I've got to tell you, this is something I wouldn't normally do except that I have all this stuff in my studio gathering clay dust. I thought this would be a good thing to try because I won't throw anything out and I need the shelf space. However, after being on the road for 6 weeks, I did not feel up to driving the 400 miles back to Marquette to get these pieces and then back down to Kalamazoo, where this show was held. So, I just reduced the prices of my normal work and did this show.
First of all, I should tell you that among the crapola that was at this show, there were some heavy hitters like Jim Wilbat, who had just won Best of Show in glass at the Coconut Grove show, Jim Parker, photographer extraordinaire, John Bauman, Patricia Swearingen Hecker, Bruce Johnson, and Vinnie Sutherland, among others. I say crapola because this is a garage sale, after all, and it is meant to get rid of what you have left over that is sitting around your studio. Bonnie wants to make this really easy to do. The show fee is low, around $140. And, she encourages people to use tables that you can rent to display your work, not your booth. I wanted to see what this was all about, so, I didn't rent any tables, which you had to do in advance. Plus, Vinnie Sutherland and another artist were across from me and they put up their displays. I didn't want to look shabby. I ended up putting together a modified display. It looked pretty good and I was happy with it.
Load in and load out were really easy. It helps to have a cart because the show is at the Kalamazoo Convention Center and you can't drive up to your space. There was plenty of room for vans and 3 entrances. There was no waiting in line and you could drive right up to the building. New this year was the option of getting there on Friday and setting up early. It's a Saturday only show and lasts only 6 1/2 hours. I got there right at 3 PM on Friday and started unloading immediately. It took me 4 hours to set up because I stopped to talk to everybody I knew. That's one of the fun things about this show. It's small, intimate, and relaxed. I met Vinnie Sutherland for the first time and had a ball with her. Usually I am the one dishing out the trash. In this case she started early and ofter and gave it to me before I even opened my mouth.
The show was well attended and sales, for me, were good, not great. I wasn't willing to give away my work. I did reduce the pieces to what would be my wholesale price. I sold pieces that I would consider to be good work, not my A+ pieces which I didn't display. I had work at $30 to $300. My customers were savvy buyers looking for a good deal. Most of the people that come to this event are looking for cheap stuff, which there is plenty of. These were not my customers. I didn't sell one $30 piece. A lot of people I talked to and sold to, regularly come to the KRASL show. So, I looked at it as a chance to advertise my work for that show. I was selling steadily until people started offering special deals at giveaway prices. In fact, that would be my only criticism of the show. When someone started offering mugs for $1 a piece that was the end of the show for me. That was a little extreme, in my opinion. I wish exhibitors wouldn't cheapen themselves that much and it clearly had an effect on my sales. On the other hand, these were probably not my customers.
Last but not least, Connie Mettler threw a pizza party in the lobby of the Fairfield Inn, on Friday night, which is the closest motel to the show. It was a lot of fun and I got to talk and joke around with a lot of really fun people. I made some new friends and hung out with some old ones that I don't get to see that much because we are all in our studios working if we aren't on the road. If I do this show next year, I will rent tables to have that garage sale look. Also, I will make pieces specifically for the event, that I can sell at bargain prices, along with my usual work.
Comments
Yes, Feb 22.
We were even planning out a different route if it was going to be icy and snowy. Would take longer but since we don't have a sled dog team, that's what u gotta do. Wouldn't miss it for the world. See u too!
Thank goodness for that weather break, Alison! I haven't wanted to go anywhere for 2 months. See you there.
Can't wait for this yr's show. Bringing alot more of my odds and ends, so getting a double booth and extra tables! And we shud have great travel weather too. :-)
Great photos, Connie...looks like you had a blast and picked up some pretty cool pieces to add to your collections, sorry I missed it.
That's a great picture of you and my step-mom, Barry! She's cool huh?! Good taste in art too :)
This was our first time at the Garage Sale and I sure hope we can do it again next year!!! We had a ball. I took the "garage sale" mentality seriously and we "dressed down" our booth to reflect that. We moved inventory that had been packed away and not seen the light of day for YEARS. Some didn't look any different than our current work, but since my husband "dates" 99% of his work, we don't like putting items dated, say, 2003, in current shows. We also brought pieces that didn't quite pass his critical eye--he's pretty much a perfectionist. And I brought artwork we had traded for 20+ years ago that no longer "spoke" to me and most of those sold too! I know I can "dig out" enough for another year--maybe two--of "garage selling"! We had so much fun, we acquired new pieces for our own collection and made a lot of room in our studio for new work. And I do think if we had set up our "booth" the way we do at tradional shows, we might not have gotten the interest. People were definitely out for bargains. I have a problem with "crowding" the display at our regular booth and I know at art shows that detracts from the look. What a joy to put as much on as possible and watch it go!! Thanks!!!
I was at this show for the first time as well. Connie's pizza party was awesome and when she ran out of pizzas, she ordered a ton more so the late comers still had food. Alot of fun talking with the artists and eating some great, thin crust pizza.
For the garage sale, I brought alot of the parts and pieces that I use to make my stained glass panels. It was a great way to get rid of stuff that I might have just thrown out. Next yr I am also bringing my glass scrap as that was selling very well with mosaic customers. I did hear alot of the customers say to me that they didnt expect to see artist's booths set up, selling artwork at discounts. They wanted the parts and pieces, like I had at rock bottom prices. I cleared out alot of "junque" and made a good buck.
I think that if artists do this show, they shud prepare to sell super cheap, smaller items, maybe old merchandise etc instead of discounting their artwork. I don't think the customers were prepared to purchase larger artwork. Don't get me wrong - I know a few artists that had a following and those customers were very grateful to get their pieces at lower prices but the idea and theme of this event was a "garage sale", tables and chotchke galore. Many of the customers were part time crafters and were clamouring for this jewels.
Like Barry mentioned, super easy load in and load out. Very grateful for the Fri setup time.
Bonnie was a riot with her announcements which made this a very fun time! Oh and the crazier the signs on ur booths the better. Everyone shud ck this out. Had a great time!
Yes, I imagine garage sales would encourage a bargain mentality, but as you say, a great opportunity to clear out the old :) Love your purchases Connie and good to see a pic of you Barry - you look like mischief personified in that photo!
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