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.
In the continuing saga of how far behind am I, here’s one part of that. So, from Carpinteria:
We have done this event 3 times … and had a no call no show one year due to weather. It was going to rain, 100% … and I just didn’t have it in me. But, I digress.
This event is the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. It’s sponsored by Carpinteria’s Museum of Natural History, which sponsors a monthly swap meet on its grounds. In November, though, it transforms into a handmade event.
Sort of.
But, we like Carpinteria. The weather can be outstanding … as it was for us in 2014 and 2015. I tried something else in 2017 … and decided to go back in 2018. Mistake?
New Ideas
- We have a double booth, but we’re committed to not taking the trailer. The booth location in the back of the museum is just not workable for a trailer. Since we can’t get a street/front booth space, we’re driving separately.
- I don’t like doing single day events, so this is a rare one for us. Thank goodness. Drive 70 miles, set up, do the event, load out, drive home. A full day of fun.
Observations
- We felt the legacy of being at this event almost immediately. It’s good for people to remember you. It’s even better when they buy again.
- A Lady asked me, “Are you the one with the sense of humor?”
- Uh…. Sure. That’s me. Funny guy.
- There were an incredible 6 woodworkers at this small neighborhood event. One guy was selling small cutting boards for $10. Uh huh.
- At the end of the day, it wasn’t much of a buying crowd. Competitive pricing was brutal (even if the quality of work wasn’t). Other vendors also had a tough day at this event in 2018.
The Facts
- Total miles driven: 280
- Booth cost: $200
- Food cost: $8
- Total sales: $412
- # of people we met during the event from the producer: 1
- Visits in our booth by a promoter’s representative: a few
- Saturday alarm: 4a
- # transactions: 21
- # soap & lotion vendors: a few
- # woodworking vendors: more than a few
- Edge grain vs. end grain: nope
- Returning next year? nope
Boards sold: 2
Small Boards: 2
