Footfall vs less competition...

[FayeValentineJewelry]

Hi all,

I'm facing a choice between two possible shows on the same day (for the first time!). One show has far greater attendance and people I know who've visited the event the last two years assure me it's very well attended and popular. However, this show already has several other jewelry sellers booked in (they may not accept me- I'm sending them photos and need to wait their decision).

The other show is definitely not so big, but I went last year and made reasonably good sales. I don't expect to see other jewelry sellers there (or at least not more than one other), and I have a bit of an existing client base in that town.

I'm feeling a bit torn on which would be the better choice... What would you do?

[JustMeToo]

I would choose the one you did last year, if you were happy with your sales. They will probably be a little higher this year, as you create a following. It also sounds like it's the "sure thing" where you don't know if you'll get into the other one anyway! Too many jewelers is very unfair of the organizers because, probably, none of them will do well! We have the same problem at some of the shows here (I'm glad I don't make jewelry)! Good luck and high sales, with whatever decision you make!

[TigersandDragons]

Is there an old Facebook post or a show webpage that lists who were the vendors at that show last year? Most shows have lots of jewellery, but if the style or materials are different enough, then it may make less of an impact than your think. I always like to KNOW who my competition are, because that affects what I focus on making and displaying at a specific show. When I see that certain craftspeople are going to do the same show as I am, I know I will sell less of certain item that appeal to the same customers. Luckily we have a variety of jewellery lines, so often if the etched metal sells less, the glass and silver will still do well...and I plan my production accordingly.

Carol is right that you can build a following, and there are people who meant to buy from you, who come back next year to pick up the items. Though after a few years, sometimes it is good to take a year or two off so that people can "miss you", as long as it is the type of show that you can get into again.

I will point out, that you have no guarantee that the show you have done before may not have new jewellery vendors at it too.

[weekendjewelry1]

With just the data you've given us, I'd definitely do the smaller one that you've done before. "Well attended and popular" could be great, but that doesn't always mean "high sales for vendors". It might just mean there's a bunch of fun stuff for kids to do, or whatever.

Whichever one you choose, have a ball. I'd be tempted to go with the one I'd done before.

[FayeValentineJewelry]

Thanks a lot for your thoughts!

I agree that not all jewelry vendors are direct competitors, as we have different styles etc. And I've noticed that my items are always different from all the other jewelry vendors around here, which is very beneficial to me. However, there's a big show I did two years running- the first time there were 4 or 5 of us selling jewelry, but I did pretty well. The following year suddenly there were 8 jewelry sellers (no joke) and sales were very poor. I decided not to do that show again this year.

I know there are many more factors at play than just how much competition you have, but I do worry about it.

The previous one does feel like the safer bet... Hmm.

I'll post again in a couple of weeks to let you know which one I chose and how it went :)

[Former_Member]

Katy, the safest bet would be to do the show you did last year since you have a following in that town & you did make sales. I've found that when we do the same shows every year, our sales go up compared to the prior year. For instance, we do a craft fair at a local high school every year. Last year, our sales were 8x higher than the year before at that same show.

The other thought is; are you a risk taker? The other show sounds larger so it might have good potential as well. There might be a reason that there's already several jewelry people signed up for that one. Of course, if those other jewelry vendors are all attending that show for the first time, that doesn't tell you anything. But, if those vendors attended last year, the year before, etc., then that might tell you there's a good reason they're returning again this year. Do some research on that show & those vendors. If there’s competition, there must be some selling going on.

Also, be a bit skeptical about what the promoter is calling a jewelry vendor. What I mean is, are they full blown jewelers with large displays & many pieces, or, is the promoter counting vendors that listed jewelry on their application, along with a bunch of other non-jewelry type items? I see that all the time.

A couple weeks ago, we stopped by a Farmers Market we’re interested in getting into. The promoter told me that he already has a “soap person” but I could sign up & they could rotate us in when there’s an opening. As he’s telling me about already having a “soap person”, I’m looking at a line of produce vendors, all selling corn, tomato’s, etc… So, they have tons of produce vendors (makes sense since it’s a farmers market) but only 1 “soap person”? So, I stopped by their “soap persons” booth and like I thought, they had 1 small table in a 10x10 space, with a few varieties of soap.

