Tag: craft fairs

(try not to) Second Guess Yourself

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 19 Comments

My first craft show of the year — a double day chance to show off my creative wares, chat with people, and make a little money from my hard work and creativity. It was supposed to be a sunshine day. A bright and bubbly opportunity to share the magic. 

Saturday was hot and humid, sticky and wicky. The craft show was set in a circle pattern, and I had a great spot (four or five spots from the entrance). But as most people turn right whenever they enter a venue, and I was five spots on the left, by the time they made their way past my booth most were hot and sweaty and tired and in no mood for sparkly things.

It wasn’t a total loss, but it could have been better.

Then came Sunday. 

Pouring rain and thunderstorms started at about 6 a.m. We headed to the craft show with positive vibes. Surely it would clear up by show time. Showed up a little after 7 a.m., and sat in the car in the pouring rain until about 7:45 a.m.. Received an email from the craft show boss that the committee would decide by 8:15 a.m. if they were going to close the craft show part of the fair. 

9 a.m. and no word. A number of booths were emptied the day before (lots of rain at the end of the day), and those who showed up Sunday morning were packing up the rest of their wares and heading for the exit. Thunder. Rain. Indecision.

We finally decided to pack it in and go home.

Half way home I received an email that the craft show wasn’t actually cancelled, merely moved to a cement section closer to the center of the fair. We didn’t have the right equipment for a cement setup, so we decided to just go home.

Of course, the thunder and lightning and pouring rain stopped about 12 p.m., and the sun had the nerve to try and peek out from behind the clouds.

Then the guilt trip started to set in.

Maybe I should have sat in the rain for another hour while the committee decided what to do. Maybe I wasn’t a real crafter because I didn’t stick it out. Maybe I should have finished the 40 minute drive home, stopped at the store, bought eight gallons of water, then turned around and headed back to the craft fair and taken 45 minutes setting everything up again and sell my wares for a couple more hours. And, of course the obvious — I wasted a whole day of sales (even though it was more like three hours).

But the decision had already been made. 

Every decision is always 50/50. You will or you won’t. You do or do not. Even if you spend days and weeks thinking and angsting you still have a 50/50 chance of making the “right” choice.

I wanted to savor the self pity I was pouring on myself, but I found it hard to do. I had made the decision to try again another day, and moved on. After all, there are so many more 50/50 decisions to be made.

I wound up making enough to cover my booth fee, a few dollars for my daughter in law (who made my Garden Fairy Wands), and a little money to cover going out to dinner next weekend. 

And there’s always my next fair at the end of September.

Don’t let guilt keep you second guessing yourself. What’s done is done. No woulda shouldas for you.

Your next adventure awaits!

 

 

What I Learned From My Craft Fair

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 13 Comments

It was a partly sunny, partly windy Sunday afternoon at my first craft fair for Angel Tears. The crowd ebbed and flowed up and down the walk around my booth. I got a lot of compliments about the beauty of the crystals and colored stones, which I gratefully acknowledged. I perhaps made back 1/5 to 1/4  of my total first-year investment in sales, which surprised me for a first time outing.

It was a great day. A tiring day. A learning experience. Here’s some things I learned:

  • Give yourself more time than you think you need to set up. For me, two hours wasn’t nearly enough time. I know. What is there to setting up?
  • Be willing to change your layout on a whim. This spot enabled people to walk up and down both sides of the booth, and I had planned for only one side. Had to adjust so both sides could see the sparkle.
  • Some customers are chatty, some come up and say “I want this one.” Some just walk by and say “pretty.” Be friendly to all.
  • Know that setting up and taking down at a fair is a lot of work. I never underestimated the work that went into selling your wares, but I never experienced it, either. There’s a lot more to it than what you see.
  • Learn how to use your credit card reader (if you have one). My helper and I stumbled a few times in getting the darn thing to work. Embarassing.
  • Don’t take yourself so seriously. Know the day is important and stay focused, but don’t be a Debbie Downer (sorry Debbie) about everything wrong that happens. Product will blow over. Fall over. You won’t have the color or the shape or scene your customer is looking for. Oh well. It happens. 
  • Related to the above, offer to make a custom order. The customer loves a certain color or scene? If there is a real chance for a sale there, offer to make their request, unless it’s an intricate piece of work. Then it’s what’s there is there.
  • Bring everything you think you need your first time out, then trim down your supply bucket. In my case, no one wanted a receipt (except electronically), didn’t need extra  crystals or pens or, surprisingly a guest book. In my case, it was a snatch and buy business.
  • Hang your price sign high enough for people to see it. Setting it on a bucket that was holding down water jugs that held down the canopy was not an ideal site.
  • Have a helper. I can’t tell you how many times the moment’s rush almost got away from me. Maybe it’s just that I’m not a good multi-tasker. I can’t wrap and answer new questions and chat about where to hang Tears and replacing stock and trying to get the reader to work all at the same time. I’m a simpleton in that world.
  • Don’t sit all the time, nor don’t stand all the time. The small of your back and your hips will take the brunt of the abuse, and there’s nothing more embarrassing than standing up after a long time and moaning in pain.
  • And finally, have fun with your day. Observe and learn and listen. Learn where people want to put your piece, the colors they like, and which food vendor was the best. An art/craft fair is a wonderful people watching place. Don’t be afraid to make eye contact and say hello to those looking at your wares as they pass by. You never know who will come back and purchase something.

I was a nervous wreck all week, and all day before the fair started. The adrenalin kept me alert and adaptive. But when all was said and done, it was just another day.

A good day.

Be happy and thankful you were a part of it.

 

 

 

I Am Smiling … Aren’t I?

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 28 Comments

I’ve just paid for the insurance for my craft booth on Labor Day.

I’m catching up on the inventory I need for my first craft fair ever.

I have no idea how much inventory I need for my first craft fair ever.

I have no idea why I have to purchase insurance for six hours of sitting in the hot sun under a canopy smiling, chatting, sharing, and shaking from nerves.

Needless to say, I’m a nervous wreck. And I’ve still got four weeks to go.

How do you deal with a persistent case of nerves?

I imagine everyone goes through the same anxiety highs and lows before any event: giving a speech or presentation at the office; reading your latest writing out loud to fellow writers; teaching a class; preparing for an intense discussion with someone.  There’s all sorts of things  in our lives that make our stress needle go off the charts.

I’m so afraid I’ll forget something. Not do something. Say the wrong thing. I’m afraid that an Angel Tear will fall apart in someone’s hand.

I’m interested to hear your scare stories. How they developed, how you dealt with them. How you (hopefully) lived happily ever after despite the breakdown you created for yourself.

I believe that none of us would truly take on a project if we didn’t think we could handle it. Speaking in front of others, teaching someone something, writing something for work  or school — there are a million things we do every day that leave room for judgment and performance.

We all make it through our experiences. With a bit of luck, and talent and a positive attitude, we have fun along the way, too.

There’s only one way to go — forward. Might as go that way smiling …