Blog

Although still doing a few shows, we're starting to sell off excess supplies. Too many details & prices to mention, but we have clear plastic sales bags, with handles, mostly 16x20; Clear plastic storage bags (4 mil), in 24x30, 24x40, 30x36. Most from Bagmart, new & in original packs. Also packing supplies, foam core, frames, glass, etc. In Lakeland, in central Florida. Good prices, willing to dicker a bit. Bill Sargent, 813-714-3614 or Ann Sargent, 813-714-3616.

We have closed our art show business and would like to sell our tent.  The tent was used for only a few shows.  It is clean.  It has been kept in hard plastic containers in a temperature controlled environment.  So it is in good condition.  One corner zipper is broken part way down.  However, the tent does close and the bottom of that corner can be secured easily.  Tent comes with an awning as well.

Pro Panels are beige.  They have also been kept in house in a temperature controlled environment.  There are 13 Panels, 14 shelves, and 3 pedestals (each varying in height).  A couple shelves have some minor stains.  

Tent and Pro Panels as a unit $2000.  Located in SW Florida.

KDKanopy Majistic tent.  Used sparingly over 5 years $500.  Excellent condition,

4 - 6' Black Propanel walls Excellent condition

4 - 45lb Dumbbell Weights $35 each

6 - 15lb Dumbbells for anchoring easels $10 each

7 Artists Loft Easels $35 each.

6' 40 slot greeting card stand

3 large matted print stands

2 small matted print stands

Phone: 520-820-5081

This was the 22nd year for the Garage Sale Art Fair.  I love coming to this show.  There is something for everyone here.  This show is held the last Saturday of February.  Winter can be rough in Kalamazoo and by the end of February people are ready to get out and shop.

The show is put on by Bonnie Blandford and Michael Kifer of Road Wife Productions LLC.  The show is held in the Kalamazoo County Expo Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  It is a one day show and this year was held on February 25th.  

The show is held in 2 large rooms.   Artists set up on Friday.  Bonnie and Michael provide refreshments during set up which was very much appreciated.  

Shoppers show up first thing in the morning.  There is usually a large group of them waiting to get it.  I have been there when there was a very long line to get it.  Shoppers can sign up for drawings that take place hourly throughout the day .  If your name is called you win shopper bucks to spend at the show.

Bonnie also makes announcements about special deals all day long.  Artists will occasionally make a special offer to draw people to their booth.  The special deals seem to be very popular in the afternoon towards the end of the day when artists decide they don't want to take some stock back home.

You can find great pieces of art to buy at this show.  Most of art work doesn't have so much as a single flaw. Some pieces are for sale because the artists want to make space for their new show stock.  Plus, you can also find some strange things that artists are trying to get rid of.  I have seen pieces of iron sewer pipe, a microwave, booth lights, an antique photographer's tripod, and much more.  I am always surprised to see the huge variety of things you can buy and sometimes even more surprised that it has disappeared at the end of the day.

Alison Fox, whose booth you can see above, is a stained glass and mixed media artist.  She always stocks her booth with some great pieces of art work.  She also stocks it with all kinds of weird objects that she collects throughout the year for her art work.  Alison will sell everything she brings to the show. I have walked by her booth and watched her get rid of everything by mid afternoon.  She is amazing!

The show goes til 4 pm.  It is not uncommon for some artists to be sold out by 2 pm.  That has to be a great feeling for an artist.  

I'd like to mention the yellow shopping bags.  Shoppers will buy themselves one of those nice yellow Garage Sale shopping bag and fill them up.  By the way, what a great idea to have those shopping bags available.  It is not uncommon for shoppers to get to the show and buy more than they planned on and realize that they didn't bring anything to put all their purchases in.  I have seen so many people walking around with those nice bags which are usually full, too.  The shopping bags help to make more purchases easier to handle.  What a great idea!

This photo was taken in the morning around 10 am.  Shopping is well under way.  The selections are good. There is something for everyone.  People come to this show with the full intention of shopping and buying.  

