Hi y'all,
I'm pretty new at the art show world; I started in 2018 with 3 shows and I will have 4 or 5 this year. I would like to know what others think about the prospect of making money at this.
I have learned to research the show, to effectively submit an acceptable jury application, and my set up is not perfect but not bad. I am a pastel artist.
Now to the questions: do you feel that you need to do a fair for a number of years before the customers begin to buy? If so, what number of years am I aiming for?
Next, I have added limited edition, signed and numbered reproductions to have a lower price point item to offer. Should I expect more than 50% of sales from these small ticket items? Is there a formula to predict how many of these reproductions I might need at any given fair?
Why aren't there more pastel artists showing at fairs????
Any info/opinions on these questions would be very welcome. Thanks
I've included a few images of my work. Note: these would not be submitted together in a single jury application. They are just to show my style. Any comments are welcomed.
Replies
My medium is leather and I have been doing show since the early 1990's. I have always covered expenses and turned a profit. Over the years the effort has been to increase the profit margin. I listened to what people asked for then made it instead of only offering what I like to make. I have also researched demographics of shows and avoided those that were not my market, focusing on: outdoor people, horse people, hunters, dog owners, etc. I have narrowed my show activity from doing 6-8 shows during the summer to just 4-5. I did shows in CO, WY, KS, TX and AZ but now do Colorado resort areas. I have built a following at all of the shows I do and repeat clients seem to be aware when I am not at a particular show. Equally important, I set a minimum sale volume for going back to shows. Shows are mini vacations, a chance to get out of the studio, and opportunity to spend some days in a resort area, even if we are working during the day. The evenings, maybe a dinner out, soaking in the hot tub or hot spring, and perhaps a day hiking after the show are paid for by the business. Taking home some money too. Nice!
Kris, I'm in my second season of showing, and I still haven't figured it out. I sell some things at my shows, but have barely broke even at most of them, after covering show fees and expenses. Yet I jury into respectable shows, and have even won awards in my category. Fair attendees constantly tell me how much they like my work, and other artists always remark how low my prices are - and yet, my sales are not good. But luckily, it is not my main source of income, more a labor of love. All the same, I keep trying to improve the look of my booth and talk to veteran artists who DO have good sales to get pointers - just as you are doing here. But reality is, I sell a lot more through my Etsy site than I do at shows, and the overhead is much lower. Also - a tip I got from a veteran artist is that if you offer lower priced items in your booth, that is what most people will buy!
Hi - following, but adding our experience. Our first show was April 2018 followed by about 20 - 25 other shows, good and bad. Investment range for our particular art has now exceeded $100,000 (tenting, propanels, truck and trailer, now in a new Transit, equipment for our wood art business, marketing, online presence - website creation, etc. etc. etc - the list is almost endless). We will have 30 - 40 shows this year and my aim is to concentrate on the reputably big shows and attempt to maintain those in the future while weeding out the bad ones. It means travel expenses as well and this year we will show in 7 different states. I have a full time assistant managing the books and business aspects and I pay for full time pet sitting care while we are gone. The business is home based. Sold our home for a profit to be able to invest in the business and bought another home to make everything more manageable to run the business. We are ALL IN for this. We pay our own health and business insurance (expensive on both counts). We are dedicated to making this as successful as possible and working literally 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a former business manager for 35 years, I know what it takes to be successful and that's bloody hard work. We are 61 & 59 yrs with full careers behind us trying to finally follow our passions. This year with a slew of "learning experience shows" we will hopefully start to get out of the red. We have managed to be accepted into a great many of the top shows on the West coast. We have had solo shows, been in galleries and have accepted pieces into juried gallery shows and events. Looking at 1 - 2 years to be in the black. It's a hard up hill climb. In year 2 we have repeat buyers seeking us out at shows and good sales in our Etsy shop, which makes me feel like we are doing something right. We love what we make and we do hope that it will eventually pay off. It would be nice to actually pay OURSELVES for what we are doing - but that's going to be awhile. Best of luck to you.
My $0.02: A good 'start up" goal is to breakeven, within the first 6 months or a year. Sales should cover direct show expenses, without valuing your time. For year 2, you should make a bit. year 3 you should make money.
This is a simplification of a business model, as explained to me some years ago by one of the original senior executives of Toyota Motor; on a succesful venture, they expected to lose money the first year, breakeven the second year and start showing a profit in year 3.
the important piece of knowledge is to understand that it is going to take some time, several years, to assess how it is going; the three year plan is probably correct. I am now in year 4 of shows (aluminum sculpture) and I am just now (last month or so) starting to have trouble keeping the stuff in stock, and having to cancel an upcoming show because I sold out enough.
I could not have guessed, at the end of year 1 or 2, that this would happen.
So prepare yourself for a 3 year ride, and then you can evaluate it; seems you have 1 more year to go before you can do that
Im a wildlife and landscape painter using acrylics. The first thing is to see if anyone will buy your pictures. If you did well on the three shows in 2018 you should do as well in the 5 shows in 2019. If you do poorly you might want to reconsider everything. You didnt say what is good or what is poor. $100 per show, $500 per show, $1,000 per show, $2,000 per show?
Be aware that the golden age of making big money at art and craft shows is long gone. Those consistent $8,000 and up shows like Ann Arbor and other big cities are now more like $2,000. The $2,000 small local shows are now more like $500. Wakmartization, buy and resell imports, commercial vendors, assemblers, and ingredient mixers have taken over in many shows. To compete and make living money today you may have to do a hundred shows.
Kris
As to the reproductions: Some shows will limit the ratio - percentage of reproductions.
Look at your price points. Do you need to have repros for lower price points?
If you believe, already, your set up is only "not bad", then take the time and effort to improve it. When you think it is really good, then go forth. You will find it will still need improvement. Remember your medium of Art is a visual appeal. Therefore your entire booth must display as visual appeal and be as effective as possible.
I find, at some shows, sales increase as repeated years attended. Now is that because repeat customers like to see the consistency of your return for legitimacy? Higher comfort? Our learning what appeals to that particular market? Sometimes the sales go down if the artists don't bring in new and different work. Then of course is the economy, politics, weather and so many other factors.
As far as making money at this... If you want to be assured of a steady income, that is reliable and consistent with effort... get a job at McDonalds. If you have a passion, talent, willing to put in tons of effort, have people handling skills, sales knowledge, love the arts - then go for a living doing the show circuit. If it is just for the money, likely not going to be successful. If it is for the aforementioned - then find happiness in what we do.
Kris, you have asked questions to which there are no definitive answers. Every artist, medium and show is different. You could sell well at a show one year and return the next to sell next to nothing. There is no predictable rhyme or reason to success or failure at any given show for any particular art/artists.
My best suggestion is to strap in and enjoy the ride....it can be an wild one.