Winter Holiday Market - The Saga

Vaughn McMillan

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As I’ve mentioned in passing the last few weeks, I’ve been showing my wares at an indoor market the past few weekends. Although it was a great venue with some excellent values for Christmas shoppers, sales-wise it was a bust. I figured it was time to tell the sordid tale. Sorry for the long post. That’s just how it is. ;)

This show, dubbed the Winter Holiday Market, was held in a vacant Linens ‘n Things store in Northridge, CA, about 30 minutes from my house. This store is in a strip shopping center across the street from the Northridge Fashion Center, one of the bigger malls in the LA area. The show was (or is being) held every weekend from November 28 through this coming Sunday, December 20. I originally signed up to do just the first two weekends, but ended up doing three. More about that in a minute.

Since I was figuring on people doing gift-buying, I stocked up on lower-end items like pens, bottle stoppers, vases, night lights, and potpourri bowls. I really didn’t figure any of the higher end pieces would be likely Christmas gifts in this economy. Ironically, the smaller things cost me the most to produce. I can easily spend $15 on a pen kit, blank, and box whereas a bowl or hollow form costs me nothing more than chainsaw time and sweat. (OK, I’m not including consumables like sandpaper and finishing materials.)

One of the appeals of the Linens ‘n Things building was the fact that most of the store fixtures and shelving were available for the vendors to use. Also, the floor plan has lots of alcoves which make perfect display spaces for typical art and craft vendors. There were only about 20 vendors the first weekend, and a number of empty spaces. As a result, although I paid for a 10’ x 10’ space, the show organizer told me to feel free to spread out my display. I ended up using more like 15’ x 30’ when all was said and done. Nicest display I’ve ever had, and the only thing I had to bring in was one table. (Instead of three tables, two shelves, floor mats, a canopy, etc.) Another bonus was that we could leave our merchandise in the building during the week while the market was closed. No schlepping my stuff in and out every night or weekend.

The first weekend, right after Black Friday and all the shopping madness that brings, was dead. One of my fellow vendors counted 58 people past her booth on the first Saturday. I sold a potpourri bowl to one of LOML’s friends and a pen to a neighboring vendor. Sunday was about as slow, and I sold another pen to the vendor neighbor. Without exception, all of the vendors had very weak sales, if any at all.

The second weekend was a bit busier. The head count Saturday was 125, with Sunday about comparable. Still, that’s a virtual ghost town, and only about half the vendors sold anything. Nobody was even approaching making back their $200 per weekend entry fees. I sold a couple more pens to the vendor neighbor.

At the end of the day Sunday, just as I was getting ready to take my losses and pack up my stuff, the show promoter came by and offered me a free weekend if I wanted to stay. (She was scrambling to keep booth spaces filled so the place didn’t look like a vacant store. By then, the show was down to about 13 vendors.) I took her up on her offer, figuring I had nothing better to do the next weekend, and the stuff wasn’t gonna sell itself sitting in my living room.

The third weekend was no better than the previous two. I was completely skunked Saturday. Sunday I sold a pen and a bottle stopper. Big woop. At the end of the day on the third Sunday, I figured I’d had enough fun, so I packed up and brought it all home. I’m pretty certain the promoter would have let me stay another weekend for free, but I decided I wanted the last weekend before Christmas to do some other things. Needless to say, I came out in the red on this show. As a consolation, the promoter did tell me that I can have a free space in another show they’re doing this summer at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. The Promenade is a great pedestrian mall with lots of good tourist and local foot traffic. It should be a much more profitable location for trying to sell my kinds of things.

I took a few pics of my display, but they didn’t come out worth a darn since the display was pretty spread out. I did shoot some video, but mostly of the individual pieces, not the entire display. Here’s a link to my attempt at edited video. Cecil B. DeMille I'm not. Sorry for the relatively low quality...I was unable to get the higher-resolution version to upload.

Workingwoods at the Winter Holiday Market
 
Well that really does suck, I'm sorry to hear about this, I had hoped that things were starting to tick up for you guys in the US, as Japan follows, but I guess this and other things I've seen/heard/read, tell a different story :(

Things here are also dismal, we had one of the sales guys for one wholesaler come by and show us some data for this year compared to last year, our orders to the month of December so far are only about $2000, last year at this time, it was over $4400 :eek: They are not the exception, it is like that all the way around here, people are just not spending the money they do have.

