Author Topic: Craft Fairs  (Read 25167 times)

Offline John Plater

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #30 on: September 05, 2018, 11:40:19 AM »
OK Ed, I know that this thread started as craft fairs/shows but now galleries is widening the context. Same rules about pricing your work apply but then you will find that the gallery requires commission. So, do you reduce your price so that the retail price stays the same after the gallery adds commission ? Or do you hold your price and then find that the retail price in the gallery is anything up to 200% higher ? That can make the pieces seem exorbitant particularly if VAT is added as well. Do you sell the piece to the gallery or do they want it sale or return ? Another can of worms  ;D
ATB John
If I had a better lathe, I would be able to show my ineptitude more effectively.

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #31 on: September 05, 2018, 12:19:25 PM »
Finding galleries that take wood turning can be difficult as well. I have found a couple but a lot that say no thank you.

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline David Buskell

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #32 on: September 05, 2018, 02:39:28 PM »
I use Paypal and iZettle for card sales. Both work well in most locations. Maybe not in rainy Essex though! We visited on the Sunday but the weather on the Monday was awful.It was like driving through a car wash on the way back home.

There are a few Galleries which will take wood items. One  we used over our way, charged monthly for shelf space and in return they took a small commission and handled card sales. Unfortunately the Gallery was not in the best place for footfall so those of us that were there, moved on.

I suppose we can't all be Eleanor Lakelin who can get her work in a high end Gallery and featured everywhere!

But, as Ed says, for every piece of wood you make, there is someone who will falll in love with it and press folding money into your hand to buy it. The problem is matching the piece and the punter.



David
At The Cutting Edge

Offline George

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #33 on: September 05, 2018, 02:47:25 PM »
Many thanks for all your advice guys, I can see from what you have written that it's not a straight forward as I first thought.  However the advice that you have given me has enabled me to focus on a particular direction to go, bearing in mind the type of customers that I expect in my area.  Many thanks once again  -  George

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #34 on: September 17, 2018, 09:51:03 PM »
Met a woman at Hyde Hall Bank Holiday event and talked to her about Japanese style hair sticks (Kanzashi) which we used to make but sold very slowly so didn't bother with them again. She has now come back to us and bought Mo's Koi Vase and ordered 12 hairsticks, 8 of them Kanzashi style. Nice little 3 figure order on the back of the show making it really worth while doing again. She is also very understanding about the time scale as we are off to Cornwall next week and then have Wisley the following week. Should be able to do the hairsticks when we get back. Doing shows is not just about what you sell on the day but on making contacts and orders that often follow on after.

pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline seventhdevil

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #35 on: September 17, 2018, 10:31:10 PM »
i've just had the very same thing happen to me pete.

my one and only craft fair was on saturday but only made £250, however i did get a few promises of commissions off the back of it so that sum should go up.

Offline fuzzyturns

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #36 on: September 18, 2018, 09:44:12 AM »
I just had the opposite result. Spent the weekend at Ragley Hall. Total cost £216, total takings £52. Chances for any commissions or follow-on orders: can't remember any.
To be honest, it was affected by quite some rain on the Saturday, and there were more people on Sunday. However, that did not result in any more sales.

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #37 on: September 18, 2018, 12:02:56 PM »
I just had the opposite result. Spent the weekend at Ragley Hall. Total cost £216, total takings £52. Chances for any commissions or follow-on orders: can't remember any.
To be honest, it was affected by quite some rain on the Saturday, and there were more people on Sunday. However, that did not result in any more sales.

Ouch, not good. We had a day of rain non stop at Hyde Hall so discounted it. Took £26 that day. Overall we make a oprofit at all the shows we do, some a lot some not so much. I think the secret is to make sure you have a wide variety of items at different prices mand a display that attracts people. Also you need to do the more upmarket, makers only shows.

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline seventhdevil

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #38 on: September 18, 2018, 07:34:23 PM »
i've never gon to a fair that costs more than £40. not worth the risk unless you can guarantee that you'll see it back and more.

