I went to one today at a community centre, everytime I would stop at a table the vendor would jump up and start talking. Maybe if they would let me look I might have bought something.

Yeah its hard to know when to leave people alone! I know I sometimes like to be when I'm shopping.
I haven't been to any yet this year except the one I sold at in September.
I'm not totally sure what you mean mojo, by dead tight and uptight! Would you elaborate? I'm just learning to sell and I want to avoid others mistakes.
Kathy

Sure! I read a discussion on Etsy- 120 pages!! of suggestions for craft shows- learned a lot!

Dead- not many customers
Tight- small room, with a skinny area to walk between in a square- not much personal space!
Uptight- obviously not many sales- people had their arms crossed, sitting down- JUMPING up when my daughter and I got close... looking like- maybe this one will spend? lol

I'll have to see if I can find that link from Etsy- it was a really good one.

Found it! have fun with it!

Here is a link that might be useful: 120 pages full of craft show dos and don'ts

Thank you Mojo! You have just provided my evening reading. And something to look forward to. For now - on with making stuff, cleaning house and fall cleanup outdoors.
Kathy

OMG, I've been going to craft shows for 30 years (I'm in MD). All of a sudden last year I went to three shows and noticed the same MAJOR change at all three. It was like someone had ordered all of the vendors to do something I had never really had them do before.

In the past, they would politely acknowledge a visitor's presence. NOW, they practically hit you over the head with a sales pitch. ALL of them were doing it. I hated it and it certainly had the opposite of the intended affect on me. I just wanted to get away from them. Since I couldn't shop in peace, I barely "shopped" at all.

I haven't been to any craft shows lately, but I've gotten a negative vibe from the last few I've attended. I'm not a person who buys just to buy anyway. Most things I see just don't appeal to me because they aren't original and I can buy something similar elsewhere. I start looking for the exit when the pressure to buy gets to be too much.

Haven't been to any this Summer (too busy)but last Fall and Christmas Shows it seemed that it was the same old stuff,and more same old stuff. Lots of painted Christmas items and really nicely done but just how many can a person use?

I think that is a good point, about same old. I'm thinking that I probably will only be able to sell plate flowers for a couple of years. But I've been bitten by the bug and I'm already working on 2 new garden flower ideas that I need to test in my garden over this winter (and maybe next winter) that I could start selling and would be "new" hopefully to the market in a couple of years.

I wish I could do this instead of working at a regular job, but I don't see that happening. Unless I come up with either smaller items or large ones that I can sell for more money.

Thank you for the link to the Etsy advice. I've enjoyed reading (only up to page 20). Most of them seem to sell jewelry. But its still be very interesting and helpful. I've started a list of the tips I plan to use.

Kathy

Planing to go to the"big one" in Minot Friday (snow on Sat), hope it is better than last year. Will report back later
Marie

The one small show I was going to do canceled. The one on a Friday in a near by college town is coming up. I think I will go to check it out. Now I'm stuck with all these plate flowers. Gotta hang them outside. The ones with price tags will have to stay packed in buckets, or I'll have to cut the tags off. But my am I going to be ready for next spring!
Kathy

Went to the show I was talking about and it was different and better. A good assortment of items. Bags with crayons on the outside with colorbook inside. Each crayon had his own space (pocket) Really cute. Person from SD selling his books he had written and illustrated. Very nice, bought three. Some towels, baby stuff, not too much just a good variety.
It was packed and DD went today, and packed again. Guess with all the flooding and lost of homes (over 4000) and people finally getting their FEMA homes, and snow expected today, they felt they just had to get out. DD said both crafts show were packed and people were buying.

Kathy - What are plate flowers? Are they yard art made out of old plates? Wish I could see them! I'm sure you'll sell a ton when spring arrives!

A friend down the street is doing a home show. So maybe I'll sell a few! Yay!

Julie, plate flowers are yard art made from oldplates.
The basic flower is 3 plates, largest in the back, then medium then a small "center". Various methods are used on the backs so they can sit on stems or hang on trellises or what ever.

If you search "plate flower" at the Garden Junk forum you'll find lots!

Here's a couple pics of some of mine:

{{gwi:188564}}

Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden junk forum

Kathy, those are all darling. They would look cute too simply on table outdoors like one I recently made. They

are all so cute it's hard to pick a favorite. I would buy
4 for my table if I came across you selling them at a

local craft show. I read a little in another post about having trouble finding a glue that stands up to the

extreme high and low temps. What did you end up liking best? I have a friend who made an old dishes totem but it

fell apart last winter. O, is the optional link URL area under my post how I would post a picture?