There are 145 artists at this show.  There is a nice selection.  I didn't think any one category was top heavy.  

I took photos that better showed the crowds but those photos were blurry.  

Below you can see two                                                                                                               

                                    shoppers that are looking intently over
some ceramic pieces.     oh hey, it is Connie       Mettler.  You never know where she will show up.  

This show will be held February  24, 2018.       That gives you almost a year to fit this show into your schedule.  

If this show is out of the question for you there is one in Wisconsin and Ohio that may work out better for you.  We all hold onto stuff we don't need anymore.  This show is a great way to get rid of some of that.

Until next February 24th, oh, I can't wait.                                                                                
                                                                                                      

     The Garage Sale Art Fair was held February 27th.  I really look forward to this show every year.  It is great fun catching up with people and the deals are crazy good.  Usually I am there as a shopper.  This year I went with Connie to sell some of Norm's art fair equipment and his art work.  I have not helped her do a show in about ten years.  It was always fun being on the artist's side of the fence and I missed that.  It was really nice talking to the artists as we set up.

     So, three of us loaded up a cargo van, and I happened to be the only person with two good hands, and headed for Kalamazoo.  The load in was super easy.  We were able to park right next to one of the many entrances into the Kalamazoo County Expo Center.  So, the walk from the van to our booth was fairly short.  There wasn't any extra space around the booths for storage.  This event is held indoors and space is at a premium.  That wasn't a problem though because the van was not far away.  We were able to go back and forth all day to get things. 

     The doors opened at 9:30 am on Saturday morning for customers.  The line was huge and stretched out for a long ways indoors.  People said it was huge outside, too.  When they let the crowds in the place was packed.  At about 12:30 I heard thy had already had 6,000 people come.  Shoppers want to get there early because the deals are so good.  By one o'clock I was already seeing a few booths had shut down and left because they had already sold out.  

     This show is produced Michael Kifer and Bonnie Blandford's Road Wife Productions LLC.  They do a great job.  They were always visible to take care of problems.  Even though Saturday is wild and crazy they were both in great moods and they stayed like that all day long.  On Friday night during set up they served cold bottled water and pizza.  Someone brought in the best brownies to share, too.  Then, on Saturday, to encourage shopper spending, they have a drawing.  About once an hour they draw a shopper's name and give them $20 in Garage Sale bucks to spend at the show.  About 2 pm Bonnie began making announcements from artists for further mark downs.  Poor Bonnie was getting these announcements fast and furiously.  She happily stayed on course and kept making announcements. 

      Artists occasionally posted funny signs to grab the customer's attention.  This sign was on Alison Fox's table.  Alison came with a tons of things.  I walked by her booth about 2 in the afternoon and she was down to a few pieces. 

     This show had about 150 artists.  The artists were housed in to adjoining rooms.  There was food available to purchase from the concession stand in the building.  The food was not the highlight of the day and people were not there to eat but to shop. 

      This artist with the pottery sells a lot of his inventory every year.  I have seen him before but this year he was determined to get rid of it all.  This was taken later in the day when most of his stuff was gone.

There are about 150 artists that get into this show.  Many artists apply hoping to get one of those spots.  I saw several AFI members there.  AFI member Joan Tweedell was not far from our booth.  I have read many of her show reviews over the years but hadn't met her.  She had some very pretty work with her.

My iPhone usually takes crisp photos but I think it was taking a hiatus the day I was at the show.  I had to sharpen these photos.  Sorry about the blur. 

This really is a great show to get rid of your no longer wanted stock.  I have seen some strange items for sale at this show, too.  Last year someone was selling a microwave.  Every year there are a few strange items.  It is worth a try and you never know who may want that item you brought.  This show is a great way to kick off the new art show season.  See you there next year.

I'm not sure where to post this now that the discussion boards have changed, but I have a full set of 8' tall Buff knockdown propanels available for sale.  I have 15 total (three 25" and twelve 30").  They are in PERFECT condition.  Originally paid $2325.  Available for $1500, and will deliver up to 300 miles (I'm in Columbus Ohio), or meet midway for free. Contact me at britthallowell@gmail.com if interested. 

