If there’s anything that is certain about being in the crafty business, it’s that nothing is certain. Even events that are “sure things” can sometimes turn out to be disappointments or not quite what you had built them up to be.
Take this craft-sale season, for example. The applications were sent on time; the jurors gave their nods of approval; by all accounts, it was looking to be the best one ever for my crafty friends and me. Everyone had their strategies, but, generally speaking, we were all going for the tried and true, heavy traffic sales and made gobs of product based on past attendance at those events. With weeks of preparation and boxes of freshly-minted goods, we were ready.
The buying public, however, had other ideas. What those ideas were, I’ll never know, but suffice it to say that coming out to sales wasn’t one of them. Perhaps I set my sights too high; all I know is that out of 4 craft-sales, I haven’t had one that made me say “wow, that was awesome”. Instead, I had 4 that made me say “WTF?”
My only saving grace has been that I’m not alone in my confusion regarding the poor attendance. Literally everyone that I have talked to post-show has been just as baffled. Seriously, though…where is everyone? Is the public shopping online? Have they returned to the malls? Or are they just plain crafted-out?
And, for the record, I do not mean this as a whine. I am absolutely grateful for the sales that I have made and the opportunities that I have had to meet new people and put myself out there. I think that I, like many of my friends, had perhaps set my sights a little too high. Because, really, I have done pretty good this year….and it’s not over yet!
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