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Aaagghhhh!
We've been hearing the news from all over the country -- craft
show sales are down. There are a lot of different opinions as to
why; perhaps it's the combination of many factors. The economy is slow
and buy/sell items are popping up not only at juried shows, but in all of our
favorite haunts like the local craft supply and fabric stores. The large
retailers carry crafts (or craft-like objects) at prices with which we cannot
compete. Perhaps home decorating is slowing down; after all, the items
that we make aren't perishable. A wreath doesn't have to be replaced after
so many years the way an automobile or a dishwasher does. In fact, it's
quite the other way around! Many of the items that we make are destined to
become family heirlooms! Country
decorating is still big, but consumers don't seem to be relying on us crafters
for their decorating needs the way they once did. What to do...what to
do...
We want to do our little part to help keep handmades and quality
craft shows going in the U.S. We've put together pattern packs for those
of you (which includes us) who make these items to sell and have come to rely
upon that extra income for so many things. We, like you, start shopping
early for the patterns that we'll be making for next year's shows. So
we'll try and keep these pattern packets running through the summer.
We've been doing craft shows for over 20 years. We've
formed friendships and bonds with many in our community. It hurts to hear
a fellow friend and crafter announce that he won't be back for next year's
show. We rely on one another to draw buyers to a show. One customer
may come in for a wreath but may fall in love with the quillow or snowman in the
booth next door. The lady who wants a big wooden Santa for her front porch
walks off with him along with a bag of ornaments and some unique gifts for the
teachers. We ourselves have customers who come to a show with the intent
to make a beeline to our patterns, but by the time they get to our booth,
they're carrying other bags. Sure, we compete with one another, but we are
also so very dependent on one another. If the show doesn't have a good
sampling of all of us, there is no show.
So here's our thinking on the pattern packs. We make less
on the patterns. You spend less on the patterns, but have a larger variety
of items to sell this year. Customers will remember what wonderful and
unique items they purchased at the show, and next year they'll tell their family
and friends and bring them along to the show. The word spreads, the shows
become better quality again, our friends come back to do the shows once more,
the crafters and promoter begin to prosper, craft shows once again become the
main source for decorating and that's the house that Jack built. Well, LOL,
maybe that's a little ambitious and oversimplified. But right now, no
matter what the reasons are for the slump in sales, it's a good idea to keep
expenses to a minimum when purchasing supplies. We didn't get into the
pattern business to become rich. As any crafter well knows, it's a labor
of love, because when we get down to the bare bones of it, we're probably
working for less than minimum wage.
If your items are made by hand, don't hesitate to promote that
fact! At a smaller show that we did not that long ago, we were asked no
less than a half dozen times if we made everything in our booth. One lady
stated it this way: "I hope you don't take this the wrong way. I
don't mean to insult you, but are your items made by hand?" Of
course, we were not insulted. We are quite proud to tell our customers
that we start from scratch. But it got us to thinking just how many
customers wonder the same thing and don't stop to ask. So at the next
show, we put up a little sign. "We are often asked if the items in
our booth are made by hand. The answer is a very proud 'Yes!'"
Then there were a few more short paragraphs about who was involved in the
process, what we start out with and how ideas turn into patterns. We got
the idea from another lady who makes the most wonderful doll clothes. Her
work is top-notch and she has a selection large enough to fill a double
booth. She had some photos of her shop, machines, fabrics and work
area. Customers wonder. It's not practical for so many of us to
demonstrate while we're set up at a show, but we can do the next best thing --
take photos of what we do and how we do it!
Got any ideas on how to keep our crafting community
prospering? linet@littlecooncreek.com
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