Craft Fairs

I set up a small stall today at one of Southampton's (UK) larger annual craft fairs and thought I'd share the experience.

This was the second year running that I touted my prints there and thought i'd try something different.

I decided to limit my stock to 16x20" mounted prints, put few of them in high quality frames with anti reflective glass and mounted them on easels in prominent positions.

All my prints were made on either Epson 2100 or HP B9180 printers using satin papers.

About 500 people attended the fair and I was one of 4 photographers exhibiting.

The framed prints defintely grabbed people's attention and I managed to sell one framed, 12 large and 6 small matted prints.

Sitting behind the stall it was interesting to people watch and listen to their comments. I'll be quite open and state that I was selling the 16x20" matted prints for £20 ($40) and framed versions for £65 ($130). I did not hassle any of the potential customers, but rather let then view and decide.

About half of customers thought they were over priced and didn't really appreciated the time and effort that went into them. While the other half couldn't see how I was doing it for the money.

From a image content point of view, last year I sold more big cats (tigers, leopards, cheetahs etc) than anything else. This year it was landscapes (woodlands, vistas & venice) and few birds of prey. Amongst the sales were only two split toned B&W images.

Ironically, most of the prints sold were old stock.

So what did I learn from this 2nd year round experience?

• Craft fair customers are fickle folk and many buy on impulse.
• The use of large higher priced prints in good quality mounts draw lots interest and custom.
• Have a few smaller versions of the same images available - I lost a few sales not having them.
• Don't be put off by negative customer comments, there's always a positive one waiting in the wings.
• Set your prices using your head not your heart and don't be tempted to blatantly undercut your competiton, it might mean you shift stock, but benefits no one.

At the end of the day, I sold about 10% of my stock and broke even on the total cost of the event (stall cost, printing, mounts and frames for all new stock - ~60 prints). So the next craft fair will almost be pure profit.

I'm not sure how this translates in the US, but I hope this provides useful insight.

Hi John,

Thanks for the information. We recently went to a National Trust property, where an artist had a week long exhibition/sales of paintings. Reasonably priced, we even bought something. She had a leaflet about herself, phone number, etc., plus a label on the back of the work. The prices ranged from about £25.00 to £300.00, iirc, and covered a wide gamut of frames, from none to relatively expensive, and watercolours to acrylics and oils. At a previous house, there was a photographer, mainly trying to sell landscapes at a more craft fare type situation, and she sold nothing. I think you did pretty well to be able to sell photos at a similar venue. How did you compare with the other photographers? I don't know if it would work if you could take deposits for prints, selected from a book of your stock images at such an event.

Best wishes,

Ray

Hi Ray,

I think I did a little better than the others.

One photographer was selling stylised landscapes (hight sat, gradated type), he took a few orders from a catalogue and had about 20 framed prints on display. The other two were selling small beech framed prints and sold very little.

I think Craft Fair customers like tactile purchases and wish to carry the goods out. Last year I took 4 post orders, but only one followed through. This year I offered two people smaller prints through ordering, but neither took me up on the offer. I did manage to give a few business cards out.

Talking to a lot of the other traders, most said that numbers were down across the whole year. The british weather and ebay probably has a lot to do with it.

John,

Sounds like you did quite well, considering the small attendance you had to draw customers from. Here in the U.S., we have arts and crafts fairs/festivals, art fairs/festivals, fine art fairs... Sometimes the name of the event gives one a vague idea of what type of event it is. Since this is how I spend about half of the year other than actually doing photography, I know how challenging it can be.

The comments you mention of the other photographers at your event about sales being down this year pretty much reflects what has happened this year at art fairs, at least in the midwest U.S. The trend has been down. It seems to follow the economy in general and the stock market (for some reason) in particular. Most people seem to consider art discretionary spending, and that's the first to go if anything is not quite right with the economy in general.

Mike