My last show was so horrible.....

[hometowncandles]

I'll never do it again, it was my first and last time doing it and you can't make me do it again. It was fairly local, within 45 minutes of where I live, so I thought why not try it.

It was outside, so I went up the night before and set up my tent, tables, etc. The show is set up along main street and in an adjacent park. This is the 6th or 7th year the festival has been going on, they are soooooo unorganized, you'd have thought it was the first time.

Set up was from 6-10 on Thursday night, I arrived a little early, because I wanted to get started setting up right at 6 or shortly thereafter. An hour and 45 minutes later, I get to start setting up. The committee in charge of the festival didn't even get there until 6:30, then they had to block off the street and clear out traffic. Rather than having some type of plan as to where they were going to put everybody, they just winged it, placing people as they showed up.

Most of the vendors are on the main street, but not me, I'm in the so called park right between the carnival and those huge ,bouncie things. Day one was horrible, the only adults who even came down there were parents with their kids. By the time they got done at the carnival and those huge bouncie things, they were broke.

There's a grand total of three vendors in the park, me, a girl doing henna and glitter tattoos, and a guy selling baseball cards. The only one of us that done any good was the tattoo girl. She got alot of the kids and teens that wandered down there to go to the carnival.

On the main street there's a dozen or so food vendors, some booths with informational materials on various subjects, ONE crafter, and a guy selling $1 flea market items. So that makes a grand total of TWO crafters in the whole show.

It rained the week before, so I right in front of my booth was a huge puddle of water, right behind my booth, was a huge puddle of mud.

It rained all that morning, finally cleared up around lunch time, the humidity was so bad you couldn't hardly breathe. I had to take the kiddo's with me, which they usually enjoy going, but it was so hot, they were miserable, then they made mamma miserable.

Around 5:30 they came through and told us we had to shut down because of a tornado warning that had been issued until 9:30pm. Fine by me, I was more than ready to go home, from 8am until 5:30pm I made a grand total of $100.

It was suppose to be a two day show, the weather forcast for the next day was similar to day one, so I went up that morning before they blocked off the street and loaded up my stuff and came home. There was no way I was putting my kids or myself through another day of purgatory. Not for another $100anyway.

Lesson learned, scope out a show before committing to doing it.

[Judy, USMC]

Isn't that usually the case ... when there's something for the kids, crafters loose out. Parents will spend their bucks on face painting and rides before they get something for themselves.

It seems the only crafters who have a chance at making money in that type of "fair" environment are making kids jewelry, those glittery halos and wands for the girls or the woodcrafter making the rubber band guns for the boys.

[Birdie]

Sorry your show turned out to be a 'bahm'.

I have found, though, that most organizers will listen to constructive critique. They need to know you were not happy with the way things were run but also why. They could not have done anything about the weather but there were those that were controlable. If they are receptive, you have the chance help all potential crafter attendees and possibly help to make it a productive show. If the show had 3 years behind it, could it be that this particular group was not the one to put in charge? If that is the case, "go over their heads" and let it be known.

[WendyByTheBay]

Sorry to hear about that. I found the hard way not to do festivals. I did a few when I was starting out and never made much. I will only do craft shows or market type events. Don't let this get you down.

My first show, I was 6 months pregnant and a bad "surprise" storm blew in and we ended up walking with mud almost up to our knees.

[hometowncandles]

Sorry your show turned out to be a 'bahm'.

I have found, though, that most organizers will listen to constructive critique. They need to know you were not happy with the way things were run but also why. They could not have done anything about the weather but there were those that were controlable. If they are receptive, you have the chance help all potential crafter attendees and possibly help to make it a productive show. If the show had 3 years behind it, could it be that this particular group was not the one to put in charge? If that is the case, "go over their heads" and let it be known.

Sad to say, this is the same group that is/has been in charge the entire time.

I'm fairly certain they aren't receptive to ideas of others, when I approached the lady in charge and explained that I was there to set up and this was my first time and wasn't sure where to go or what to do, she said "just have patience, we're working as hard as we can".

I didn't demand that they allow me to set up right then, I simply didn't know what to do or where to go. So I'm pretty sure she runs the show and if it's not her idea or if she's not ready to deal with something, then sorry 'bout your luck. The guy that was doing all the leg work was super nice though.

[Luci]

Sounds like the show from hell, and I can fully understand your disgust. I've become VERY selective about shows and festivals and have taken the time to attend events that I might consider. Thank goodness cause it sure saved me a lot of time, expense, and aggravation.

[grama]

I tried doing several festivals couple years ago and said no more. In South GA they are not worth the time or trouble. Walking in knee deep mud reminded me of one me & my sister were at. A sudden rain storm came up and we had to pack up in the rain, horrible. We were soaking wet. A McDonald's was close so we went to the bathroom and dried our hair under the hand dryer:laugh2:

We got some rather strange looks from people coming in :rolleyes2

[OverSoyed]

Don't give up!

