How to Choose a Craft Sale

One of the other blogs I follow, Handmade Success, recently posed a question to readers about how to choose which craft fairs/shows to go to.  I added my two cents in and thought I’d share them with you:

We had a less than successful market day recently.  We felt we were doing everything right:  good venue, reasonable cost for the booth space, good visibility at the venue, we even brought a not-so-portable spinning wheel along that drew the attention of everyone that came through the market.  Unfortunately, very few people made their table money that day.  However, we learned at least two things: 

1) End of summer may not be a great time of year to be trying to sell homespun yarns, knitting and quilting items.
2) We will research future venues/events a little more. 

Many other posters had already indicated the importance of going to a potential show to do research if you can.  My recommendations on how to make this research useful would be to see if the vendors that are there are willing to share some information on the show with you.  Organizers may not be as honest about what their traffic has been, or what percentages of their vendors come back each year.  Other crafting entrepreneurs usually will though - why?  Because they usually recognize that you're not a direct competitor, unless you're snapping pictures and taking sketches of their work to copy for your own.  We each create something that is unique and different and good vendors work with organizers to create a positive environment for each other.

My Other Passions

During the spring and fall I've been known to refer to myself as a "weekend widow." You see, my husband, Russ, is the Commanding Officer of North Battleford Gliding Centre. This takes him away on Saturday before the sun comes up, and while he usually comes home to sleep I don't really see him until after supper Sunday evening. His involvement in the Royal Canadian Air Cadet program is nothing new, in fact we met through cadets 14 years ago (wow, time flies when you're having fun). What I forget to be thankful for sometimes is the joy that being involved in the Cadt program brings to him. Russ, and his staff, have had the opportunity to share a love of flying with many youth from accross this great province of ours. 

We made a family trip out of going to the Gliding Centre this Thanksgiving weekend.  Ian was all bundled up in his fall gear, and did his best to toddle around on the uneven ground.  Russ and I enjoyed a flight together while some of the staff occupied him, and when we landed he got to sit on my knee in the glider for a moment.  I fear the aviation bug bit him early, as the first thing he wanted to do was pull the "red knob" (the release for the tow rope).  But what else can you expect when both parents got their wings as teenagers?  Not to mention the fact that he took his first flight in a 182 when he was 14 days old.  The Rick Mercer Report even made a trip out to the Gliding Centre in Netook, AB this past spring.  You can watch the video here:  http://youtu.be/ZrctbfusPWs

I just remind myself every now and then that while Russ is more passionate about flying than I am, he is also very supportive of my fabric addictions too.  Both are expensive, but also very relaxing.


Ian and Auntie Teaghan at NBGC.