Do show in pouring rain or bail?

[Stephen]

We had a zero day. It was a Sat market in the PNW in April 4-5 years ago. The temperature was in the twenties and it was alternating between downpour and just steady rain all day. Absolutely miserable and no one beyond vendors showed up and the vendors all stayed in their booths and just hunkered down for the damned thing to end. The show was an hours drive, ran between 9-2 and was always good for few hundred or more and it was usually raining at least part of the day. This was a juried seasonal show and if you signed up and didn't show you were likely out for the rest of the season so every one showed, no one made any dough and I doubt anyone thought they would. Just one of those things you had to suffer through.

Most of these short one day shows with only 4-5 hours of selling only did a few hundred on an average day. Some were mid week so we often did 3 (mid week, Sat and Sun) in three completely different areas.

Was it worth it? yes and no. We were trying to make a living from shows and in between a monthly weekend show these one day'ers spotted around the area were a way to go get paid and sometimes, paid well. Now once you add in couple hours load in and out, couple of hours driving and 5 hours selling, a lower end till was kind of comical and something we joked about it, but we often worked in 8-10 of these a month. The PNW has almost nothing until April and outdoor shows wrap up in October with Xmas shows mostly indoors (at least the ones we did) so those extra few grand a month from these shows provided a steady, small cash flow around weekend shows and our good monthly shows meant more and the bad ones hurt less.  

[liambesaw]

We have a lot more late winter shows now I guess.  Really giant ones too, like the pinology show, home and garden show, several art walks, there's a few down in Georgetown in the art district too.  All indoors of course.  The outdoor ones are just getting started now (outside of the tulip festival stuff).  I'm paying close attention to local artists on Instagram and watching the shows pop up and disappear on zapplication to see what I want to schedule for next year.  So far I've seen a few I'd like to try but ones like flower and garden show are big sellers but cost 600 a day, might skip on those ones until I'm a better Potter.

But yes, weather is a wildcard in the PNW and I expect many soggy spring and summer shows in the coming years haha, doesn't bother me though, I grew up here.

[Mark C.]

I did some Seattle art shows a deacade or two ago- about 5 folklife shows in arow-thats a 4 day event on Memorial Day weekend -Friday-Monday at Seattle center-also Bellvue art show put on by the museum in the covered garage or the one across the street-both  work. Those shows for me at that time where-6-7k shows.The seattkle center show is a music festival  and is a walk into it so only small stuff sells-take all smalls .

I have a friend who does flat(2-D)  african art at the spendy Garden show in winter and does well.

[liambesaw]

16 minutes ago, Mark C. said:

I did some Seattle art shows a deacade or two ago- about 5 folklife shows in arow-thats a 4 day event on Memorial Day weekend -Friday-Monday at Seattle center-also Bellvue art show put on by the museum in the covered garage or the one across the street-both  work. Those shows for me at that time where-6-7k shows.The seattkle center show is a music festival  and is a walk into it so only small stuff sells-take all smalls .

I have a friend who does flat(2-D)  african art at the spendy Garden show in winter and does well.

Folk life is 10 dollar admission fee now too, probably do really well if you make bongs and stash jars

[Mark C.]

13 hours ago, liambesaw said:

Folk life is 10 dollar admission fee now too, probably do really well if you make bongs and stash jars

Wow a gate fee-I sold lots of small stuff-only functional wares-no stash jars or bongs-more like mugs -glasses,sponge holders

That show has brutally long hours and is all up hill to paxck in back stock.-it was also a commission show.

[Hulk]

stash jars an' bongs are functional - for heads ...wow, looks like there's a market f'that!

I'm stickin't' mugs, bowls, lidded jars an' vases f'now tho', got enough t' work on...

 

 

[Mark C.]

Not saying there is no market for heads only mean its not my product line.

I sold neon matchstick peace emblems to head shops in New England in 1969 so I do know that market exists.

I was a California hippy with a pony tale back then and was a bit of an odd duck in Nausa New Hampshire then-made it thru one winter and moved back to a climate made for humans (califorina)

I know a few things about heads from back in the day.

[Stephen]

ya know most folks who smoke pot are not potheads, just like most folks who drink are not drunks. 

[liambesaw]

8 minutes ago, Stephen said:

ya know most folks who smoke pot are not potheads, just like most folks who drink are not drunks. 

Guessing you haven't been to folklife lol

[Mark C.]

I do a show in the PNW . Its about an hour and a few minutes north of Seattle. Its my 25th year at this show. Its the Anacortes Art festival in early August.For me its a great show . I run a double booth.

The best shows are in locations that only have one art show year in the area as they are well supported by the community . The only downside is its a commsion show-but on the upside its for  local art education and other local causes .Not a private promoter.

[liambesaw]

6 minutes ago, Mark C. said:

I do a show in the PNW . Its about an hour and a few minutes north of Seattle. Its my 25th year at this show. Its the Anacortes Art festival in early August.For me its a great show . I run a double booth.

The best shows are in locations that only have one art show year in the area as they are well supported by the community . The only downside is its a commsion show-but on the upside its for  local art education and other local causes .Not a private promoter.

Wow I'll have to come check it out, it's one of the ones on my list to do next year!