Good morning all!
I am a new member effective yesterday and I am a newbie to the show circuit. After being in business for approximately a year, I am going to take the next step and start attending shows. I currently sell through Etsy and our own business website; http://www.TheWoodGrainGallery.com as well as through social media.
I am so new I probably don't even have a good idea what to ask in terms of important questions. I am actually attending my first show at the Charlotte Frontier Days in Charlotte, MI - my home town Septbember 5, 6 and 7th. I am very excited and nervous. I really have no idea what to expect.
I was referred by Keith July, Mid-Michigan Woodworker's Guild, after our discussion of my desire to sell at the shows.
We have 2 sides to our business; wood art and working with other woodworkers/cabinet makers. We create decorative wall corbels, stair risers, shelves, furniture including tables and woodworking plans for woodworkers, mantels as well as unfinished parts that can be individually finished to complete the DIY project.
I am so looking forward to learning from all of you - I am like a sponge ready to learn.
Thanks for accepting my membership and I look forward to meeting other members and sharing ideas.
Many blessings,
Johanna
Replies
Hello Johanna and welcome to AFI! I'm a newbie myself and, in fact, haven't taken the first step yet that you're taking, ie: still selling only in shops and galleries. Good luck to you and thanks for becoming a member of this community of artists and artisans.
Glad to have you join us, Johanna. I live less than 50 miles from Charlotte and have never heard of this show. That is not a bad thing, it is a very smart thing, and is one of the first tenets in this business. If at all possible sleep in your own bed and shake out all the wrinkles from your sales strategy, booth setup, product lineup before you spend big bucks.
It's great that you already have some comrades in the business and some other business experience with your wood to build on.
The sky is the limit with woodworking. It is something people can understand, it is something they can use and it is wonderful whether it is rustic or highly designed and finished. Where you go with this is up to you. Do you want to create work that many people can afford or are you going to aim for the high end customer?
I see you have a highly developed line of work, so your entry into our business will most likely be just the business aspects of art fairs.
We look forward to your participation. The more, the merrier.
Hi Connie,
Thanks for all the great information and support! My goal is to create wood art that is affordable and this has caused some difference of opinion. There is no way that I could sell these pieces based on the time and material cost; it is just like any other art - we make them one piece at a time with no mass production of parts.
I have tired to fill my store with a variety in price structure with the majority items falling in the $45 to $85 range with many items in the $18 to $40 range with some higher end pieces ranging from $85 - $125. Will this price structure work for the shows? I am going to go out on a limb and say it may have a lot to do with the types of shows.
I have tried to cover, as many themes as possible and we continue to add more, and I hope our product line sparks some creative juices as we welcome custom orders! As I go to shows, I will introduce a new line - Charlotte show is Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas along with our regular wood art. We love to create OOAK pieces. When something sells in our store, we make the listing as a custom order as I am not into mass reproduction.
I think I have just caught my first "epiphany" .... there must be an obvious difference between Art Show and Arts and Crafts Show - what happens if you carry both lines - as I have items that I would classify as Arts - wood signs, holiday and welcome signs - and my wall art pieces would fall into the Artwork. So my question would be, how do you select the correct show to attend?
We do have a lot of business support from other Crafters and woodworkers....we are very blessed.
In terms of spending a lot of money for the shows; do you mean the cost of the booth, jury fees and any travel expenses?
Thanks again...
Johanna