Farewell Fairhope, we love you Fairhope..the beauty, the Southern belles, the Mobile Bay...but after an 8 hour drive from our winter home in Daytona Beach, we are adding up the cha-ching gas receipts..and gettin really scared! We had a fantastic spot- the corner of Fairhope Ave. and Section Street...the MIDDLE of everything..but when we watched, for three days , ladies shopping at a very upscale store, The Cat's Meow, and not shopping at the show too..we knew that funky, cool work was not needed here.With the exception of one wood worker, high end, whimsical, fabulous work...an award winner...selling many pieces, I would not suggest anyone doing this show unless they were selling items under $100,or something on a stick, or marking your work down 70% to sell anything....really....a friend selling childrens clothing killed them....Southern belles dress their daughters in dresses with Bows-the-size-of-Alaska! in their hair!...we love the area,but it is over, after three tries we are out!
I did this one 15 or so years ago and it was lackluster sales back then when most shows' sales were in the "glory days"...thought I'd try it this year since we were in GA for ACC. As others said, Fairhope is a great town, has friendly people, wonderful bay side jogging path... but the bulk of the attendance was still not my crowd nor were they for many artists near us....except for the buy/sell jewelry next to me; she apparently had what they wanted.
The volunteers put together a great breakfast for artists. I did not know I love GRITS!
However, they only give you one ticket for the artist's dinner, so if a spouse attends, it's 15.00 for an extra ticket. I'm glad we found a great sushi place and ate for 10.00, as the 15.00 at the party got you a greasey burger, and the reviews of those who consumed them were not good.
So sadly Fairhopeless, or Nohope as some were calling it, will not be a repeat show-destination even in another 15 or so years.
I have done the show at least 10 times and generally make $5,000 - $8,000. This year was more toward the low end. My price points range from $100 to $3,500 and I have sold at all those points and in between. But I will agree that many of my friends have struggled to do well there consistently. Many many "artists" there and lots of very crappy paintings. I don't look at much of the other stuff. Jewelry is usually low end. My paintings are not traditional at all but are not "funky" either. Of course they are very very cool. What else would they be?
I've had the same experience at Fairhope. Three straight years of watching only yard art pass my booth. It's a shame, because Fairhope is a wonderful town filled with wonderful people. Unfortunately, the show has become a low end experience. Hmmm, maybe if I sell my photographs on a stick....
Nels and Connie, we came close to a $3000 sale..an aptometrist, who wanted to display a high end line of glasses in our funky "Mary Sunshine" cabinet...I put my Dale Carnegie training to work- "it would be a tax deduction for your business" blah, blah, blah!!! Anyone who knows me, knows I am an erxcellent sales person- I isolate the objective, and try to have the perspective cuestomer visualize the piece in their home...Big Deal !Bob said that if we had lawn chairs on-a-stick! we would sell...we have done this show three times now- am so disappointed...really like the area and the committee is fantastic! Connie, the artist dinner was a take back to Jimmy Buffet,"Cheeseburger in Paradise" Norm would "freak" and so did we, not eating beef!!!! So Farewell, Fairhope, it's been real! Ohhhhhh, and we love Panini Pete"s for breakfast, and love, Pete, and all of his stories about Guy Fieri from Diner, Drive-ins and Dives....
We did it once. Loved the town, loved the show...and I can still taste the artist's dinner: crawfish boil, corn and redskins. Yum. My husband, a vegetarian was appalled at all the skeletons piled on the table.
Our neighbor was our friend Robert Trisko, a very high end jeweler. Both Bob and his partner, Ian, spent most of the weekend reading, sitting at the back of their booth. We still laugh about the show when we see each other.
Patti and Bob - you are way too funky for the folks in Alabama.
Shazam mam! I know how you feel. When Ellen and I were in our initial whirlwind romance, we tried Fairhope three times, and came up with the same results as yours. Charming area, but limited sales, those people only buy certain things, and they are not very adventorous in their tastes. Hope you and Bob stopped in Pensacola for a good meal at our favorite restaurant. Later gator, Nels
Comments
I did this one 15 or so years ago and it was lackluster sales back then when most shows' sales were in the "glory days"...thought I'd try it this year since we were in GA for ACC. As others said, Fairhope is a great town, has friendly people, wonderful bay side jogging path... but the bulk of the attendance was still not my crowd nor were they for many artists near us....except for the buy/sell jewelry next to me; she apparently had what they wanted.
The volunteers put together a great breakfast for artists. I did not know I love GRITS!
However, they only give you one ticket for the artist's dinner, so if a spouse attends, it's 15.00 for an extra ticket. I'm glad we found a great sushi place and ate for 10.00, as the 15.00 at the party got you a greasey burger, and the reviews of those who consumed them were not good.
So sadly Fairhopeless, or Nohope as some were calling it, will not be a repeat show-destination even in another 15 or so years.
Patti, if they have no sense of humor, they aren't worth the trouble.
See you in Illinois this summer where people like to laugh.
We did it once. Loved the town, loved the show...and I can still taste the artist's dinner: crawfish boil, corn and redskins. Yum. My husband, a vegetarian was appalled at all the skeletons piled on the table.
Our neighbor was our friend Robert Trisko, a very high end jeweler. Both Bob and his partner, Ian, spent most of the weekend reading, sitting at the back of their booth. We still laugh about the show when we see each other.
Patti and Bob - you are way too funky for the folks in Alabama.