***This post originally published December 7, 2014***
Yesterday I had the privilege of being a vendor at a local Christmas event!
It was my first arts and crafts show that I’ve sold my art at, and there was a lot of stress, tears, and fun getting prepared for the show. In just a couple short months, I had to design all of my displays, buy supplies for products, and most importantly, make the products! There were a lot of hiccups along the way, such as buying a new printer and having to run out the night before for bags because the ones I ordered are lost in shipping, but I think all the hard work paid off:
I had such a blast doing this show. I got to know some of the other vendors, meet other community members, and visit with customers.
It was an honor to hear that some of my products were being sent to family members for Christmas. One woman and her daughters picked out a few things to send to another sister who lives out of state. This is her first Christmas away from them, and they chose a handful of my things to send to her as a Christmas care package!
Another woman bought a set of my Reindeer note cards. Her sister or daughter (I talked to so many people it’s hard to keep all the stories straight…) is very picky about what Christmas card she is sent. She likes home made, original cards. The woman saw the Reindeer cards and was so happy to have finally found something to send! She was thrilled that they were blank on the inside as it meant more room to write a personal note.
I’m really happy with how the show went. I made a bunch of sales (including four custom orders!) and made some great contacts. My husband and I are seriously considering having me do a handful of shows a year, but right now I need to concentrate on getting some other projects finished up before I sign up for shows next year. The vendor next to me lives in town and offered to let me set up to sell at a big event our town has every fall, free of charge!
If I continue doing shows, I have some things I want to change, as well as a lot more to learn about how to sell successfully at events. I think that for starting out, this show was the perfect way to go!
Thank you all for your support and prayers while I was preparing; I couldn’t do this without my support system!
What is your favorite arts and crafts show to attend?
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