I can only hope that we are in a much better place next year.

Stu
 
Sounds like the promoter didn't do a very good job of promotion if people weren't even showing up. You could blame it on the economy if people were coming through but not buying.
 
Vaughn, That's a gallery worthy display! I really liked the rotating exhibits. You'd think interior decorators would cruise these shows looking for accent pieces. Your work is beautiful and it will find a home sooner or later.
 
Vaughn great video. I am sorry to hear of the poor show.

I would only add that looking at the video and your work it does not belong in a flea market environment.

In retail they always say location location location.

You wont find Rolls Royce putting their product in cheap location.

From what i read and see you in a territory that is one of the hardest hit in the USA. :(

Nothing wrong with your work or your display.:thumb:

Personally i dont think bargain hunters should even see your work they aint worthy of it. So a vacant building might have been cheap entry fee but doesnt attract those who appreciate art and have the money to show it.:(

Vaughn ya gotta get hooked up with someone that can promote you and take it to the next level for you.

A gallery of sorts or an art promoter that has the network. Even if it costs you margin in the interim its worth it. At the end of the day you cant eat the bowls so given the labor and cost is already sunk into them letting a gallery have a bite into them aint really gonna hurt that much if it gets you further down the road.

I would also seperate the craft stuff (pens pottpouri etc) from the art stuff. To me they two different markets and one does not good to the other. Its like having a new car lot in the middle of a used car lot area. Two different customer bases.

Good art has never been affordable to the masses unless it was imitation or prints. You would be better off exhibiting with an art club where people attending are aware upfront its art and not craft and hence have the mindset in the firstplace.
 
That sucks for a holiday market and especially when we usually move most of our products over the holidays... sorry you had the bad shows.

I understand though... the economy has kept most of the disposable cash in people's pockets this year... My holiday markets this year were out side, the first one was cold, it was snowing when I set up and I sold only a few pieces... second was much better, but it was still cold and miserable.... the last is tomorrow and the weather is turning nasty again... raining today and predicted to rain tomorrow then turning to wet heavy snow in the afternoon... thinking about blowing the market off and saving my toes from frostbite.

My wife's step mother lives in the Northridge area... LOML's father was with the Armed Forces Radio as an announcer for all of his career... he worked in Japan and Washington before he moved to the LA area where he retired. I lived in the LA area for about 18 months after I got out of the Navy, but mostly south of LA... I've only been to Northridge once when I went out to evaluate a computer system and since it was near the area, we got to visit with my step mother in law... as I remember, it's a pretty nice area... I was out there a few years before they had the earthquake that did so much damage around the area. I remember that we went to a nice restaurant that sat way up high and out on the patio we could look out over the whole LA basin.. at night with all the lights it was spectacular.

Anyway, If I don't go tomorrow to Knoxville, my winter season is over and all I can do now will be get ready for next year. I have a gallery that wants me to put some stuff in on consignment... thinking might do that.. better to expose it to possible sales than to just store it...

Edit to Correct: My mistake.. mentioned to the wife about this post... she corrected me.. her father and step mother lived in North Hills..... not Northridge.. and North Hills was where the earthquake was... it shook my wife's mother's house enough that she was afraid to stay there for several months... one of her daughters lives nearby and she stayed with them for nearly 6 months before she felt safe enough to go back home. She's in her 80's... and probably shouldn't be living alone anyway.

Merry Christmas and wishing everyone a Prosperous and Happy New Year.
 
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Sorry to hear about the poor sales. The movie shows real talent in your turning and a real talent in your presentation. The maxim "cream rises to the top" is true for you also... Have a wonderful Christmass.
 
Vaughn sorry to hear about the bad sales. Your turnings are second to none. I think it may be just a sign of the times. I think with the economy and such things just aren't selling. I had my stuff at the Gallery and haven't sold much. I lowered my price slightly and sold a little more. So I lowered them again and things are kinda of looking up. Some of my ornaments that were selling last year for $25 to $35 are now $15 and $20 with some pretty good sales now. I think on average I lowered most of my stuff $10 to $25. Some things I am breaking even on and some I am making a little money. I like you am really disappointed but I think people just aren't going out and buying. My problem is I would rather sell than let them sit around but will not sell for less than I can break even. I am a little disappointed but guess will take it in stride and get ready for next year. At least I will have more time now that I will be retired in 13 days.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
 
Thanks for the comments, guys. :)

Sounds like the promoter didn't do a very good job of promotion if people weren't even showing up. You could blame it on the economy if people were coming through but not buying.

