As you know if you have read my page, my very first art show I attended was about a month ago -- Funky Ferndale Art Show. Although I had a lot of fun and met some interesting people, I suffered greatly in terms of sales. I actually lost a lot of money on that fair.
Now, I've just been accepted to the Northville Christmas Market in the middle of November. For those of you who know the area, or even don't, Northville is a very upscale city, with city household incomes averaging between $80,000-$100,000 annually.
I need to know, before I put any more money into another show, is it worth it? Has anyone actually gone to the show, or had a friend/relative attend?
I would love some feedback.
Thanks!
Jason
Jason Naudi Photography
Replies
It is being promoted by Mark Loeb who also puts on the Funky Ferndale Show. Mark really knows the suburban arena around Detroit. He sticks his neck out and tries new events and they all have a twist to them: "Funky" in Ferndale, "Clay, Glass & Metal" in Royal Oak, and this new one in this very nice area. What is good about his events is that they are not strictly another art fair, but he defines a niche and builds on that difference.
Do you live near? Is your major expense just the booth fee? Would you like to have a show you can return to in subsequent Novembers in the area? Some of this is "paying your dues", and by that I mean learning the ropes of the business, how to display to sell, finding your clientele, finding out what will sell for you and you can't discover this by staying home. If the booth fee is your major expense then I think it may be excellent tuition for learning these other things. Do you live far away with travel expenses and hotel and food costs? That may be a different story. Then you should pay tuition near to home.
Glad to have you here on our network.
P.S. I know Mark has other events, they just aren't popping into my head at this time. He does have a good reputation for working hard and doing his homework to make his events work for artists.
To answer some of your questions, I do live semi-close to Northville. I live in Ann Arbor, so it would be about 45min - hour drive for me... not bad. Since most of my work did not sell at the Ferndale Show I just had, I plan on selling it at this Northville Christmas Market. So yes, the only real expense (aside from gas to/from) would be the booth fee.
I really learned a lot from my first show. I found out that with photography, most people are looking for something simple that catches the eye, if that makes sense. I had 3 photos that I continued to receive positive feedback on. One was of a field, one a gate with brick around it, and one a dividing train track. All simple photos. So I think I may try upselling those.
I just met mark a little over a month ago, and he does seem like a very good guy, hard working, and willing to accommodate artist needs. I didn't know this Northville show was new. I'm even more excited to see how it goes.
In closing, I just hope that I make (at least) my booth fee back for this upcoming show. I love photography, and I love showing my work to my clients, and of course, like everyone else, I feel it doesn't hurt to make some money while I'm at it.
Thanks! :)