gayle bair on wed 22 jul 09
Lis,
Our farmers market is a microcosm of our community.
Everything is grown/made here except for a few farmers from the next
town.
Farmers have dominance after all it is a farmers market!!!!
Selling produce from elsewhere has been shot down every time it is
broached at meetings.
It is a really good blend of produce and crafts grown & made locally.
My 10 year experience has been the same as yours.
Many of the farmers are my good customers & friends.
We've done exchanges.... pots for great organic produce.
I've heard only one guy bitch about there being crafts at the
market..... I refused to argue with him.
Now that was a new tact for me but it worked.
I get people telling me they always start the day with an item they
bought from me at the market.
And what they put in or on my pieces likely comes from the market too.
I have a new best customer. He spent about an hour last month trolling
the market for a gift for his mother.
He spent 15-20 minutes in my booth asking how much is this, how much
is that.
Cruise came back to my booth settled on a small pin. He pulled out his
3 wrinkled dollars and I told him to put the $ away.
He was back last Saturday looking again for a gift for his mother. He
did the same thing settling on another $3 pin.
This time I did charge him the $3. but also gave him a second pin. He
pulled out his wallet with a bunch of bills in it.
He said it was $ from his lemonade stand. Cruise is 7 years old.
What does it cost me..... 5 minutes of my time & maybe 25 cents. It
comes back to me who & knows Cruise may become a collector. I do know
he's saving for a car when I asked him if he was saving for college he
said, "No my parents are doing that. I'm saving for a car!" His plan
is to buy it and fix it before he can drive it! This kids has
vision!!! He will also remember his visits to the Farmers Market.
Two weeks ago I gave a piece to someone whom I know has fallen on hard
times. She returned this past Saturday with somethng she made for me.
I always give pieces when I see the need, I don't think about it I
just do it. In addition at last weeks market I passed a commission on
to to fellow potter.
So as a venue it's not a ACC, gallery or Art show but I can make
anywhere from $0 to $500 in 4 hours, visit with my community, at the
very least I see friends and it's a great marketing tool.
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island WA
Tucson AZ
gayle@claybair.com
On Jul 22, 2009, at 11:49 AM, Lis Allison wrote:
Our customers come out for a number of reasons: to buy fresh local
produce, meet and get to know the producers of their food, visit with
their friends and neighbours, buy locally-made high-quality gifts, be
entertained by the musician, demos, special displays and such, and relax
in a friendly, low-pressure atmosphere. They love to be able to bring
their dogs (outside only), and they love to sit at the many picnic
tables
and eat the foods sold by the local food vendors. In other words, for
the
whole experience, and the presence of crafts improves the experience.
After all, who wants to drive somewhere, park, buy some of their week's
veggies, and then still have to go to the store for all the rest of
their
needs? If that is all you can do at the farmers' market, it isn't worth
the trouble. There has to be enough at the market to make the
effort/experience worth your time, and enjoyable.
Our market is 70% agricultural and 30% crafts, and no new crafts vendor
gets in unless new ag vendors sign up. So there is no danger of a crafts
vendor displacing an ag vendor.
Vince Pitelka on thu 23 jul 09
Gayle Bair wrote:
"My 10 year experience has been the same as yours.
Many of the farmers are my good customers & friends.
We've done exchanges.... pots for great organic produce.
I get people telling me they always start the day with an item they
bought from me at the market.
And what they put in or on my pieces likely comes from the market too."