We did a flea market last year about an hour away... 6am - 6pm, and made about $50. Most of which was made from soda and water we sold to the vendor next to us.

The way I look at it, especially in this economy... money is money. Had you sat at home and done nothing, you'd still have nothing. At least you sold some.

[Candybee]

So sorry to hear about your bad luck. That sucks! Sounds like those people didn't know what they were doing.

Try to look for a craft show that specializes in only hand crafted items for sale. You'll have much better luck. Those shows that are well established and have good reputations attract good crafters and usually people who like to buy hand made crafts... including some buyers looking for items to stock in there shops.

[sockmonkey]

Well, considering the circumstances, I think you ought to be proud that you made $100!

Since it was your first time there, it's quite possible that they let all the previous vendors get all the "prime" spots first, and maybe next year you will find yourself on Main St. In any case, you can talk to the show organizers and let them know about your dissatisfaction. I'm sure you weren't the only unhappy vendor they had.

[hometowncandles]

Well, considering the circumstances, I think you ought to be proud that you made $100!

I am glad that I at least made my booth fee and my gas money back, but I'm just a little bummed. There won't be a next year for this particular festival, but this has definately been an excellent learning experience for me. From now on, I'm going to be a patron before I'm a participant.

Have a great day all

Jennifer

[Birdie]

Great to hear, Jennifer! Glad to hear you won't give up It'll take some time, and a few more shows you won't be happy with, but you will eventually build a schedule of annual shows you know will be successful for you & will be a joy to attend.

[Wildcrafter]

Sorry your show turned out to be a 'bahm'.

I have found, though, that most organizers will listen to constructive critique. .

Maybe some, but not all.

I had done a street fair about 2 1/2 hours away from where I live for 10 years, always polite, never complaining. Always with a smile on my face and going with the flow. They had a spur vendor on a street that t-boned the main street of booths. There were maybe 30 vendors on this spur, with the end of the spur opening up to the food booths. I tried the spur one year and did such great sales that I would ask for the same booth space. Always did well there. The last year I did the spur, one of the so called organizers who had a booth put her booth right in the access area which virtually blocked off the lane for people to see us and venture up our way. There were a few people who said something as she was setting up....she got this stubborn look and kept setting up. So.....very little traffic. The first night, I had a sales total of $50. This is a show where my sales usually were around $1500-1700. That night, someone vandalized my booth, tipping over my tables and causing the destruction of almost all my wares plus display. After paying for a hotel, all my food, all that gas plus a ferry ride, the organizers basically threw up their hands and said so what. They has stated that there would be security policing the fair during the nights, but it turned out that there was very little security. One organizer pulled me aside and asked if I would possibly send an email to the board of directors stating what happened with the one organizers booth and her attitude plus the vandalization of my booth. This organizer told me she put so many hours in and never got a single thank you and was so burnt out. So, I wrote this letter, being very factual, didn't point fingers or get snarky in any way. I asked if, at the very least, I could get my booth fee refunded.

Not only did I never hear a single response to my email, I was not asked back to the fair.

Good riddance to bad rubbish. That fair cost me so much money and time. Not only for the travelling expenses plus the booth fee and the loss of my products, I had to buy all new bottles, more label paper, ingredients for the products, make more that very week so I would have products for my farmers markets!!!!! I quit doing street fairs after that.

[hometowncandles]

Wildcrafter, I had something similar happen to a friend of mine who done the same street festival as I did. Althought this was my first year, he has been doing it since year 1.

He's very vocal, not a hot head or smart alec, just outspoken. He takes care of himself. Last year they placed him beside the people selling the flea market wares, he ask to be moved so he wouldn't have to directly compete with their "Junk". They hesitantly moved him.

This year they placed him in an alley off the main street that was blocked off, he was the only vendor placed in the alley. They also placed food vendors right in front of the access to his booth.

We were the only two vendors who actually handmade their items. Next year neither of us will be going, so I guess they'll have alot of food, carnies, and "junk" vendors.

[Wildcrafter]

That's just nasty.

You know what? I also did a fair in April here in Western Washington for years at a Tulip Festival. Always iffy weather. I finally quit when they started asking for more and more money each year for no more advertising or from what I could see any more benefit to the vendors. I stopped participating in this one 2 years ago.

This year, my husband and I went as patrons. And you know what? It was all the same vendors selling the same stuff, same displays. It looked so tired out and after walking the whole venue, there was not one single thing I saw that I could do without.

There were a few "new" people selling tacky junk. I guess they're beginning to have a hard time filling the spaces.

I'm so glad I'm out of the street fair business. Now for me next trick........getting out of the holiday fairs and farmers markets. 13 years. I'm burnt out. I just want to teach. I have hired gals to do 2 of my markets this year, next year.....I hope to hire out for all of them.