Gesine Rodger on tue 8 may 01
I have been reading with interest the lack of potters at craft =3D
shows/fairs. I am a potter in Southern Ontario, Canada, and also =3D
co-ordinate a very successful outdoor show, "Artfest" that's what I call =
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it and most exhibitors sell very well. (80% are repeat exhibitors from =3D
year to year).
Out of approximately 130 juried exhibitors I take 1/3rd fine art and the =
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balance "better crafters" of which 7 or 8 are potters who do very well. =
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I do not allow anything on a stick. I have found, if you have a good =3D
product, not too cheap but a fair price, the potter does fine. I do not =
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have a "sea of blue" in the show. I have found that functional pottery =3D
does sell better than artforms and the very expensive ware. I also find =
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that if a potter just sits behind his/her pots and does not communicate =3D
with the public he/she does not sell. This, of course, applies to =3D
anything the artist/crafter sells. I understand the rule of thumb is if =
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you pay $100.00/per day, you should take in $1,000.00/per day.
As co-ordinator and potter I run a very fine line in what sort of show I =
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present to the potential customer. If the show is too artsy and the =3D
art/craft too expensive it will certainly limit the sales. We do not =3D
take flea market stuff as that immediately brings different customers to =
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the show. Those people look, as they walk passed the booths make =3D
comments like "for that $50.00?" etc.=3D20
I attend approximately 10 shows throughout the season and do very well =3D
(I glaze with a warm beige and decorate with a pale blue and pale =3D
green). My pots are also competitively priced. I have been in the =3D
craft-show circuit for about 20 years. I do not make artforms. As a =3D
matter of fact, I am strictly functional, and I do not sell seconds and =
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do not give deals and, people still buy. I don't care if they walk away =
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and not like my pots and prices. I even send them to other potters if I =
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don't have what they want. =3D20
I am also aware that several potters here from Canada go into the U.S. =3D
and sell their pots. So there is a market out there for us at both sides =
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of the border.
Look at the show and see how much "junk" there is in it before you apply =
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to the show. =3D20
I guess the point I am trying to make is, we can make a living and don't =
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have to compromise ourselves to sell our pots. We don't want to be part =
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of a show where the co-ordinator just keeps on taking us in to "fill" =3D
another space. You know the "MORE" exhibitors the better the show. =3D
Bull - that does not make for a quality show and I personally don't want =
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to be in it. =3D20
Gesine
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