I think that Gayle's post reveals an artist who genuinely enjoys what =3D
she
does and transmits that enjoyment to the public whenever she can. I =3D
think
that a lot of artists-craftspeople do not fully realize the great value =3D
of
good will and word-of-mouth. The old clich=3DE9 "if you build it they =3D
will
come" definitely applies to good will. Word gets around, and I cannot
imagine any better way of building business in a local community. In =3D
this
day and age, local business is the best business, because people will =3D
often
spend the money with a merchant they know when otherwise they might not
spend the money at all. =3D20
There has been lots of discussion recently from people who sell at craft
shows/fairs, talking about the importance of engaging the customer and
looking like you care. In order for that to really work, you have to =3D
WANT
to engage the customer, and you really do have to care, otherwise you =3D
just
come across like a used-car salesman.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net; wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka
R.J. Shaw on thu 23 jul 09
So true, Vince. One Sunday Joe and I were showing at the Santa Barbara Art
Show on the Beach. Two ladies approached, and after a great deal of thought
and some amount of hesitation, the quieter, dark haired one of the two had
set aside two vases. They talked off to the side for about twenty minutes
before she finally came up and asked to purchase the smaller of the vases. =
=3D
I
wrapped it in some colorful tissue, then packing paper before placing it in
a paper bag (which we are asked to use more and more.) The lady was
extremely polite and very sweet, giving us her thanks several times over.
About half an hour later her younger friend approached, obviously upset. It
seems they had been talking to someone down the street when purchaser's cel=
=3D
l
phone rang. In an effort to answer the cell phone, she had lost the grip on
the paper bag and it had crashed to the sidewalk. The younger lady at our
booth asked if there was any way they could get the other pot at a slight
discount since they did not have enough money left between them for another
purchase.
Without a word, my husband handed me the vase and I wrapped it in more
tissue, this time placing it in several bags with some bubble wrap added.
Triple security this time. We refused any payment, just because. The young
lady burst into tears and could not speak, and we simply waved her on her
way since she was overcome.
The following week the young lady returned. It seems her quiet, lovely
friend had cancer and had not been out of her home in months. With
encouragement, she had come out, but unfortunately, this had been her last
time... When she died, the vase was at her bedside, filled with flowers.
It is a good thing the IRS cannot ever charge tax on the "income" we
received from that vase.
Over the years, there have been times we have sent pieces home with
customers, no payment. Either they had not brought their billfold thinking
they were simply going for a walk along the beach, or they didn't have
enough money with them, whatever the case... Each and every time, we have
received the payment, promptly and in full. One stroller and his wife went
home with one of our best pieces... to see if it went with their living
room. It turned out they lived a few blocks away, beach front property. The
doctor (as we found out) and his wife returned to purchase three more of ou=
=3D
r
most expensive pieces.
Will there be a time this does not work? Perhaps. But still, we have been
"over paid" so far. Given the choice, we would always prefer to sell face t=
=3D
o
face, for that is such a lovely way to find out where your work is going an=
=3D
d
how it will be used!
Rita and Joe
On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 10:29 AM, Vince Pitelka wrote=
=3D
:
> Gayle Bair wrote:
> "My 10 year experience has been the same as yours.
> Many of the farmers are my good customers & friends.
> We've done exchanges.... pots for great organic produce.
> I get people telling me they always start the day with an item they
> bought from me at the market.
> And what they put in or on my pieces likely comes from the market too."
>
> I think that Gayle's post reveals an artist who genuinely enjoys what she
> does and transmits that enjoyment to the public whenever she can. I thin=
=3D
k
> that a lot of artists-craftspeople do not fully realize the great value o=
=3D
f
> good will and word-of-mouth. The old clich=3DE9 "if you build it they wi=
ll
> come" definitely applies to good will. Word gets around, and I cannot
> imagine any better way of building business in a local community. In this
> day and age, local business is the best business, because people will oft=
=3D
en
> spend the money with a merchant they know when otherwise they might not
> spend the money at all.
>
> There has been lots of discussion recently from people who sell at craft
> shows/fairs, talking about the importance of engaging the customer and
> looking like you care. In order for that to really work, you have to WAN=
=3D
T
> to engage the customer, and you really do have to care, otherwise you jus=
=3D
t
> come across like a used-car salesman.
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Appalachian Center for Craft
> Tennessee Tech University
> vpitelka@dtccom.net; wpitelka@tntech.edu
> http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka
>
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