What's your Favourite Craft Show?

[Rickson]

That’s right folks, we are in the middle of craft show season.

 

The warm weather is here, so out come the tents, the bizzares, the jewellery parties, the fundraisers, parades, and community events. So lets talk about our craft show experiences.

 

What is your fav show to exhibit at, and/or attend? Feel free to let us know about the real bombs too. :)

 

Personally I’ve learned the more you pay, the more you make. The most important factors when deciding to apply to a show are:

 

Location

Reputation

Time of year

 

There is a great article on Etsy about these factors, when running your own Trunk show, and the advice runs parallel to taking part in existing shows.

 

Some of the best shows I know in the Greater Toronto Area are:

 

The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition http://www.torontooutdoorart.org/

The One of a Kind Show (Toronto and Vancouver) http://www.oneofakindshow.com/

Arisans at the Distillery (Mixed reviews, some great, some so so) http://www.artisansatthedistillery.com/

City of Craft http://www.cityofcraft.com/about.html

Buskerfest http://www.torontobuskerfest.com/

Jewellery at Jazz http://torontojazz.com/jewelleryjazz

 

I am going to explain two shows I have done this year with very different clients and how I have learned to cater my display and my product to the crowd.

 

One is Art in the Open is in conjunction with the Farmers Market in downtown Brampton. This show is fast set up, and only lasts 5 hours every Sat morning until Oct. 9th. So I am slowly learning to minimize my displays and keep the set up simple. Also since people are there to buy veggies and fruits from the market, my higher end pieces are generally less appreciated and cause some confusion with clients as they can’t BELIEVE I actually made them, and assume I’ve purchased pendants and strung them on a chain. I’ve made up signs that say ‘Handmade’ and also signs to explain pieces like my song ring, and my pop in collection, so I don’t have to go over it with every customer. Generally this type of show is usually not worth the fee, but it’s so low (below $20 a day) I wanted to try it to see if it’s worth it. So far it is financially profitable, but possibly not stress wise. If I minimize my display and really get a feel for the crowd, I think I can get it to be both enjoyable and kind to my wallet.

 

 

Have you done shows like this, where you found you could sell pieces for under $30, but not over?  

 

On the other hand, the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is a totally different experience. The fee is higher from $100 for a student to $300 for a professional, and it is juried. I was actually accepted under sculpture, which is a first for me. My clients at the show not only knew I made the work, but many had bought from me 2 years ago when I exhibited as a student, and they were wearing my work! I also decided to display my art jewellery photographs, my lost wax cast work, AND my wire work accessories together for the first time and found this extremely successful. No one purchased the art jewellery photo work, but the respect I gained was monumental, and anyone who appreciated it, could purchase a lower cost, wearable piece of me in the form of silver or brass. I like to make shows an experience for people, so if they are interested I tell them stories about why I made the work. I was reminded of this element when Michelle Patak-Reynolds posted this amazing video from Ted.com.

 

 

 

How was your Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition experience as an attendee or exhibitor?

 

Have you had similar experiences at other shows? Do you like selling your own work, or do you put work in galleries and stores?

 

Here’s a summary of my 'Show Type' experiences in relation to the attendants of the show:

 

Low cost = Younger audience with smaller wallets, but high appreciation and willingness to pay within their budget for ‘green, creative and ethically produced’ craft

High cost = Older collectors, with more to spend, and high appreciation for quality, value, time spent on piece and story behind your work

Poor location = Random array of people passing by, not looking for what you sell, and not necessarily your clients, sales can go either way

Good Location = Collectors, people looking to buy, and people with an appreciation for your craft

Poor Time of Year = Clients appreciate your work, and wish they had an event coming up to buy for

Good time of year = People with an immediate need for gifts, Valentines day, Graduation, Christmas, etc.

 

Have you found the same? I’d love to hear your experiences and upcoming shows in Canada. Thanks for reading and feel free to post new discussions about your experiences as a Canadian Crafter.

 

Rickson