To me, a “soap person” is a vendor that specializes in making soap & related B&B products & can fill a 10x10 booth with lots of products & variety. Many times I’ve seen that the “soap person” the promoter referenced had 1 small table with only a few different varieties of soap, like at the Farmers Market. Other times, the “soap person” was actually selling all kinds of other items & had a small sampling of soap on their tables. So, just because a promoter tells me they already have a “soap person”, I always try to dig in to see what type of soap person they’re talking about. Is soap and B&B their main business, a hobby or just a sideline to their other products?

So, if you decide to go to the larger show, try to find out what type of jewelry vendors they have lined up. If all the vendors they have lined up are full blown serious jewelers with large displays, then you might want to attend the show you did last year. But, if there’s only 1 or two serious jewelers attending, with the rest being vendors who sell other stuff & might only have a small sampling of jewelry, then you might want to consider trying the larger show.

Personally, I’m not opposed to taking risks & I prefer to get in front of larger crowds whenever possible. We’ve even passed on attending smaller shows that we’ve done in previous years for an opportunity to attend a larger show with more visitors & it usually paid off. More visitors = more potential sales.

Good Luck!

[ImLaughingMyGlassOff]

(I read this twice looking for the football referenced in the title. Yes, I do have a slight obsession with football)

This sounds like a win/win to me. Whichever one you choose - can you send a scout to the other to see what is going on? Someone who knows to count shopping bags, not feet.

[Former_Member]

I did the same thing, Suzy! I am obsessed with football, too!

[FayeValentineJewelry]

I'm starting to see it, too XD

Now I feel like I should have included something about football, and my post would have been more interesting :P

[ImLaughingMyGlassOff]

I sort of feel like the first show is "bird in the hand" and the second show is "two in the bush", if you know what I mean.

[FayeValentineJewelry]

So, updating as promised...

I decided to apply to the bigger show, just to see at least if I would have that as an option, and they got back to me and said sorry, they already have too many jewelry sellers so no. (which did miff me slightly as they made it sound like I was being pushy and they'd already said no, when they actually asked me to send photos, but anyhoo....)

So I went with the smaller event I did last year. We had a beautiful sunny day today which I was grateful for, and there was a LOT of people. I cannot complain at all about the footfall, after all :P

However, though last year I did reasonably well for sales, this year was almost a huge disappointment. I made very little, until, fortunately for me, a few friends of mine stopped by (who either have never seen me at a market before, or not in a long time, so it was fresh and interesting for them) and between them they bought enough that it completely saved my day! I was so happy and grateful.

So, as far as the event goes, I think it's just yet more proof that you simply can never really be sure how a show will go, even the same show one year to the next, but thank goodness for those occasions when something saves you from a bust!

(I also came home to a sale on Etsy, first one in two weeks, so that was just the icing on the cake!)

[PlaynwithScraps]

If I read this correctly you had 2 weeks to decide on your show??? I apply for shows months (sometimes 6-8 months) in advance.

[FayeValentineJewelry]

Here in France most shows have no jurying process, and even those that do, don't require such a big amount of time (excluding the huge national salon-style events). There simply are not nearly as many handcrafters, and events for such, here as there are in say America or Britain- the whole culture is just not the same.

Having said that, this one was unsual, I'm usually signed up and set to do my markets or shows weeks, if not months, in advance. It was quite stressful to not have it definitely arranged until so last minute!

[TigersandDragons]

Generally it's good to apply early, even to the shows that have some sort of jurying process. Some shows fill spots as they get receive applications, and jewellery is such a competitive category.

[FayeValentineJewelry]

Very true, Tigers! I got caught out on this one, but there's always next year :)

[JustMeToo]

I already know in April, which Christmas shows I have! I like this, because then I can plan what I need! There's only one (one day) show that juries at the beginning of September, and lets us know around Sept 15, but because it's only one day, it isn't a problem being prepared for it.
When I find out about a new, juried large Christmas show, that interests me, I call in JANUARY to put my name in for an application when they go out.

[FayeValentineJewelry]

It's great that you can be so well prepared!

I only do one day shows, largely because of health issues but also simply because there aren't many multi-day shows anywhere near me. So like you said, preparations are less intense.

I like the idea of applying so far ahead for a show that I know I definitely want to do. Though around here, if I were to call an organizer 10 months ahead, I think they'd laugh at me!!

[ImLaughingMyGlassOff]

I also need to plan ahead. I can make one or two pieces in a day and need 60-70 to take to a show so I really need a good long lead time.