Mission West Fall 2008 Show - Done Deal

After last Sunday's dismal show in one of the highest-priced parts of town, I was braced for another sucky art show this weekend in South Pasadena. I had figured if this show was as slow as the last one, I'd probably be getting out of "show business" until the economy settles down again. (I can only absorb a limited number of $250 losses like last weekend.) Today was the first day of a two-day event. As it turns out, I think I'll stay in business for a while.

Things were looking promising at this show from the get-go...I outdid last weekend's Brentwood sales total within the first 10 minutes of the show. Most of the morning was pretty slow, but things picked up in the afternoon. In addition to a pen and a potpourri pot, I sold three hollow forms and two bowls. I've already nearly tripled my entry fee in sales. I had one couple come in the booth and spend 20 minutes or so debating on what piece would look best in various locations in their house, and they ended up buying a nice NE bowl and a hollow form. Then about 15 minutes before the close of the show, they came back. They had gone home and liked how the first two pieces looked in their house, so they came back and after another 20 or 25 minutes of discussion, bought two more. (And all four pieces they bought are what I considered "showcase" pieces...the ones that draw people into the booth.)

I'd post a pic of the booth, but it looks about like it did last weekend.

But here's something you don't see at every art show:



The show was a few miles south of the Rose Bowl, and this pic was of the blimp headed home after the USC vs. Arizona game this afternoon.

Anyway, it was a good day, and I'm hoping to add to it tomorrow. It looks like I'm gonna need to get busy and try to turn a few more showcase pieces between now and the two shows I have next month.

Congratulations Vaughn! Sounds like things went well.

way to go Vaughn! Right time, Right place!

Congratulations. Targeting the right market is key to selling.

Great first day Vaughn, hope day 2 is even better. Helps make up for the ones that are not as good

Yeah, Vaughn!

That should keep you in show business for a while longer!

I've got my fingers crossed for more success today!

Thanks,

Bill

Sounds like the fish are bite'n! Congrats!

Congrats Vaughn on what looks like to be a great show for you.

Vaughn, always like seeing your stuff so I'm glad you'll have to turn some more "showcase" pieces and post them for us to see. Congrats on the sales.

Ken Easley
Phoenix

Well, the second day made up for the first. Didn't sell a thing all day.

Still not a completely bad day. We had a good time with our booth neighbors, and as always, the people-watching was entertaining. I did put a couple pieces on consignment in a gallery just down the street from where my booth was. I first talked to the lady who runs the gallery last year (at this same show) and I decided to try a couple pieces as a bit of a test run.

All in all, it was still my second-highest sales numbers for a show. Now I've got a bit less than a month to get some more pieces made for the next show.

Congrats Vaughn! Glad at least first day went well.

I am so happy for you!

I was supposed to do my first show this past weekend but my partner, the one with the table and the tent had to back out at the last minute.

Vaughn McMillan said:

The show was a few miles south of the Rose Bowl, and this pic was of the blimp headed home after the USC vs. Arizona game this afternoon.

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Congrats on the show!

But that blimp is headed back from the UCLA/Arizona game...confusing USC with UCLA is a really bad idea in this neck of the woods. DAMHIKT

I drove right by that show at the Rose Bowl on my way home from San Diego. Had I know it was going on it would have been a "must stop" since I missed the 210 exit and had to hook around the 135(?). Sorry I missed you guys!

Sorry about the second day. I was near your area last week and must say it is hard to be unhappy there if one has enough to get by on. Must be one of the best places in the country to live weather wise and I only got stopped in traffic once. Walked outside right by the harbor every night in shorts and t shirt and never got a single bug bite.

I thought of you while I was out there and wondered just how far away you were. I was staying at Dana Point and working in San Juan Capistrano. Must say even with some of the problems I had a work it was nice to be back in the area. Wasn't there over the weekend so couldn't have made the show.

The motel was less than I pay for a Comfort Inn in Binghamton, NY.

Open the doors and get the inventory built up for the next show..
Garry

Glad you had at least a great first day. Now start stringing those things back to back!! Jim.

Congrats on the show, Vaughn. I've got my first show coming up next days off and I was already getting discouraged when you did so poorly at the last one...especially after seeing your display again.

I thought, if he can't sell any of THAT work with THAT display, I'm a dead duck!

Now, I've got optimism again.

Cody Colston said:

...Now, I've got optimism again.

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Do keep that optimism. If I've learned anything in the short time I've been doing these shows, it's that you never can predict how an individual show will turn out. As I said before, I've had both my best show and my worst show at the same venue. I've had decent sales on rainy days with few show attendees, and no sales on beautiful days with lots of people at the show. One of my best shows was at a street fair where there was a guy a few booths away selling tons of Chinese-made handcarved wooden baskets for less than a similarly sized bowl blank would cost me. Or I've sold next to nothing when I was the only person at the show selling anything made of wood.

The only thing that seems to remain consistent is the inconsistency. But it's fun for us so far. You'll have fun, too. Even if you sell nothing, you'll enjoy hearing and seeing the public reaction to your work. And if you're like me, you'll be telling the story about any particular piece on the table to anyone who wants to hear it.

Hey Vaughn, maybe some sunspot activity shut the bite down. . I have a series of shows coming up here in the fall, I'll be doing a rain dance prior to those, (but not for rain, just good sales).

Vaughn McMillan said:

Do keep that optimism. If I've learned anything in the short time I've been doing these shows, it's that you never can predict how an individual show will turn out.

The only thing that seems to remain consistent is the inconsistency. But it's fun for us so far. You'll have fun, too. Even if you sell nothing, you'll enjoy hearing and seeing the public reaction to your work. And if you're like me, you'll be telling the story about any particular piece on the table to anyone who wants to hear it.

Click to expand...

I've been doing shows intermittently for about 6 years.. definitely can verify Vaughn's comment about the inconsistency... I did a market in Houston (actually Seabrook - south of Houston) that was a weekly thing and did the show two or three weekends in a run... one weekend it was a hot market, the next weekend I could have stayed home.

I do enjoy the commaradrie of visiting with the other vendors and with the people attending the show. ( Except for the one guy that used to show up at several of my shows in Houston who spend 20 minutes of my time telling me how he used to do pens, but couldn't sell them, so he quit and has them in his garage but attends the shows with his wife so she can sell his work, and yada yada yada yada yada yada and yada... I think I needed a 2x4 to get rid of him. )

You gotta have fun with it or it's not worth it.