Yeah! It's Over!

The Holiday Boutique went well and I'm glad I did it, although I now have lots of leftover inventory taking up space in my studio!  I suppose I should find another show to do between now and Christmas.

Although I do enjoy them, I don't do many craft shows for a few reasons:
1.  Time: Since my business is mostly custom, I don't keep a large inventory of pre-made items.  This means I need to sew A LOT before a  craft show.  This is difficult because my calendar is already filled with paid custom orders that need to get finished on time.

2.  Inventory:  The type of items that sell well in my shop are NOT the same items that sell at a craft show.  People shopping craft shows are looking for cheaper, giftable items.  In other words, high chair covers do NOT sell!  I always bring a display along, but ultimately, people like to purchase bibs, key chains and  items like that.  My totes are always a big seller at these shows.

3.  Set Up/Clean Up:  Honestly, I just don't enjoy lugging boxes, signage, bags, tables, chairs, etc to these places.  It's tiring and I don't have the help of my husband since he has to watch the kids!  Oh, and when you are manning a booth by yourself, bathroom breaks are difficult!

I give the people who do this on a regular basis tons of credit.  It is not easy to do.  But what I do love is meeting tons of creative people, seeing their amazing work, bartering items with others (I've scored some beautiful items this way) and just meeting lots of people.  This is the part that is missing when selling online.  Human interaction is priceless!

So, if you haven't done one and have the time, I do recommend trying at least one craft show.  You may hate it, you may love it.  But you won't know until you try it!