My first craft fair ever turned out the be quite the experience! I shared a table with my friend Zoe who hand paints silk scarves. The gift sale took place in an art gallery, apparently the first event of its nature to have been held there. Things started out regularly enough...
View from the entrance (left) and Zoe at our table (above)ready to sell some handmade goods!
Much to our surprise, apparently, the big draw for Friday night was not actually the gift sale itself. Rather, it was 'Pinups and Pugs'. A troop of Pinup Girls came to have their pictures taken with local pooches as part of a fundraiser. Also, a local Pug rescue organization was invited to attend. All included a grand total of 28 dogs and a handful broads were suddenly in attendance at our gift sale.
Our neighboring vendors whom I lovingly named "the underoos girls"(see picture above) enjoyed the majority of the sales amongst the Pug and Pinup mayhem with somewhere around (I'm guessing) three pair of handmade underwear sold throughout the night. One pair of which, was bought by another vendor.
Our entertainment of the evening: A ukulele player. Some of his set list included 'House of the Rising Sun' and a twenty minute rendition of 'Knock, knock, knockin' on Heaven's Door'. 
Bring on the dogs! All twenty-eight of them!
Ben and Kellen. Two of the nicest people (and the best customers of Friday night) posing with their handmade pottery.
The Assistant Director posing with some retro-tastic merchandise. She was working her buns off that night.
Artist painting a portrait. He worked quite diligently throughout the night off in a corner away from the drinking, doggy, debacle.
The girl in the brown sweater here showed up three and a half hours late. (Well after the reformation of our gift sale into doggie party.) The dress she's wearing was for sale. I don't know what she would have worn had she sold it. Notice she is selling cremebrulee being served at "pug-level". I held my breath in anticipation that her blanket would become a doggie self-service-flan-station, but she eventually moved her goodies into a box out of snout distance. She sold more than any of the other vendors. Apparently, given enough alcohol, people think buying food off of the floor with twenty-eight dogs running around (some off leash) is a good idea.
At last, nearing the end of the night (NINE O'CLOCK PM), I took a photo from our table to capture my view of the party. By this time nearly all of the vendors had left or had abandoned their tables; and pretty much the place had digressed into a social gathering. We came to realize not one person in attendance had come with the intention to buy gifts, or dogs apparently, as most of them had already brought their own. Alas, I had to drive an hour home and could not partake in the merriment. So I continued to sit at my table, hoping that at any minute a shopper with a hankerin' for some silky scarves and twinkly wine bottles might come through the door. They did not.
Bring on the dogs! All twenty-eight of them!
Ben and Kellen. Two of the nicest people (and the best customers of Friday night) posing with their handmade pottery.Dogs, food, and alcohol!!!!!!!!! Things are starting to get nuts!
The Assistant Director posing with some retro-tastic merchandise. She was working her buns off that night.
More dogs! Which one is up for adoption and which one came to pose with the Pinup Girls?
Ahhhh! Mayhem!
Pinup Girls, having run out of dogs to have their pictures taken with, decided that it was time to get their drink on!
Two ladies and one of the dogs up for adoption. By this time I was under the assumption the entire place was inebriated (with the exception of Zoe and myself). So, after standing unnoticed for a full minute while these two had a conversation about this dog with each other, I snapped their photo and left.
Ahhhh! Mayhem!
Pinup Girls, having run out of dogs to have their pictures taken with, decided that it was time to get their drink on!Two ladies and one of the dogs up for adoption. By this time I was under the assumption the entire place was inebriated (with the exception of Zoe and myself). So, after standing unnoticed for a full minute while these two had a conversation about this dog with each other, I snapped their photo and left.
Artist painting a portrait. He worked quite diligently throughout the night off in a corner away from the drinking, doggy, debacle.
The girl in the brown sweater here showed up three and a half hours late. (Well after the reformation of our gift sale into doggie party.) The dress she's wearing was for sale. I don't know what she would have worn had she sold it. Notice she is selling cremebrulee being served at "pug-level". I held my breath in anticipation that her blanket would become a doggie self-service-flan-station, but she eventually moved her goodies into a box out of snout distance. She sold more than any of the other vendors. Apparently, given enough alcohol, people think buying food off of the floor with twenty-eight dogs running around (some off leash) is a good idea.
At last, nearing the end of the night (NINE O'CLOCK PM), I took a photo from our table to capture my view of the party. By this time nearly all of the vendors had left or had abandoned their tables; and pretty much the place had digressed into a social gathering. We came to realize not one person in attendance had come with the intention to buy gifts, or dogs apparently, as most of them had already brought their own. Alas, I had to drive an hour home and could not partake in the merriment. So I continued to sit at my table, hoping that at any minute a shopper with a hankerin' for some silky scarves and twinkly wine bottles might come through the door. They did not.
I sat through most of the day on Saturday as well. More shoppers came in and out, though not too many. I sold two bottles. Lots of people inquired if I was selling wine or olive oil as they picked up my illuminated bottles with chords coming out the back that attached to a power strip. So not a total loss. I still spent over a hundred dollars more than I made, just to be there. At least my registration costs are going to help the little children, as that is the mainstream focus of the gallery that held this event.
I am obviously a novice in the world of craft fairs and need to figure it out. Maybe next year, though... Next year.
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