A couple of weeks ago I hosted a trunk sale in my home.  I had mentioned it here on AFI and Connie mentioned blogging about it so here I am.  Specifically Connie had suggested blogging trunk sale vs. a craft show.  This is my first blog here so try to be forgiving if I don't pull it off well. 

I have been doing my craft, making travertine tile coasters, trivets and plaques for 3 years this month.  I actually got into this coaster business somewhat accidentally.  I had taken a class to learn how to make coasters in December 2012 and ended up with 2 sets to give as gifts.  When delivering a set to my nail technician, one of her other clients asked whether I sell the coasters.  Up to that point, just a week or so after the class, it was nothing more than a new hobby and skill set.  But I said yes and the rest, they say, is history.  BTW are live in Houma, LA, about an hour out of New Orleans.

In the spring of 2013 I did some very small shows.  They were mostly local shows.  My first show was at a church.  It was a place to get my feet wet and test the waters.  I had NO idea what to expect.  Our tent was one we had already at our home.  We pieced together the rest of it---tables, table covers, backdrop, and so on---mostly using what we had already.  Surprisingly we enjoyed it and made a little money!  I say "we" because my husband and daughter make up my support team.

Dh works for food and the freedom to walk around and chat up the other artists and crafters once we are set up.  At least until time to tear down.  DD works is smart and works on commission.    They both help with set up and tear down.  I could not do shows without their help.  Daughter is actually pretty good at selling my work and even trying to upsell.

We have pretty much gotten a system down for setting up from a tarp covered by turf (outdoor shows) to the tent, pipe and drape system, table coverings, product placement in the booth, and so on.  We pretty much have our duties divided up on how many of us are needed for the particular task, the degree of difficulty, and how many of us are available for set up ... dh and me, or all three of us.

We have come a long way in better understanding what shows to pick for us and our products.  We have progressed to bigger shows in our area.  We are limited in how far we can travel due to owning a brick and mortar store in our town.  We have traveled up to about 2 hours one way for a show.  We have not done any of the nationally known shows that are presented and discussed here.  We have applied to a couple of more regionally or nationally known but have yet to make the first cut.

The things I have mentioned are to help anyone reading this to better understand where we started and where we are now.

The trunk show I did this year was actually my 2nd annual trunk show.  It is a one girl show, just me.  My trunk sales runs the Saturday of Black Friday weekend through the following Tuesday.  I set up in our home and it has run for a few hours each day.  Once it is set up it stays set up till it's over.  I have products in the living/dining room, den, and last year I had some set up in the enclosed patio.

I generally do not make up extra product for this event.  The only time I do is if some of my best sellers are sold out.  This event is meant to help move out product left over from the year.  I had one table with mark downs.  The rest was regular prices for craft shows.  Besides my travertine coasters, trivets, and plaques I had some home décor that I had painted.  This year was the first time I have offered the home décor.

I have our home decorated for Christmas.  This means that we get our tree on Thanksgiving day and get it and our home decorated by Friday evening.  I also have to get product set up as well.  It makes for a packed couple of days.  As far as time goes I am considering getting our tree on Wednesday if I continue to do this.  It will allow me a little breathing room as far as decorating.

Hours for the Trunk Sale

Saturday, 10:00-2:00

Sunday, 4:00-6:00

Monday & Tuesday, 5:00-8:00

On Sunday I work the hours around the New Orleans Saints because so many people watch the game.  This year they played at noon local time so that is why I set the hours later.  I had it in the evening on Monday and Tuesday to allow people to come by straight from work.

I usually serve light refreshments.  It is usually something that our family would eat in case it is not eaten up by the customers.   

Advertisement has usually been email and Facebook announcements, and word of mouth.  Since I am doing this in my home I am not to the point yet of just inviting total strangers.  Now if a friend I've invited brings a friend of hers that I don't know that is okay.

