The Board Chronicles is an ongoing series of articles about the adventures of Mrs M’s Handmade as a vendor at community festivals & craft fairs. Mrs M’s subsidiary, Mr M’s Woodshop, has been approved to create this chronicle for the good of vendorkind.
How do people measure success?
My experience is that success is often a product of your own state of mind. If you thing that “X” is being a success, and you do “X,” then you think you are a success. In your mind. If you only do “X-1,” though, then you may feel that you failed.
It’s about what you think.
We had been highly recommended to do the Montrose Arts & Crafts Festival for 2 years before we finally got there. We’ve done the event twice now (2016, 2017), and it has proved to be a consistent event that’s slightly better than average for us.
Slightly better than average. That sounds marginal, doesn’t it? Who wants something “slightly” better than average?
However, average events are a good thing … it’s the below average events you want to avoid. This event has averaged over $2,100 in sales for us for the last 2 years, so we should be happy with that.
*Should be.*
Getting ready for the event this week, it was hard to work up much enthusiasm. I felt like I knew what we were doing, and it would be average. Hard to get excited about that, I found.
Success, you see, is all about what’s in your head. Could I fix that and enjoy Montrose?
New Ideas
- This year’s event had rather temperate weather forecast, with Saturday in the 70s and Sunday in the mid-80s. That’s a refreshing change from the last 2 years which were both in the 90s – and 2 years ago visited triple digits. In spite of that, both years delivered … uh … slightly above average sales. Maybe we have an upside this year.
Observations
- This is event # 9 of 10 in our 4th Annual Spring Fling.
- Drove right to the booth, and unloaded the trailer by 6:45a. The event starts at 10a, but you have walkers long before that, of course. We were ready.
- Mrs M had a good day on Saturday. Consistent sales – much more than me. It’s a good thing someone had a good day … and the sales kept going. I finally had a multiple board purchase in the final hour (of course) that made my numbers more respectable. We ended up with our best 1 day total at this event in 3 years of experience.
- “Slightly above average.” Humans plan, God laughs.
- Due to the odd curation of this event, my booth is right across the street – perhaps 25′ away – from another woodworker that does similar pieces in a different style. We each have unique products, but we have many similar ones. He sent people to me for larger Lazy Susans; I sent people to him for smaller coasters. I don’t think either of us contributed sales to the other, but we are very collegial and friendly. Good people, but it’s still odd to be neighbors. Both of our customers commented on that odd placement all weekend long.
- As they do each year.
- We both like our locations, though – he’s at the end of a block in a highly visible “middle of the street” kind of location, and we’re under a giant tree that keeps our booth 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding booths. I’m also on a corner, next to a walkway that’s the best access to the neighborhood ice cream store. Win, win.
- I am concerned about this event. It’s a nice community get together, but promotes itself as all handmade. There seems to be fewer handmade vendors each year. My neighbor sold clothing (the rack next to my booth had a sign: “Sale! Everything Under $10.” There was also a dump bin selling flip flops. Handmade? Not so much.
- A legacy customer from 2 years ago came by to pick up a board care kit. Back in the day, I made an end grain Bloodwood board they purchased, and they LOVE it. Those conversations are the best! Paradoxically, they only cut vegetables on their Bloodwood board, but they are adults. They get to choose.
Cutting Board 16 – End 004. A spectacular board in daylight when the wood flouresces. Jarrah & Bloodwood. End grain. 16″ x 21″ x 1-1/2″.
- Sunday started slow, but did pick up right at the end, of course. Today it was 2 multiple board purchases at the end of the day, so my numbers ended OK. Mrs M had a good day, as well, with lots of legacy customers talking about how they came to the event just to find her. Sunday ended not better than Saturday, but we were both happy with the weekend in the end.
- We were up 15% from prior year, with our best results ever for this event. So, our slightly above average event became … a little better.
- Requests were for a tofu press, a backgammon board, a gravity-based locking towel holder, a stove-top board and … wait for it … chess pieces (on order).
- We were packed & I was in the Jeep in 1 hour 49 minutes. It’s been a while since we were that quick; the Spring Fling has made us get better at what we do. I think. After all, what’s the alternative?
- I sold 11 different items at this event, and 6 of those items were touched by the CNC. I’m going to call that a win for technology.
The Food
- Best Meal: Dinner at the Grand Panda after a surprisingly good Saturday. This is the best Chinese restaurant in Santa Clarita, IMHO.
- Worst Meal: We wanted a breakfast burrito from Jimmy Dean’s Sunday morning, but, alas, they don’t open until 7:30a and we had to be on the road. We had to settle, and it was disappointing.
The Facts
- Total miles driven: 138
- Booth cost: $650
- Food cost: $118
- Travel cost: $72
- Total sales: $2,589
- Net Revenue (does not include product cost): $1,749
- # of people we met during the event from the producer: none
- Visits in our booth by a promoter’s representative: none
- Saturday alarm: 4:15a
- Sunday alarm: 6:00a
- # transactions: 104
- # soap & lotion vendors: at least 4
- # woodworking vendors: 4 cutting board
makerssellers, including 3 makers, I believe. Many other sellers of wood products. - Edge grain vs. end grain: 24:2
- Returning next year? Almost certainly. We like above average events.
Boards sold: 26
Coaster: 10
CNC Plaques: 3
Hearts: 2
Medium Surfboards: 2
Small Board: 2
Cheese Board: 2
Trivet: 1
Cutting Board: 1
Lazy Susan: 1
Clipboard: 1
Wine Bottle Coaster: 1
It is a great event! As you said, it is disconcerting that not all of the product is homemade. The important thing is we live up to our standards! It is always wonderful being your neighbor:) WTG on your success!
Right back a’cha, neighbor!