Selling Your Art in Person vs. Selling Online.....PLUS A Bob Update

I would have to say that one of the advantages of selling your art at a show is the feedback that you get from potential customers.  For example--remember the wood blocks that I made?  Well, I  received a good response from customers, but I didn't sell as many as I thought I would. Most of  the  blocks were   displayed on shelves that I had in my booth.  And  if  I had a nickel for every person who came up to them and tried to open them, I'd  have  some  decent  pocket  change now.  And another nickel for ladies saying to me that they wished  they were boxes-----so,  I took their advice, and went to the local craft chain  (Pat Catan's--if you're ever in Northeast Ohio--go to one of these stores--excellent prices), and bought me some small boxes.  They're the  exact  same size  as  the  blocks, but a little deeper.  So  I'm  making some for the show that  I'm  in  this weekend.

Another good tip--functional art sells very well, because not only is it a piece of art, it also has a purpose.

But the best reason, I feel,  for  displaying  your artwork  at  shows,  is that  people like to see the art in person.  They love to touch it.  This is what I want.  I want people to touch and see the colors up close, and ask me questions like   "what is this, or how did you do this".  I love when my art puts a smile on their face, because it puts a smile on mine.  You can't get that when you're selling online.

And there's one more thing that I should mention about shows.--Juried vs Non- Juried shows.  With the non-juried shows, all you have to do is fill out the application with the required booth fee and send it in.  They just require that your work is handmade, but you're going to see alot of non-handmade, anywhere from Tupperware to Home Windows--this is just how it is.  And you're  also going to see crafters that are not really making their craft--this is very common.

Now in the juried shows, they want to see photos, slides, or a CD of your work, and sometimes your display.  The fee is usually quite a bit higher, and 9 times out of 10, there's a non-refundable jury fee from $10.00 to $30.00.  But in the long run, they're worth it, because  for  the  most  part,  sales are  always better in these types of shows,and the quality of arts and crafts are much better.  And every artist who does the show circuit as had the dreaded "rejection" letter.  It's not a reflection on you--really--it's just that some of these shows get way over the amount of applicants that they need,  so they have their pick and choose.  It's a bit of a blow to your ego, but in the long run, it's an advantage, because it pushes you to go farther with your art.  I consider it a challenge, and I don't give up year after year   until I finally get accepted, which is a great feeling.

So enough business talk--What About Bob?  Well, my daughter told me that the night he came home from getting his tooth removed, his mouth was swollen, and he was "gently crying" all night--Awwww!  But, the next day, he was fine.  And she also told me that before they had  found out  about the cracked tooth, he had been mopey for a quite a while.  She thinks that the tooth was hurting him all along--Awwww!  She says that  he's a very happy dog now!!

But he's too cool to show it : )