Very true, Matt. I believe the promoter made a good faith effort. There were print ads in the LA Times and other targeted promo was sent to nearby zip codes. Nonetheless, it wasn't enough to get people in the door, and without people, there are no sales. Over the course of the three weekends I was there, I heard a lot of different theories from other vendors about what went wrong and what could have been improved. (We had nothing better to do, so all the vendors did a lot of visiting with each other.) Don't really know what the right answer is as far as getting the word out...I just know the promoters had the wrong answer.

...I would only add that looking at the video and your work it does not belong in a flea market environment.

In retail they always say location location location.

You wont find Rolls Royce putting their product in cheap location...

Also very true, Rob. Going into this show, I didn't know whether it'd be an art show or a flea market. This time of year, outdoor shows are out of the question for me, so when I saw the chance to do an indoor venue I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm still convinced the location was great, but the public's awareness about it was not.

Your point about location has come up before in talking with other vendors and artists, too. In general, it seems the market for art in Los Angeles is not as strong as it in in other parts of the state, like around the Bay Area. I've had a number of artists tell me they think my work would sell better at some of the out of town shows. I may be testing that theory before too long.

I also agree with you about getting into the wholesale (gallery) market instead of the retail (art show) market. Finding an art promoter as you suggest is a good idea...I'm just not quite sure yet how to go about doing it, or how to fund the promo. Money is tight for us right now, and LOML is not open to the idea of me taking big chances with the money we do have.

And your point about separating the art from the craft stuff is also one that I've had on my mind lately. I agree that the two together in the display are bad for each other. At this show and the last few, I've increased my low-end inventory, but in retrospect I do I think it may have cheapened my good pieces by lowering my stature in the eyes of potential customers.

...Edit to Correct: My mistake.. mentioned to the wife about this post... she corrected me.. her father and step mother lived in North Hills..... not Northridge.. and North Hills was where the earthquake was... it shook my wife's mother's house enough that she was afraid to stay there for several months... one of her daughters lives nearby and she stayed with them for nearly 6 months before she felt safe enough to go back home...

Nope, the 1994 earthquake was centered in Northridge. (I was about 8 miles east. It was a very interesting morning.) They still felt it plenty strong in North Hills (which is very near Northridge). The Northridge Fashion Center (the mall across the street from where I was) was mentioned a lot in the news back then because of the damage it received.
 
Sorry to hear about the lack of sales but have to think getting the word out to folks is a hit or miss thing. Sure would have thought that people would have been there at some point during your 3 weeks!

Really enjoyed the video! Always have enjoyed your turnings and do agree with some of the others - your work belongs in galleries and/or high end art shows. Having your top end stuff sitting in a gallery can't have any worse results than what you have just been through and at least the folks that frequent galleries are generally assumed to have both taste and money. I know - big assumption - but you get the point.

Also - really enjoyed the music on the video. Been awhile since I've listened to Eric! So, I'm going to go make some popcorn, grab a beer and watch the video again!

Vaughn - you do good work! Your next show will be better!
 
Nope, the 1994 earthquake was centered in Northridge. (I was about 8 miles east. It was a very interesting morning.) They still felt it plenty strong in North Hills (which is very near Northridge). The Northridge Fashion Center (the mall across the street from where I was) was mentioned a lot in the news back then because of the damage it received.

That's probably why I thought Margarete lived in Northridge... I thought I had the earthquake in the right place.
 
...Also - really enjoyed the music on the video. Been awhile since I've listened to Eric! So, I'm going to go make some popcorn, grab a beer and watch the video again!..

Thanks Steve. I suspect the music was a bit to strange for a lot of folks, but Eric's one of my favorites, and this song was about the right length time-wise to match the video footage. It was either this or Scatterbrain by Jeff Beck. :rofl:
 
Vaughn.

I'm sorry for the show results.

On the plus side. Your work is museum grade work.

Your display, with the accessories, like the acorns in dishes, makes it one of the best I've seen.

Bruce
 
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