David Hendley on sun 3 oct 04
Sue, you show was a success even if you didn't make any profit after paying
for the cards, postage, cider, etc.
If you are in this for the long haul, your shows will just keep getting
bigger
and better.
I started with a mailing list of about 300 and after 13 years have about
1400.
A name gets dropped if they don't respond at least once in 5 or 6 years.
I can count on several hundred people showing up for every open house,
and I live about as far out in the sticks as you can get!
Both my wife and I have dozens of people we see asking about the show
as soon as fall comes, months before the open house (Nov. 20).
Believe it not, however, there are still people who come to the open
houses and, no matter what, still do not think they can come and buy
any time throughout the year.
David Hendley
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com
----- Original Message -----
> Yesterday was my first ever home pottery sale and studio show. I sent out
about
> 250 cards. Had coffee, cider (hot & cold), pretzels, home-made cookies.
Lots
> of pots displayed as best I could on tables arranged in the workshop,
showroom,
> pottery. At first, the weather was cold, drizzly & gray, but by noon, the
sun
> had come out and it warmed up to a nice fall day. We put signs at each
end of
> our road and one in the front yard. Two friends came to help Ron & me.
We lost
> count of people, but figure we must have had about 50 people show up. Of
those,
Sue Beach on sun 3 oct 04
Yesterday was my first ever home pottery sale and studio show. I sent out about
250 cards. Had coffee, cider (hot & cold), pretzels, home-made cookies. Lots
of pots displayed as best I could on tables arranged in the workshop, showroom,
pottery. At first, the weather was cold, drizzly & gray, but by noon, the sun
had come out and it warmed up to a nice fall day. We put signs at each end of
our road and one in the front yard. Two friends came to help Ron & me. We lost
count of people, but figure we must have had about 50 people show up. Of those,
one had recently moved to the area & had heard of the show via someone on
ClayArt. One was a lady we think was a neighbor; she got away before we could
talk to her. Everyone else was a friend, co-worker, relative, etc. I suspect
that is typical of a first show?
But pots did sell and we made some money and gathered a few more names/addresses
for the mailing list. People liked seeing my pottery area and my little
showroom. They liked the pottery. They sat and talked and seemed to have a
good time. I wanted to start building the idea that my pottery was available
when they need a gift or want a nice vase, etc. I think I started planting that
seed.
I think it was fairly successful for a first show. I will probably do it again
in six months or a year.
Thanks to everyone who sent ideas and hints.
Sue Beach
Potters Council member
in the countryside near Muncie, Indiana USA where it looks like we'll have
another beautiful fall day and I guess I'll plant garlic
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