As my previous blog post indicated, I spent this past weekend in Portland Oregon to attend the Crafty Wonderland show and see family. Overall it was the kind of weekend where I tried to cram too much into too short of an amount of time that come Sunday night I ended up feeling like I didn’t really fully do anything!
Except for fully sitting in a fully closed in basement on a fully GORGEOUS sunny fall NW day ALL day Sunday…
Much as I loved the show, met tons of great crafters and left with inspiration in my heart, I really just wanted to be outside walking around in Portland – not sitting down in a basement.
Except for fully sitting in a fully closed in basement on a fully GORGEOUS sunny fall NW day ALL day Sunday…
Much as I loved the show, met tons of great crafters and left with inspiration in my heart, I really just wanted to be outside walking around in Portland – not sitting down in a basement.
It was rough.
I did get to walk and play in the leaves with the family dog the day prior so I really shouldn’t complain. But it was SO lovely and the intensity of the colors filled my heart such to the brim that it really felt a shame to have to leave the leaves.
The Crafty Wonderland show is really a GREAT show though. It is held in so much better space than I Heart Rummage. (Did I mention yet that I fell in love with the Doug Fir Lounge? I ate all 3 meals there on Sunday!) It really shows how much more thought and time and effort that the Crafty Wonderland organizers put into the event. All of the craft items were really well placed in context with each other and if you attend one month you aren’t allowed to return until the 2nd month following. They trade artists off every other month to rotate variety and give more people a chance. And the place was packed – it was obvious that the show has quite a following with Portland shoppers.
So the question I am now stuck asking is --- why didn’t I sell a single thing?
I wasn’t in the best of spots – the organizers put me in a spot meant for a table top and I had my 6 foot tall display screen. It made for an awkward space that people didn’t want to linger in. Not to mention that the height of my screen was directly blocking the spotlight I was supposed to have. So it was dark and awkward. For a while I thought that perhaps my prices were too high for Portland – but then when I had a chance to look around at other crafter’s merchandise and prices mine was actually cheaper than most, and different than anyone else’s.
I’m trying really really hard to not get discouraged. I almost didn’t want to admit here that I had a bad show. I’m afraid that if you all know then “word” will get out ---“She wasn’t cool enough for Portland so I won’t buy from her either” kind of mentality? But if I’m going to keep going with Rekoj at all then I can’t linger in those thoughts too long. Everyone has off days. You can’t have a great show every time. And I really was in a tough spot. At least that is what I’m going to keep telling myself.
For now I’m going to try to bounce back into Etsy. I’ve been making little changes and improvements to the shop the past few weeks so now it’s time to start doing the daily lunch break updates again. I’ve been doing my updates in the evenings but I don’t think that is the highest traffic time. Oddly enough – everyone is shopping at work these days I guess!
I’m also going to be working on some paintings in the following month. With all of the shows lined up one after the other since summer I’ve been neglecting that other side of my muse. Now it’s finally her time to play.
I did get to walk and play in the leaves with the family dog the day prior so I really shouldn’t complain. But it was SO lovely and the intensity of the colors filled my heart such to the brim that it really felt a shame to have to leave the leaves.
The Crafty Wonderland show is really a GREAT show though. It is held in so much better space than I Heart Rummage. (Did I mention yet that I fell in love with the Doug Fir Lounge? I ate all 3 meals there on Sunday!) It really shows how much more thought and time and effort that the Crafty Wonderland organizers put into the event. All of the craft items were really well placed in context with each other and if you attend one month you aren’t allowed to return until the 2nd month following. They trade artists off every other month to rotate variety and give more people a chance. And the place was packed – it was obvious that the show has quite a following with Portland shoppers.
So the question I am now stuck asking is --- why didn’t I sell a single thing?
I wasn’t in the best of spots – the organizers put me in a spot meant for a table top and I had my 6 foot tall display screen. It made for an awkward space that people didn’t want to linger in. Not to mention that the height of my screen was directly blocking the spotlight I was supposed to have. So it was dark and awkward. For a while I thought that perhaps my prices were too high for Portland – but then when I had a chance to look around at other crafter’s merchandise and prices mine was actually cheaper than most, and different than anyone else’s.
I’m trying really really hard to not get discouraged. I almost didn’t want to admit here that I had a bad show. I’m afraid that if you all know then “word” will get out ---“She wasn’t cool enough for Portland so I won’t buy from her either” kind of mentality? But if I’m going to keep going with Rekoj at all then I can’t linger in those thoughts too long. Everyone has off days. You can’t have a great show every time. And I really was in a tough spot. At least that is what I’m going to keep telling myself.
For now I’m going to try to bounce back into Etsy. I’ve been making little changes and improvements to the shop the past few weeks so now it’s time to start doing the daily lunch break updates again. I’ve been doing my updates in the evenings but I don’t think that is the highest traffic time. Oddly enough – everyone is shopping at work these days I guess!
I’m also going to be working on some paintings in the following month. With all of the shows lined up one after the other since summer I’ve been neglecting that other side of my muse. Now it’s finally her time to play.
2 comments:
Location and setup really does affect how well things sell at shows... case in point: my spot vs. your spot at the first Punk Rock Flea Market.
Your stuff is still plenty cool enough for me, I assure you! :)
Aw shucks! Thanks Dawn!
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