Doing a craft show, any suggestions?

fadingaway1986 · Oct 22, 2004

While reading this, I thought of a couple of things:

1. Keep your display print - if someone comes along and likes it, take their details, and arrange for another one to be printed and given to them...

2. Maybe you could have a sample of some of your favourite photos, just printed in a 4x6... And take orders for them to be printed as 8x10's.

3. I think you should keep your prices as they are... Someone suggested $30 / $50 framed... I would go $30 / $40 framed... and for 2 - $50/$70 framed.

Hope this helps...

- Alecia

green · Oct 22, 2004

best of luck!

GerryDavid · Oct 22, 2004

Hehe, did it again, used the quick reply and forgot to hit "watch this topic" once again. I wonder why all the photography forums that I go to seem to have disabled the auto watch, but anywase.

I didnt plan to sell the display pieces, just wanst sure if I should take an order or if I should try to sell a gift certificate on the spot, to try to make sure I get the order. Prob not good to put pressure on them like that.

I was thinking of printing an 8X10 contact sheet of some of my other prints but I wasnt sure if that would be to much for the customer. Dont want to overwhelm them with to much choice.

Anyone have any thoughts on weither or not to limit how people can pay? To accept $50/$100's or stick to nothing larger than $20? I think taking checks would be a bad thing to do, and it woudlnt be worth while to apply to take credit cards, for the one craft show. I do have paypal, but that wouldnt be convenient to use there.

mygrain · Oct 23, 2004

GerryDavid said:
Anyone have any thoughts on weither or not to limit how people can pay? To accept $50/$100's or stick to nothing larger than $20? I think taking checks would be a bad thing to do, and it woudlnt be worth while to apply to take credit cards, for the one craft show. I do have paypal, but that wouldnt be convenient to use there.

I would be prepared to handle $10's and $20's. Most folks are gonna pay with them I saw a bit of smaller bills when I run but I also sell greeting cards for $3 or 4 for $10 and prints for $25. I take checks too. Most folks looking to write a bum check are most likely not out buying art unless you're a major artist. It's conveinent for the buyer and from my experience they tend to spend more money when they write checks. Plus most banks are on top of the "bad check" issue anyway, and if it comes the the worst yer out fifty bucks- it's not the end of the world. Again Good LucK!!!!

GerryDavid · Oct 23, 2004

Hmm, good point about the check, plus here the banks charge you around $25 cdn if the check bounches, but it can happen when you dont intend for it to happen. Then it will depend on the person to come good for the money. And right now $50 is alot of money, but I may have to take it, not many people carry more than $20 cash on them these days, due to the ease of debit and credit cards. Hmm.

Big Mike · Oct 23, 2004

Do you know if there will be an ATM at the show? Try to be close to it..or know how to direct customers to it.

GerryDavid · Oct 23, 2004

Nope, no atm there. The room is normally a gymnasium and the other room is a cafeteria room or something like that. Its a government facility so no need for an atm there. There could be one in the cafeteria but I really doubt it. but Ill look into it. :0)

AIRIC · Oct 24, 2004

Hey Gerry,

It took me awhile to post but I had some time this morning. I know when I take out larger amounts of money at the ATM I sometimes get 50s so I would be prepared to take them. I will take cheques if someone orders prints from my website but not at a show like you are doing. If they are willing to go through the trouble of sending me a cheque I will take it. Have not been burned, yet, but I do expect it to happen like in any business.

As for selling prints I have had absolutly no sales at some venues and taken in hundreds at others. I stay with only aviation prints and aviation related shows. At Walmart you can pick up Ansel Adam's poster framed for prices like $20 framed so that is hard to compete with at a lower end venue like a craft show.

I have posted some posters I have created. These are sold as 8x12s for $25 CAN or 4x6 for $3.00 CAN unframed. I display them in either 8x12 or 4=4x6 per page sheets you would use in a photo album.

I also make the posters with my name clearly displayed. If they don't like they don't have to buy it. I do not like selling just 8x12 prints as they can be easily copied and sold. Not that these photos would be harder to copy. At aviation events this helps as I am frequently published in several Canadian aviation magazines and from time to time in various international magazines so buyers recognise the name.

These are some of the prints I sell and their layout.

I have looked at making larger posters but you have to sink in alot of money to bring the price down and get 100-500 copies made. These I can print 8x12 at my work of Fuji Crystal Archive paper for a very reasonable amount.

Hope this helps as I went blind into doing this. You will know if you are at the wrong venue as people will zoom by your table without stopping. Another thing I take into consideration is cameras these days allow people without any experience to take some very nice images if they compose it properly and I see more and more people displaying their own photos in the their houses.

Let me know what you guys think about my point of view and your experiences.

Eric

GerryDavid · Oct 24, 2004

Thanks for the lengthy post Airic. :0)

Here it depends on what bank's atm you use, some give you 5, 10, 20, 50's, some just give 20's. Ive even heard of people getting counterfeit money from an atm in the past.

The nice thing about online orders is you can have a hold on the check for a while to make sure it clears, but with the craft show, you cant ask them to wait 2 or 3 weeks. :0)

This craft show isnt exactly cheap though. Some of the stuff there sells for fairly nice figures. The carpentry stuff is like $40 cdn for small things, then hundreds for the larger things. Im not sure the cost of the home made food stuff though. But there is one way to find out if I can sell prints though, and thats to actually try it. :0)

I have posted some posters I have created. These are sold as 8x12s for $25 CAN or 4x6 for $3.00 CAN unframed. I display them in either 8x12 or 4=4x6 per page sheets you would use in a photo album.

I thought about offering a package of 4X6's but a while ago I read that people would be more likely to buy the smaller/cheaper prints than to spend more money for the large ones. So instead of making $20 off of a large one, you might be limiting yourself to a $2 profit for a 4X6. So thats why I wont be offering any 4X6's. Plus I find thier rather to small to appreciate the piece.

I also make the posters with my name clearly displayed. If they don't like they don't have to buy it. I do not like selling just 8x12 prints as they can be easily copied and sold. Not that these photos would be harder to copy.

I dont think someone would buy your piece of artwork to copy and sell it. To much risk for a serious lawsuit for to little profit. They may do it to put it on thier pc but I dont think they would be selling it.

Once again, thanks for the lengthy post. :0) Hope your blindness doesnt last to long, hehe.