Of course my free subscription ran out in August, right before the annual ranking issue.
Would someone be so kind as to list atleast the top 20 shows?
When I worked in the Grove office, the excitement when SA called to tell them they were number one that year was incredible. Artists may scoff at these listings but the promoters really are competitive!
And, did you know that more luggage is sold in Miami than any other city in the US? I learned that reading SA magazine.
Thanks for the info.
Replies
When I was an auditor for SA the criteria for the rankings was sales numbers only. I repeat sales numbers only.
And that was determined only by the audits that were sent in. If some exhibitors made great money and sent in the cards with inflated numbers, the show was ranked accordingly. But the ones who didn't make expenses didn't send in the cards, so that info isn't considered.
The show rankings have absolutely nothing to do with what's being sold. Country Folk Art has at one time been ranked at #12, and they're 90% buy/sell. So the B/S merchants will also send in their audit cards.
Attendance has nothing to do with a show either. Nor should it. Give me 5000 buyers, not 200,000 lookers clogging up the aisles. (200,000 people is 1/3 the population of my state!)
Sales numbers only. And that's only by the people who tell the magazine. And how many are friends of a promoter and send in 100 audit cards saying they did $10,000?
I can't tell you how many times I read where some exhibitor signs up for a "top 100" show only to find B/S or the dreaded "country crafts" there. Well, that's because those "country crafters" made good money and sent in their audit cards.
We can say it should be based on this, or it should be that, but it is what it is.
Sales numbers only.
A flea market can make the list.