Getting ready to go to Dunedin this weekend, but wondering if it will be a "museum walk" like the last couple shows in this pre-election uncertainty. It will be a nice spot and we will see some family in the process but the sales seem to have been fewer and further between the closer we get to the election. I've seen others refer to this in reference to autumn shows in election years, but wonder what others think. Bogus? Valid?
You need to be a member of Art Fair Insiders to add comments!
Comments
Thanks everyone! Interesting responses. As for people "talking about the election" - no, that wasn't what I heard; it was more like other artists blaming the nearing election for the buying drought. So, I thought I'd bring the discussion to this seasoned group and see what y'all thought! I have had my best year ever, also, but I have noticed the roller-coaster nature of the most recent shows (i.e., some people doing really well, others doing very poorly). Perhaps all discretionary income is up in the air until the economy improves. I've had shows where I had to "work it" to sell $30 prints, and others where someone just walked up to a $1800 painting and said "wrap it up." Go figure!
Oh my, a Glock in a handbag! Don't want to meet that mom.
A show I worked really hard on to organize was the weekend after election day and there truly was a malaise there that weekend. You could almost see the black armbands throughout the crowd. This was in Ohio, yep, one of those battleground states and the people were exhausted, about eight years ago.
Nancy, I'm so surprised that there is a show on election day. Have you done this one before? Hope they are having it at a polling place so you'll see lots of people ;)
I kind of agree that people aren't not going to buy because of the election. I'd think they might not attend because they are distracted though.
I have to agree with nancy. My customers at this last show were NOT talking election. They were definitley mentioning Christmas shopping and were paying with a lot of cash! Most seemed optimistic about the future, atleast the affluent ones( heh) who were buying:) I had an excellent show. Higher than my expectiations, so Im pleased.
Carol there are some people who frequent the shows that money is never a problem for. It will never matter to them which political party is in control. I hope you have plenty of those people come in to your booth this weekend. After all, Christmas is only 57 days away. Oh, I am not ready for that!
I was thinking about buying something a couple of weeks ago and I thought that maybe I should wait till after the election to see how much money was in my future. I never thought it was valid before but then I realized I was thinking that way too.
This election year in particular has a lot of people on edge. The two Texas shows that I closed out my year with both were down. Some large pieces left the show, and I heard that some people did well, on the basis of their mailing lists. I think your hypothesis is valid.