This Weekend's Craft Show

Rain, Rain, go away! I think most of us that
do craft shows on the east coast are already
fed up with all the gloomy rainy weather.

Last weekend’s show was a wash out for me.
Although the show was moved to an alternate
location, it wasn’t a very well thought out plan
by the organizers. It was held in a parking garage.
Needless to say it was dank and dark as a tomb
in there. Bathroom facilities (port-o-lets) were
2 and ½ blocks away, and there would be no
food available. So we didn’t even unpack. Just
turned the van around and headed home.

It’s not so much the rent money that was
forfeited that stung, but the lack of income for
the week that had me so disappointed.

But that’s the life of a traveling crafter!

This coming weekend we will be merchants at
the Celtic & Highland Games festival on both
Saturday and Sunday. A real high price tag on that
show for us! The rent alone will make me cry if
we are rained out.

The Celtic Festival is something we always look
forward to each year. Entertainment is bar none.
And the high energy, and festive mood of everyone
makes it a particularly fun event.

Hopefully I will have some good news to report
on Monday.

Theresa

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father’s Day to all of you out there.

My own dad passed away when I was a
teenager, but I still think of him. Especially
on a day like today.

Here is a poem I wrote especially for dads
all over the world.


DAD

There is a very special Dad
That I sincerely love
An earthly reflection
Of the "Father" up above
And I was blessed to have him
According to God's plan
He is my Dad - He is my Hero
He is my Superman
I'm sure he too must have an angel
Guiding him while on this earth
To watch over him and love him
Like he has done for me since birth

Copyright: Theresa K. Hardy

HOW TO BE A ORGANIZER WHORE

Just when you think you have done the worst
show of your crafting career, another one comes
along that beats it by a mile, through no fault of
your own.

I have a real BEEF to complain about this week…
Organizers that are downright greedy!

HOW TO BE AN ORGANIZER WHORE!

1. Advertise the event as the 56th annual, but
don’t tell the crafters it’s the FIRST year of
having crafters participate.

2. Advertise an expected attendance of 5,000
but neglect to mention that crafters will be
located way off the beaten track. We were
lucky to have 500 people find their way to us.

3. Stipulate on the contract that set up starts
at 5:00 a.m., and you must be ready for business
by 7:00 a.m. Then, don’t have activities start
for the public till 9:30-10:00. (but do sell crappy,
overpriced breakfast to the crafters).

For a FIRST year event of having crafters,
a $65 booth fee is total greed!! All of us felt
we were in a red light district with motley
prostitutes.

Most of us used due diligence, asking organizers
the necessary questions, BEFORE sending out
our applications. But it doesn’t do much good, if
the answers were not truthful.

I seriously doubt that many, if ANY, made back
their booth fee. I guess I was one of the lucky ones
to come home with $120.(8 customers)

Meanwhile, the prostitutes (umm..I mean organizers)
made off with over $4,000 to add to their G-String.
And they wonder why us crafters turned into a
bunch of CRABS. Next year, they just might be
ITCHING for crafters!

Theresa

End Of Month Blues?

For any of you who had a craft show last weekend, did
you notice a downturn in sales?

My first three shows of March were excellent. I didn’t
see any decrease in sales, despite the economy being in
the toilet. Matter of fact, I will go so far as to say I saw
a surprising increase over 2008.

But this past weekend? A total dud. Wasn’t worth getting
out of bed for. I’m not complaining really, just making a
very obvious observation.

Seems not too many people have extra cash by time the end
of the month arrives. I can honestly say, I’m in the same
predicament.

Starting to think I should stop booking shows that are the
last weekend of the month. At the very least, avoid doing
shows that are expensive or far to travel to.

Theresa
Website: http://www.PoetryByHardy.com
Angels, Poetry, Pins
Poetry Blog: http://www.AngelsByTheresa.blogspot.com

BS RADAR

I’m happy to say our first craft show of the season
was a success! And my BS radar was still up and
working like it always is.

While at the show…
My daughter purchased a little hat for her daughter
from one of the booths that had all hand sewn infant
clothes and accessories. Once she was back at the
booth, we turned the hat inside out, and there in all
it’s blazing glory was a “Made in China” tag.

This was a show that did not accept buy/sell BS and
clearly indicated it was for handcrafted items ONLY.

Well…you know what I did, don’t you? I walked
right back there and kindly asked for the money back
and told them the purpose of a handcrafted show was
to eliminate imported products and we were only
looking for hand made items. All of the other
crafters around us were surprised at my actions and
were, quite frankly, surprised at my boldness, but
happy I did so. I think I spoke for all of them
regarding my distaste for bullshit.

But I don’t get it!! Don’t crafters understand that it
is up to US to police each other and take a stand?
I mean, my God, we all sit around and complain
about the shows turning into sludge from the crap
getting into them. It’s partly our responsibility to
keep the CRAFT shows, CRAFT shows.

But getting back to the craft show…
For a spring show, we happily managed to 10x
the rent, people came and spent money, and it
was expertly organized.

We had a crappy location, but it was the first
year we were there, and I guess someone has
to get the crappy spots. We were right by the
unloading doors, at the end of an aisle, where
I wasn’t sure we would be seen. Especially
since the vendors next to us put up high drapes
on their booth, hiding our existence.

Kudos to the organizers for a brilliant idea to
keep the crafters from packing up early…they
announced cash and gift certificate prizes to be
awarded to vendors who didn’t start packing up
before the show’s end. I think it was the first show
I was ever at where crafters actually stayed set up
till the last minute of the show. For a spring show
this is just about unheard of.

This coming weekend we will be at a community
college in Northampton, PA. A show we have done
now for a few years. Another show that seems to be
well organized and a pleasure to work. A show of
quality handcrafted items.

My BS radar will still be working. Will yours?

Theresa
Website: http://www.PoetryByHardy.com
Angels, Poetry, Pins
Poetry Blog: http://www.AngelsByTheresa.blogspot.com