Okay! I admit the title's a bit over dramatic. Just because stART is such a great event and a pleasure to take part in.
This whole thing started out because a couple friends of mine are taking part in stART on the Street for the very first time and asked some advice. I thought I would post an edited version of that on the blog for anyone who is also taking part in the event for the first time and is a little nervous:
1.) Bring plenty of money to make change. Lots of $1's and $5's in particular. I've found I go through those the most when I'm making change.
2.) You might want to consider selling your books without change. This will make the whole process of making change so much easier. You can go two ways with that. If your book sells for $12.95 you can sell it for $13 adding the signature as extra. Or you can sell it at a discount price just for the event. Kind of a Catch 22 because you're not getting as much for them but you might end up selling more of them.
3.)People love original artwork and prints. For the past year or so I've been selling pen and ink sketches on E-Bay for about $9.99! I had gotten the idea from Andy Fish who had gotten it from one of his students. The idea behind it is giving people the opportunity to own original artwork and not have to mortgage their first born doing so. I've had a lot of pieces that just never caught any interest in the auctions so I decided to sell them at the show and they sold!! Usually I've sold them at a discounted price from what I have sold through E-Bay. If you live around and about ole Woo-Town there's a place on Park Avenue called PIP right across the street from Peppercorns that does excellent work. You can tell them Bret recommended them to you because you were told they do excellent work on prints.
I usually make 10 prints total and sell them for about $5 a piece. Since PIP's is very affordable, you can easily make your profit back on the printing cost :-)
3.) Always be upbeat and courteous without looking like a used car salesman :-)
DON'T IGNORE PEOPLE WHO COME OVER TO LOOK AT YOUR WORK. You have to remember that the only way to make people interested in your work is to make them interested in you. Be engaging but at the same time you don't have to look like you're visiting the dentist office ;-)
The thing I constantly think every time someone meets me at a show is even if they don't particularly care for my work I want them to say "I met Bret Herholz at this show and he was really nice". Just because they may not care that much for your work, they might know someone who would be interested.
NEVER BE RUDE! Just because someone might not like your work or might say something that sounds very insulting DON'T BE INSULTING BACK!! Mainly because what you could see as an insult might not be an insult.
And if they are being insulting it's not going to help your work to be the same way. Because these people could turn around and start saying nasty things about you and spreading rumors about what a jerk you are.
Which may be completely false. But some people are just shallow enough to base their entire attitude about you on one bad comment you make or one appearance.
It's one of those being slow to anger and water off a duck's back sort of things.
4.)Don't be discouraged if you don't make the mega millions. Each year I've looked at it if I make back just as much or more than I did on the table then it's a good day.
Don't let a slow day your first time out discourage you from doing another stART show. It can be a mixed bag. I've had certain shows that were a complete bomb and then I've had shows that I've made a killing. So, never judge your experience on one show.
5.) Network! Have plenty of business cards printed up and use this opportunity to make connections with other artists and crafters at the show. It's always good to expand your social circle in the art community.
AND FINALLY...
6.) HAVE FUN!! stART is a great time!! Just have a blast chatting with the people and the other artists and crafters. stART on the Street has been a huge help to me for getting my work out there and I hope you both have a lot of success selling your books and artwork at the show. And I hope it's the first of many for you.
Incidentally, if you're given the opportunity to sneak off for a bite to eat, head on over to the Armsby Abbey for some food or a pint. Just be sure to check the chalkboard on how much alcohol by volume is in the beer your ordering. You don't want to be completely tanked when you go back to your table ;-)
