Good Post About Succeeding at Art Fairs/Shows

[MTRuth]

I found this post that I thought might be helpful for those of you who sell your work at shows.

www.reddotblog.com/wordpress/index.php/how-to-succeed-at-art-shows-and-festivals/

This blog is a very good resource for "the business of art".

[jufergu]

Good advice. I don't do out of doors shows anymore. I am just too old to haul all that equipment around. But there was a time when I did every art in the park type show in town and did well. However, most artist now days tell me that sales are extremely slow or even non existent. I think more about just retiring than ever before. Of course, then someone calls and offers me another local exhibit. Sales or no sales, I just say "yes." lol

[Shepherdess]

Lots of great advice. Especially about scoping out shows ahead of time. nothing worse than being surrounded by people selling cheep or worse resellers selling Chinese stuff.

[jufergu]

In one of my lives, I was a hat maker. They are totally hand made, including most of the embellishments. I put them on consignment in boutiques in St. Paul, Minnesota and did quite well. That is, until the boutiques started importing cheap hats from Indonesia, China and India. They were attractive, but not unique. Soon my business dried up. I could compete for quality, but not price.

[zed]

I'd be happy if I could just find a place locally for a small fee where I don't need expensive licenses and public liability insurance in case some idiot snags a nail and sues.

[MTRuth]

Zed, you don't have any galleries or perhaps stationary type stores that would carry your work on consignment? That way you wouldn't be responsible for the liability insurance.

[zed]

No, there is nothing around here at all. I can think of one place, but it would mean a long walk, tram ride and another long walk. Maybe when I move and it isn't so far I'll do something like that.