This year I added an incentive to my invitations.  I told invitees that if they brought a friend they would get a free gift valued at $5.00.  It cost me about $1.00-$1,50 in materials to make it.  It is junior legal pad that I cover with double sided heavy card stock that is printed on both sides.  I can get the junior legal pads in bundles and the same for the cardstock from the scrapbooking dept. at Michaels or Hobby Lobby.  If invitees RSVP for a certain day and attend on that day they were offered a 10% discount.

Though I did allow RSVP's that garnered a discount for the customers, it was really set up as a come and go thing.  No appointment or RSVP required.

I did a little better last year than this year as far a $$.  The economy is harder hit this year more than last.  I believe that had something to do with it.  I made as much last year as I do in some shows but did not have to pay a booth fee, hotel, or meals out!  This year was not as good but still made $$ so I was happy.

I find it easier to set up because I don't have to travel.  I also don't have to tear down while tired.  I can save tearing down till Wednesday morning.  Due to having a retail store that we cannot leave at this time of year, it gives me the opportunity to have something similar to a show without the travel by myself.

In all honesty the shopping was sporadic, a few here or there.  I am considering condensing it down to one day.  I am thinking about having it on Saturday only next year like from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM.  Possibly I might have it on Sunday from noon to 5:00 PM.  I am also thinking that next year I may have it the first weekend of December.  It would allow them to get paid on December 1st, and for payroll on Friday.  I am thinking that by condensing it down to one day that it gives the impression of scarcity ... that they don't have the option to shop another day.  I feel like I could help me concentrate better on a better experience.

A friend of mine is having one on December 19.  She is a canvas artist.  I am probably going to attend and try to support her.  I also want to see if I can learn anything for next year's trunk sale.

If any of this is not clear or you have questions about things I tried or did, please feel free to ask or make comments.

This week I traveled to Kalamazoo, Michigan for the Garage Sale Art Fair put on by Bonnie Blanford and Michael Kifer.  I have attended this show several times in the past but this was the best one yet. 

The place was packed.  There were lots and lots of shoppers.  There were 138 juried artists with amazing art work.  Most of the artists had art work that they wanted to sell off before the spring shows start.  They were cleaning out their inventory.  However, the art all looked like it was in great condition.  There were deals there to be had and the shoppers were in a buying frenzy.

I tried to talk with a few of the artists but they were kept pretty busy by shoppers.  I don't recall any artist just sitting there without several shoppers in their booth.  I even heard some shoppers talking about the fact that it was hard to just leisurely stroll into the booths because they were so full of shoppers.  Many of the artists could barely bag up the sales fast enough to get to the next shopper.  What a problem, eh?

We arrived early to the show.  I think we got there about half an hour after the place opened.  There were lines already to pay to get into the building.  It cost $5 to get in and that didn't seem to bother anyone trying to get in to this show.  This show has a great reputation in the Kalamazoo area for good deals and this show has a great following of loyal customers.  

There are lots of people helping to make sure this show runs off well.  There were workers helping in the coat check room, at the door when you arrive, in the lobby, and inside the show area selling bags to carry to shoppers to carry their purchases in. Event staff was everywhere. 

People were allowed to check their purchases at the coat check room so that they didn't have to lug early purchases around with them all day.

Shoppers could also enter a raffle to win money to spend at the show.  Every so often they drew someone's name and the prize was $19 because it was the 19th anniversary of this show.  That is always a hit with the crowd.
This show goes til 4 pm.  I saw at least one artists had completely sold out by about 1:30 and he was packed up and gone.  Yeah, it was the yard sculpture guy and everybody seemed to be walking around with a piece of his stuff. 

But, by 2 pm you could really tell that the shopping frenzy was settling down.  By 2 pm there were also some artists that were offering a little bit better deal to entice those final sales before it was time to pack up and leave. 

There were some AFI artists there, too.  Barry Bernstein was there but he was too busy to talk to.  I saw Vinnie Sutherland walk by.  Vinnie has been to this show before.  Gayle Weiss finally got in this year after being wait listed.  She had some gorgeous jewelry that she rarely marks down so shoppers were getting a deal.

