had to work Sunday, in 2 vehicle - gas still being
above $3/gallon for regular in most places).

Saturday I sold something. One bracelet. Very nice customer
too. Sunday freinds of mine came by, and she bought a necklace
and bracelet - but I wouldn't have had to be at a craft fair
for that.

The good bits: I got a necklace and earrings done for a friend
in Texas that was a bit on the urgent side (made up his mind too
late for his wife's birthday, but it's on its way), sorted a
lot of Job's Tears, and made 2 necklaces - took a picture of one,
but it's still in the camera. My craft fair neighbor told me
which craft fair to go to next if I can still get in, not too
expensive and tons of people (I think I finally understand why
they charge admission for craft fairs. If you let everybody in
free you get mostly 'browsers'), and I met the guy who organizes
(among others) the Merry Monarch Festival (big hula event in Hilo,
all hotels sold out months ahead of time) craft fair and a few
other big ones (and he wants my jewelry in them - or so he says,
he's a business person after all, and he didn't say he was going
to give me the table for free g. I probably won't be able to do
the Christmas one - it's at one of the big Hongwanjis here, and a
really nice facility - too close to one I already signed up for).

So ya, well, paid for the experience. Hope to do better next time.

Aloha,

Maren
Tropical seeds - Job's Tears Jewelry - Plants & Lilikoi
http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/~maren/palms_etc/

That is very disappointing...I learned quickly what to do and not to do. It
is hard to learn...I am sure the next will be much better!!

Cindy
wrote in message
ps.com...
Hi all,

well, it was my first craft fair, and so, with all the craft fairs
going on in even this small place, I started, well, somewhere.
I thought a mall location couldn't be all that bad, with 4 cruise
ships in port over the 3 days, roof over my head, food nearby.

Well, it was bad. Most of Friday the mall was empty. Talked
to a few people, most of whom didn't know that there was a
craft fair. Talked to my neighbor, she sold something, but
not enough to cover cost by a long way (coming from the other
side of the island they had to stay in a hotel, and as her
husband had to work Sunday, in 2 vehicle - gas still being
above $3/gallon for regular in most places).

Saturday I sold something. One bracelet. Very nice customer
too. Sunday freinds of mine came by, and she bought a necklace
and bracelet - but I wouldn't have had to be at a craft fair
for that.

The good bits: I got a necklace and earrings done for a friend
in Texas that was a bit on the urgent side (made up his mind too
late for his wife's birthday, but it's on its way), sorted a
lot of Job's Tears, and made 2 necklaces - took a picture of one,
but it's still in the camera. My craft fair neighbor told me
which craft fair to go to next if I can still get in, not too
expensive and tons of people (I think I finally understand why
they charge admission for craft fairs. If you let everybody in
free you get mostly 'browsers'), and I met the guy who organizes
(among others) the Merry Monarch Festival (big hula event in Hilo,
all hotels sold out months ahead of time) craft fair and a few
other big ones (and he wants my jewelry in them - or so he says,
he's a business person after all, and he didn't say he was going
to give me the table for free g. I probably won't be able to do
the Christmas one - it's at one of the big Hongwanjis here, and a
really nice facility - too close to one I already signed up for).

So ya, well, paid for the experience. Hope to do better next time.

Aloha,

Maren
Tropical seeds - Job's Tears Jewelry - Plants & Lilikoi
http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/~maren/palms_etc/

Maren, I'm impressed that you had a booth at a crafts fair, regardless of
the outcome. I'm often told that I should sell my jewelry...sometimes even
by strangers, who should have no reason to fib. But no matter how much I toy
with the idea, I always return to the fact that I see my own jewelry as
quite amateurish.

I just don't have the chutzpah to sign up for a crafts fair (not to mention
the inventory). I say, kudos to you for jumping in...and may you sell more
than you can possibly imagine at your next fair.

:-)

Thanks, Peggy.

For one, I'm older than most people think, and I have worked up
the strength to do these things over the years. I'm quite shy
really, and what you see is something I have put on over the years
that has to some extent become second nature. I'm still an awful
salesperson and much happier to talk to electronics engineers
than to craft fair buyers, but I've come a long way from 'talking
to hardware rather than people' (being a software engineer who
does things like motor control).

People have told me (mostly people at work) that they like my
jewelry, and some have substantiated that by buying some (and
wearing it). I still think it isn't all that special as compared
to what I see on the websites of people in this newsgroup, but,
well, honestly, I'm trying to find out whether it will sell,
or whether I should go back to my plants and seeds with some herbs
and produce strewn in (on the side to working full time) ...

It's a whole new ballgame for me too, from thinking that I don't
own the right kind of shoes to wear (and then ended up in the typical
Hawaii footwear of rubber slippers for the last 2 days anyway),
setting up new (yes, home made those too) displays rather than
the origami boxes in soda trays that I use at the farmer's market,
enough change (of which I needed a whole dollar), and a gazillion
more new things. I'm exhausted (having problems at the telescope
in the middle of it didn't help), I have some catching up to do
at home, but I can do this, and I'll do it again too (at least
2-3 more times before giving up if that's the result).
Norfolk pines do work quite well as earring displays. I may
stick a sign on top next time.

- I could go to sleep right now, but I have to write a summary of
last week's telescope faults :-) - well, and it probably wouldn't go
down that well if I fell asleep in the office ...

As inventory goes, if it had been a good craft fair I could have
run out in the middle of it, or maybe earlier, but then I would
have made money :-) (and maybe I'll work on my inventory some)

Personality-wise I couldn't have done this 10 years ago, or maybe
even 5. I think my farmer's market experience helps too ...
(most people are really quite nice, even if some are awfully rude)

Aloha,

Maren
Tropical seeds - Job's Tears Jewelry - Plants & Lilikoi
http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/~maren/palms_etc/


Peggy wrote:
Maren, I'm impressed that you had a booth at a crafts fair, regardless of
the outcome. I'm often told that I should sell my jewelry...sometimes even
by strangers, who should have no reason to fib. But no matter how much I toy
with the idea, I always return to the fact that I see my own jewelry as
quite amateurish.

I just don't have the chutzpah to sign up for a crafts fair (not to mention
the inventory). I say, kudos to you for jumping in...and may you sell more
than you can possibly imagine at your next fair.

:-)