Offline fuzzyturns

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #39 on: September 19, 2018, 09:15:03 AM »
Well, Pete,

you've seen my stall 2 years ago at Henley-on-Thames. I had items on show from £3.50 to about £300, so there clearly was variety. In my experience (so far) the more upmarket I go, the more money I lose.

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #40 on: September 19, 2018, 09:25:28 AM »
I can only speak from my own experience obviously. When we started doing shows we did the local events and a few country fair type ones and found that they were all pretty much a waste ofd time for us. We made a small profit from one or two but geberally not. Since we have started on the exclusive, larger maker only shows we have always made a profit. It fluctuates of course but as yet we have found that the larger the show the more chance we wil make a profit.  You do need to guauge the stock you have to sell as well. Bowls, pens for example don't seem to sell well unless they are vry special. Boring things like ear ring stands, brooches and crafting tools I can't make enough of. More expensive items do sell but often they will attract people to the stall who then go on to buy.
As I said this is all based on our personal experience of shows and so I can't say it is a guaranteed way, just what works for us.

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline The Bowler Hatted Turner

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #41 on: September 19, 2018, 03:20:23 PM »
I have just seen an advert for a show organiser, stands costs start at £675 for 2m x1.5m For me that would have to be an exceptional show to cover the cost of the stand, electricity on top of that mind,travel and accomodation plus food for the weekend I would have to take £1000 before I start to show a profit, who was it that said they wanted to do craft events? Just been in discussion with another organiser that wants me to demonstrate during the show, I said fine I can do that ,then they started working out how much my pitch was going to cost me!! Bit of a non starter there then. When clubs are paying me over £100 to demonstrate for 2 or 3 hours (which I think is good value for money) where do show organisers get off thinking I will demonstrate all weekend and pay them for the privelege? As far as I am concerned they can find another mug to do that.
Talking of demonstrations, I am doing an all day demo on Sunday which will include working with pewter and I have spent the day preparing for that, turning "blue Peter" jobs and pre-casting some items. Sunday morning I will have a 2 hour drive each way, 6 hours of demonstrating in between, at least 1 1/2 days prep and a day to sort things out when I get back home. A hard way to earn a living.

Offline TONY MALIN

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #42 on: September 19, 2018, 04:52:11 PM »
I absolutely agree so why do it? There must be an inner urge somewhere.

Henry Ford made BLACK motor cars in America.
Glenn Lucas turns bowls in Eire. (I wish we could get him.)

As a former club treasurer it was my job to balance the books starting with hire of the premises at £36 a night. We could not run to a pro demonstrator every time so we have to offset that with our members doing demos for an ad hoc payment for expenses and hands on events.

In the end it all comes down to what the punters are prepared to pay.

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #43 on: September 19, 2018, 07:25:01 PM »
Bottom line if we don't make at leats  50% profit on a show we co nsider dropping it. Demonstrating actually works for us as it usually incurs a discount in stall fees and  often brings in commissions. OK Not for everyone but at the end of each financial year we are in profit and most of the money comes from shows. Cost of show depends on where, how long and also the organisers. £675 isn't a lot for a 4 day show in or around the home counties for example though I would generally expect more space than that and I would expect to make well over the £1000 from it. We enjoy doing shows but if we didn't make money wouldn't do them.

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline John Plater

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Re: Craft Fairs
« Reply #44 on: September 20, 2018, 04:13:46 PM »
Reading the final few posts in this thread opens up another chain of thought. The time away from the workspace might not be productive enough if one takes a harsh view. It is easy enough to clock the time spent on a piece but do we do the same when prepping for a demo or loading for a show ? As a crude analysis I add in those hours at minimum wage just to get a comparison between different activities. Demos and talks are us putting a bit back fundamentally. Not a lot of living therein. Local Guild Contemporary Craft Shows generally work well but I am lucky to belong to an active and well established Guild and can do all of their shows within a sleep in my own bed radius. The big name more expensive shows generally work well for moving on some of the higher priced items so I reckon on doing one or two a year.
ATB John
If I had a better lathe, I would be able to show my ineptitude more effectively.