Connie also found Steven Huyser-Honig at the show. 
Sometimes I lost track of Connie because she
was always busy checking in with artists. She still managed to score some great deals as she made her way through the booths.

If you keep your eyes open you can find a few things you would never expect to see at an Art Fair.  This year's crazy find was a microwave someone was trying to get rid of.

The best deal for me for the day was I finally got to meet Photographer Jim Parker.  I have read his posts through the years and it was nice to meet him in person and his lovely wife.  Jim gave Connie and I each a photo!  Connie got a gallery wrap of Jim's famous "Dune Girl" and I got a framed "Dune Girl."  Jim has great work and I enjoyed looking at his display as did many other customers who kept Jim busy all day. 

This is a great show to clean out your old stock.  The shoppers are hungry and they were making multiple purchases.  This would be a great show to kick off the start of a new show season to make room for new stock.   Bonnie Blanford and Michael Kifer did a great job with this event as they have also done in past years. 

(Disclaimer) These photos seemed a lot sharper on my phone.

I have completed my first year on the art fair circuit. I still feel like someone who has many more questions than answers. However I do want to give back to this site which has been so very informative for me during this time of extreme growing pains.

I am a fiber artist who creates 2D work which look much like paintings. I use mostly recycled fabric which I overdye.  I didn't know what to expect from a "clearance sale" .After a year of trial and error I felt I had plenty to clear out from my studio. This show apparently has a significant following.

The load in and load out were magnificently easy. We were able to pull our van straight into the expo center and unload. My booth was very close by. It doesn't get any easier. The staff was helpful. They were easily found and gave me my informational materials. They provided coffee in the mornings. There was storage provided in the expo center but it is not around your booth. It's a bit of a walk. There is a 10x10 space allotted for your booth.

The expectations of booths were lower as it was a clearance sale so things were not super fancy. Many people used makeshift sale signs. I was amazed that people came to the show at all. The weather was miserable with ice and snow both days. There were several thousand people over both days and people were there to buy and get a bargain. Everyone was asking for discounts which was fine with me at a sale like this.

The quality of the art was high and looked like many of the artists who attend Winterfair. I walked around a few times and saw a potters booth with a 70% off sign- he had 3 pieces left on the shelf. I had a respectable weekend. Less than what I initially hoped for but significantly better than I expected with such bad weather. I hope to get in the show again next year. If the sun were shining I think the potential is there to clear out the old art and clean up on sales. Have a great day!

Sharon

This year is rapidly coming to an end.  Soon the 2012 shows will be over and artists will be conteplating new work for the 2013 season.  I was just wondering, what do you all do with the inventory you don't want to haul to your 2013 shows?  Do you have a small show in your home, do you store it away, do you give it away as gifts, do you use pieces for donation purposes?  I do know of 3 "garage sale" shows where artists can unload unwanted items.  I think they are great.  The shoppers appear to be going nuts for a few deals from their favorite artists. 

We have one of those "garage sale" shows right here in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Bonnie Blanford puts on the "Garage Sale Art Fair" in Kalamazoo.  She has special deals announced every hour, food to keep shoppers from leaving for lunch, and hourly drawings.  Bonnie holds her show in February when there isn't much else to look forward to here in Michigan. 

I know Colin Murray has one in Waukesha, Wisconson.  Colin holds his event, "Artworks: Studio Clearance Sale", in January.  I imagine Wisacon has to be as bleak as Michigan is in the winter.  I think Colin once mentioned that everything sells out there, too.

There is also one in Columbus, Ohio.  It is called the "Art Studio Clearance Sale" and is also held in January. 

Have you done any of those shows?  Have you thought about applying?  What was your experience?  Will you do it again?

Let us know what you do with your unwanted inventory.  This may help others who just have no idea of what to do with the extra art work that for some reason just didn't seem to catch anyboy's eye this past year.

I mean't to add this a long time ago.  I've been so busy with other things that had to be done first.  I thought some of you might be interested in this show.  It is held every February in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  It is a one day show. February is a great time for something like this because people are tired of being stuck in the house and they are ready to do some shopping.

