Saturday, November 12, 2016

An open letter: To the Craft Show Participant

I see you walking down the halls or aisles....

You may or may not have already purchased something....

But I see you glancing with a focused eye at all the goodies stacked at eye level.

We, the vendor/crafter sit with anticipation, studying your body movements, hoping you'll pause to take a longer look at our wares.

The mobile young children in tow tell us you won't get much time to stop and shop. They will have already pulled your arm out of its socket, hollering at you to keep moving. I did the same thing as a kid, but stood outside the booth, pacing just past, wondering as to how much more time could my mother spend in this one spot!

I see the old women, who glance at my skill and craft. Your heart wants to buy, but the brain and its logic win when reminding you how you don't have anyplace to plop another knick knack. But you enjoy seeing it nonetheless.

A group comments on an item and how it would be perfect for so and so. Everyone agrees, but continues walking by.

I lower my prices, in hopes it was the reason why you were holding the purse strings tightly.

There are the well meaning folks who see your work. Many compliments about how great your work/products are....talent etc. You hear it a lot as the clock is being watched, but find they are only hollow shells when nothing results in a sale following it. Like a perpetual honorable mention ribbon in your life. You get acknowledged, but fall short from placing with any real substance.

I wonder if I'd be any happier if folks just kept quiet while browsing until moving on.

I've been working very hard in the months leading up to this show....sacrificing time with my family, house responsibilities and sleep to be ready. Our money has been used to get needed supplies and to rent a booth for this show. Yet we end up feeling used as an art museum for the day. Your eyes have been excited at all the pretty things, or your mind is racing with inspiration as to how you could recreate it on your own.

As vendors, we can't help but question why you felt purchasing items x y and z were of more value over ours, even when it wasn't anything related to what we sold. Then of course, we remind ourselves of how we want everyone to do well. But I still can't help but scratch my head over just a few...

I think the folks who make decent money at these shows are the ones who put them on and sell spaces. This particular show and my last experience were at least put on as a fundraising events. I am happy for being able to help support a school's PTG, while also minimizing entry fee costs. But unless people who attend these fundraising fairs are purchasing items other than food.....vendors won't return.....groups don't raise funds....and both parties lose.

I've talked with a lot of crafters, and one theme keeps coming up. We aren't looking to get rich from these sales. Most of us just want to get something back from all the time/money spent creating, so we can continue doing what we love. My goal was/is to be able to purchase a workshop tool to allow me to be able to produce some different art while also producing the current items in a safer manner.

I'm pretty sure a few techniques I use to create are not recommended by the manufacture.....

On a side note....for those of you I know personally....I don't hold any grudges or ill feelings towards anyone if they didn't buy anything. Friendship is always going to trump over little things like this, and I value yours much much more.

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