Show fees and competition

[spirit bear beads]

I have been a vendor at a local "Craft Show" for the last 3 years.  Each year the show has become more expensive (booth fee) and the competition has gotten worse. 

The fee has grown from $120 to $250 for a 10x10 booth.  The venue has not changed (convention center) and the operators have not disclosed to us whether the fee for the space has gone up that much or not.

They do advertise and the show does get a lot of publicity.  Traffic is good, not fantastic but good.  My biggest beef is that they have decided to allow almost anyone in to sell.   I sell beads and jewelry in my booth, handmade jewelry.  At the last show there were literally a dozen or more vendors selling Made in somewhere else CRAP jewelry.   Costume jewelry that really looked horrible, and the "Have a Home Jewelry show" hostesses.  Just like the makeup and kitchenware parties where you have a hostess come to your house and you invite your guests to come spend money.   Needless to say I did not sell a single piece of jewelry.

This week when I recieved my email invitation to send them $250 ( for a show in November!!!!) I politely declined and told them why.  And included the message that when they decided to return to a "Craft Show" theme to let me know.

Will my sales suffer? NO, I think not.  Am I relieved not to even think about all the work involved in setting up for a show of that magnitude?  Yes.  I will stick to my rock club shows for now.

[legendarygranite]

I'm so sorry to hear about your show. I'm not there quit yet but I sure can understand where you are comming from. Thats to bad. I don't recall any of your work off the top of my head but I'm sure you will be missed. Every year we go to the same three or four shows here in our tiny valley and we do notice when ppl don't show up. Well the rock and gem ppl anyways. Good luck in the other selling arenas

[Bluesssman]

I hear you! We have stopped doing shows because of promoters who claim to allow only artist in the booth made products, but always allow the 'buy and sell' vendors. We got a call last week wanting us to show at a show in South Lake Tahoe. We we told the show was exclusively artists selling their own products only. We said no thanks. We decided to go check it out and found 62% of the vendors were 'buy and sell'.

I don't know exactly what to do about the problem. It seems the promoters are only interested in how much they make. Seems to hurt the true artisans most of all. I know our decision to no longer do shows and focus our marketing through the internet and sales to jewelry stores has been a good one, especially since I really did not like the craft shows.

Gary

[spirit bear beads]

I know I will have 2 or 3 repeat customers who will miss me.  One has found my internet stores.  ( I give everyone a card) but it doesn't always help.    For the rest, the amount of labor involved in doing a high end "Boutique" show is just not worth the $$ in return.

I love my Gem and Mineral Club shows, and will continue to do them.

[Steve]

I started noticing that way back in the '02's.......and gave it up.  I really enjoyed doing Arts & crafts shows before that.  The people I met were pretty kool and the energy was good.  But when they allow vendors in with, what you've called as "Buy & sell", I call it T'n'T......"Trash and Trinkets"!  And, yes the price for a spot keeps on going up...........Oh, to those that worship the "Dead Presidents"......all for one and all for ONE.......... ...........

[ScarlettoSara]

awww Mia. And you design such lovely things.
Maybe you have outgrown that show anyhow. Upward and onward to bigger and better things:)

[spirit bear beads]

Your'e right Scarlett, besides need to save my pennies for our road trip!   

[Taogem]

I can't offer anything to say either..

It must be a disappointment since it is a local show for you to set up at.

[Charlotte]

Mia, I agree with you.  I can't believe what people will put out to sell and then someone comes around and buys it. 

[asianfire]

Ouch, and there I thought I would never speak of that again.

Home parties to sell "custom jewelry" or badly made "Bling" is around for a long time.
I was working for European buyers in 1990/91 running all over Asia finding companies willing to copy just about anything that might be attractive to people in Europe at the time (one of the reasons as to why I will never participate in a copy-right discussion). The buyers set up rings of multi-level-marketing schemes to turn over the stuff as quickly as possible. I remember, quality was never a problem, as long as the "Gold" did not wear out the first 3 months. To save even a single cent, they would chase me across several countries, completely ignorant to quality.


While there will always be people willing to buy cheap, the majority of people wearing jewelery regularly will come back quite quickly to quality. The draw-back for you is the possibility of profit in those schemes, and that is what delays the return of the proper customers.

Yet by the end of the day, I absolutely understand your frustration. Those wares have no place in a craft show. They are neither crafts nor any form of art (except possibly for deception).

[hulagrub]

Mia, sorry to hear this. Is this at the Hammonds or Holiday inn? You do great work, so it is not good to lower standards, for the effort you give! Sounds like you made the right call.

[spirit bear beads]

Dave, It is the one at the Holiday Inn....  The main promoter emailed me back, asked if it was just a matter of money.  And honey coated words about how much they wanted me back. LOL  like that wasn't important.  I wrote her back a rather lengthy tirad about these "resellers".  She claimed they have 85% handmade..  I doubt it.  Anyway she hasn't replied so I am done with it.