The place was packed.

The Garage Sale Art Fair is a place to sell off old stock, slightly damaged stock, or any artwork that you don't mind selling at a discount. I wanted to add it here so some of you could decide if this would be something you might be interested in for next year. 

Connie knows everybody!

The place was packed with shoppers.  I wanted to take some photos of the booths without people so you could see the set up but it was hard because there were lots of shoppers.  And they were there to shop!  When we arrived at about 10 am there was a line of people waiting to get in to the place. 

Vinnie chatting with Connie.

The artists came from all over and they had nice things to sell.  There was a good variety, too.  The show didn't seem heavy in any one medium.  As I walked around, I asked some of the artists (when I could get one not busy with a customer) how things were going.  I got good responses. 

They were buying, too

This is a show put on by Bonnie Blandford.  She has lots of people there working to keep the show running smoothly. Those workers were visible, too.  If you needed to talk to one because of a problem you could get to one within minutes.  There are drawings for cash giveaways every hour.  They also announce periodic mark downs or half hour specials.  All of this extra excitement keeps the shoppers there and ready to buy. 

We did see several AFI members taking advantage of the eager shoppers.  To name a few, there was Vinnie Sutherland, Ginny Herzog, Beth Keenan, Steven Huyser-Honig, Stan Baker (who was making a killing again this year).Who do you think would have a phone like this?

I've added a few photos.  Sorry about the poor quality.  I used my cheap little Nikon because I didn't want to carry around the good camera that is heavier.

Does anyone do trunk shows?   If not I urge you to try one... or do a studio show that could be set up much the same way.

I just had my annual 2 day trunk show in my local town (population of the town and outlying district 800), hosted by a lovely lady who has the local giftware store.  Nice atmosphere - bright and welcoming.   Situated perfectly smack in the centre of the shopping street.   This was my 6th year and my 3rd venue.   As a rule it's always done well, but I think this was the best year.

I was given a space to set up as you enter the store with a shop window for the 2 days as well.   The cost to the store for hosting was nil as she was doing it to also bring people in to her store.  

We did a joint advertisement with the owner in the local paper ($50 each), sent out invitations to anyone in the local district that had bought from me in the last couple of years ($36 postage and $10 for the invites) and then did a flyer into locals letterboxes ($76) a few days before. 

It was set up as the first day 2-7pm as a 'client preview'.   We provided a few bottles of champagne and some sparkling water, cheese and crackers (cost about $60).  We tried to make it an "event".   And they sure turned out for it and were in the buying mood!  

The 2nd day was open for everyone 10am-5pm although lots of clients who couldn't come the first day came on the 2nd day. 

I was unsure how I'd go given the ongoing bad-news economy, however we have just had 130mm of rain in the last week and when you're selling to women who are on the land, rain always boosts expectations.  (Although there was so much rain some clients couldn't come as their creeks were up blocking the roads!). 

I'm pleased to say though I was busy for the whole 2 days - I DID take the camera but I was so busy I never managed to actually get it out of my bag and take a photo...sorry!

I started setting up around 10.30am the first day and had enquiries before I even had my tables put up!  It continued to about 6pm.  I thought that  was probably it and the second day would be quiet -  but people were waiting for me at 10am and the last left at 6pm.

The store owner was thrilled with her sales and the number of people through as well.

I had 34 sales comprising 65 items and have three orders yet to be made and costed.   Pieces sold ranged in price from $25 to $350.   The vast majority were previous customers so I'd already converted them to buyers in prior years so it wasn't hard to sell to them.   They were buying both gifts and something for themselves.  

I must add that I don't overwhelm the locals - this is my one show of the year.  I also have two displays in town (one gallery and one store) and people know where to find me the rest of the year if they want something.

Given Nel's recent thread about the spiralling costs of doing shows - I think a trunk/studio show is a good alternative and if you had a wide client base in different areas, you could travel around doing these types of events on a regular basis.