Monday, July 11, 2011

back from San Fransisco

Hello there! I just got back from SF and will need a day or two to get things organized here, but wanted to touch base and say 'thanks' for the warm reception I received while doing Renegade!  I had a lot of reasons to want to make this trip happen this year and I'm so glad that it worked out for me to go.  While it wasn't the best show for me sales-wise (considering my expenses to go to the show/shipping work/accommodations etc. were so high), it was an amazing show to be part of!  There was so many amazing people to meet and connect with!
If you are curious about what the show was like, check out Renegade's flickr site right here.  They'll be updating it during the week as well!

4 comments:

Linda Johnson Studio said...

Yay you! Sometimes sales aren't what makes a trip like that. The show line up was awesome, it must have been very exciting!

Up in the Air Somewhere said...

It's interesting to hear your experience of the Renegade show. I've done quite a few of their shows here in Chicago as well as Brooklyn and over all they aren't amazing for sales, but great for press.

Just curious: Do you have shows you participated in that you felt was a better fit for ceramic sales?

dahlhaus said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
dahlhaus said...

Hi Linda- I guess I'm just getting caught up enough to comment back here... yes the show line up was amazing- I was in such great company!

And Susan, interesting to hear that you've had similar experiences with the Renegade show re: sales. I have a couple of local shows that I do that are closer to the Christmas season that have been great for me- one is an open studio event that's been happening for years. Considering that it takes place in my studio and is only about $100 to participate, with non-stop traffic for a full weekend through my studio, I can't complain at the end of the weekend.
I've also done the One of a Kind show here in Vancouver and it was good- but there were more costs associated with it. I would think the OOAK Chicago show would be a good option your way- I've heard really good things about it. I'm sure it's a cash grab, but if you can get the organizer's to do a bit of marketing on your behalf, it can be well worth it.
I do think with ceramics that the timing needs to be right for people to want to buy it. It's like they need a reason, but also that they need it to be a good gift price so they can feel like they can afford to give it away around the holidays, or in spring, for weddings etc. Often people who buy my work for gifts come back and buy the work for themselves in the off season. But I've tried a lot of retail/type shows in spring and summer and it's always been a bit harder for me to sell well in a short amount of time.