What do you think? Is it better to do local shows or out of town shows? So far I've just been doing local shows for the following reasons; I've got school age kids, I haven't netted enough profit at any show to feel like I could add in travel expenses and still make any profit, and I thought it would be best to start local.
I'm a jewelry artist (PMC in particular). I have lots of people ask me if I'm local. When I say yes they seem reassured, but often don't buy anything, take my card & then never call. Am I losing sales because I'm local & they think they can find me anytime? Are sales better when your from out of town because it creates a sense of urgency to buy because they might not see you again?
In particular I would love to hear from other jewelry artists since our medium deals with precious metals, stones, is often pricey, and customers might be more afraid of being "tricked" about the quality.
Replies
Thank you - you're kind. I photograph my jewelry on the surface of a light box with the light off so it is kind of a whitish/grey. I'll play around with some alternate backgrounds, because what looks good on my monitor might not be looking so hot when its projected for the jury. I've noticed a lot of magazine shots have a gradiated background grey to black.
As far as show organization goes I usually put my non set earrings & pendants on the vertical framed boards & they also tend to be less expensive & closest to the front of the tent. I put my best sets on the various displays on the main table & the lower shelves of the towers. The top shelves on the towers are for older sets since they are the most difficult to see.
Geri,
Thats good news! Thanks for asking about the ocean jewelry in midwest shows.
Overall I'm feeling much better & will keep applying to shows.
Megan Martin said:
It's strange - I've done better at shows since I've decided not to try to cater to a budget mentality. I decided to make the things I want to make and price them accordingly instead of trying to design something based on price alone. I don't think your pricing sounds out of line or out of reach. A friend of mine did a very unscientific study.... she priced items in her booth from lowest on the left to highest on the right. The people that entered on the right and saw the highest priced items first were actually more likely to make a purchase and had a higher average purchase price than the people that started on the lower end and worked their way up. Also, for your higher priced items have you considered offering a layaway option? Sometimes, it may be a bit much all in one go, but broken into a couple months it's a do-able splurge.
Good luck on your move!
Art on the Lawn: Barbara Berney said:
Art on the Lawn, coming up next Sunday, has a range of kinds of jewelry. Most booths have a variety of items from small to large, low to high price according to what they are and they tend to keep pieces within each category, i.e, bracelet, necklace, earring, ring, with prices consistent across the grouping. Prices range from about $15-$1000, but the average sale is under $100 these days. All that said, I when I show, I offer two different kinds of jewelry: sterling and handmade beads, and base metal with other kinds of beads. The silver lovers continue to buy that line, those on smaller budgets go for the other. It has not hurt sales at all.
N-CHD-354-Z2.jpg
P-CHD-210-A-C-Z.JPG
Thanks for your input. Since you are also a show promotor would you mind looking at the photos that I submitted w/ my applications & give me a critique? As an artist I would like to make modifications if I am doing something wrong. I'll check out the midwest art fairs site that you mentioned.
I've also been giving a lot of thought to my jewelry line. Right now I have a range from $16 earrings to $300 necklaces and everything inbetween. Invairably someone will look at the price of one of my most expensive items say they can't afford it & not notice that I have several options in the lower price ranges - even when I mention it. The more complicated PMC pieces are what I love to make & they tend to be the pricier items. Should I keep this course, just focus on the higher price range, or try to keep most things under $150?
I also get many compliments on my display. Is that hurting me because they are too focused on the display instead of the jewelry? I've included my booth shot.
Thanks!
CHD-BOOTH-5-Z.JPG
N-CHD-434-Z.JPG
N-CHD-302-Z3.JPG
I've heard IL has some good shows - and IN does as well. I'm like you, I've stayed pretty close to home in order to avoid the higher risk of recovering travel expenses - given the economy right now I don't think that is a bad strategy. I've even seen several posts about the folks that usually do lots of travel sticking closer to home and benefiting from smaller shows with lower fees.
Good luck!
Possible reasons why your application has been rejected:
• the number of jewelry applications has grown exponentially over the last few years and competition for available spaces is very stiff
• your photos may not represent your work as well as they need to.
• your work may not fit in with the show's overall mix.
• some shows prefer to feature local/regional artists
I'm often asked if I'm local at shows, but it really hasn't made any difference in sales. Art fairs are about impulse buying. Having a functional, attractive, uncluttered booth gives patrons an opportunity to take it all in. Early on, I brought tons of inventory and had stuff everywhere. Lots of lookers loved my stuff, but couldn't decide what to buy. They would promise to come back and end up buying nothing. I do prefer local shows for the convenience and cost/benefit ratio.
Don't despair, there are many opportunities in Illinois. Suggest going to midwestartfairs.com for shows in our region.
Tina C said:
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next