Are most shows like this? - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

mowerman1193 · 09-14-2009, 01:42 AM

First let me say that I have never attended a craft show before..But since I have started scroll sawing it has sparked my interest a little now.. Anyway last year as well as this year I attended a craft show just to see some other peoples scroll saw work as well as looking at all types of other things as well..Last years show only had 2 booths with scroll saw stuff but there seemed to be other booths with woodworking things like outdoor furniture ext.. This year had one booth with only scroll saw stuff and all of his things was ornaments..most of those was of high school sports logos from several of our area schools..and that was it..Another booth had larger things..but did have a couple intarsia? portraits..Most of the rest of the booths was jewelry..I was just very disappointed that there wasn't much woodworking to look at..Now my interest has sparked about these shows..I plan to attend another show next week that I think is supposed to be a pretty big place..

Anyway do most of these shows only have a little woodworking and allot of sewn items and jewelry or am I looking at the wrong show, LOL.. Don't get me wrong I like to see a variety of things but dang..I think every other booth was jewelry, lol

Thanks,
Kevin

wood-n-things · 09-14-2009, 01:45 AM

Sadly it seems more and more are turning into flea markets and I rarely find good craft shows with wood working in them in my area as well. I hope to change that this fall by entering a couple myself.

groverd · 09-14-2009, 02:04 AM

I regularly do three craft fairs a year. One of last years christmas shows had three scrollers, all good but different. The other two that i do I am usually the only scroller there. . As I like to see others work another scroller or two would not hurt, , IMHO. . . But as it is I have the market!!

JohnB · 09-14-2009, 02:07 AM

Quote:

But as it is I have the market!!

Grover you are right, If you are a spectator, it's real bummer that there are bugger all Wood working stalls, but if you are a seller, you have it all to yourself.

Janette · 09-14-2009, 03:23 AM

There can tend to be a lot of jewelry at shows. The best ones are ones that are juried for quality - AND - to limit certain numbers of each type of things so you get a good balance.

You should have talked to the scroller and aske him some questions. It could very well be that the high school stuff is what he tends to sell the most of at this particular show, this time of year because of school just starting. When it's a business - sometimes you have to sacrifice making what you like necessarily in order to make sure sales. It's a balancing act for sure.

Jediscroller · 09-14-2009, 11:16 AM

There just aren't that many woodworkers left. The few that I see in shows are typically well past retirement age. I know of only 2 other scrollers in the area that regularly do shows around me. We're rarely at the same shows but even when we are it doesn't seem to hurt business for either one of us.

Dragon · 09-14-2009, 12:40 PM

There is a lot of jewelry around but I still do a few of the craft show that have real crafts. If it's a new place I will ask if it is a "craft fair" or a "bazaar". Because bazaars have a lot of junk so I won't do these.
Diane

Rolf · 09-14-2009, 01:10 PM

We have gone to several Craft fairs this year, non had any scroll saw work. Or wood work at all. I went to a county fair yesterday and the local carving guild had a boothe ( those guys are amazing)
In our scrolling club of 30 members only 4 of us sell our work. Only 2 of us do delicate ornaments.
I will have to go check out Kevin's wares sometime since he is only across the pond.

Richard Grover · 09-14-2009, 02:17 PM

Most of the shows that I have been to (both as a vendor and as a customer) have been mostly fabric or jewlery with very little woodworking of any type. The shows that REALLY bother me are the ones that say in the application "All crafts must be handmade by you." Yet when you get there everything says "Made in China" I have seen some excellant wooden boxes wondering how they can sell them for $25 only to see a "Made in China" sticker on the bottom.

DG Dewalt 788

reads2kids · 09-15-2009, 01:21 AM

Or when you finally do find a wood booth, it was laser cut and not scrolled by hand.
Patty

09-14-2009, 01:42 AM	#1
mowerman1193 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bellevue Michigan Posts: 239	Are most shows like this? First let me say that I have never attended a craft show before..But since I have started scroll sawing it has sparked my interest a little now.. Anyway last year as well as this year I attended a craft show just to see some other peoples scroll saw work as well as looking at all types of other things as well..Last years show only had 2 booths with scroll saw stuff but there seemed to be other booths with woodworking things like outdoor furniture ext.. This year had one booth with only scroll saw stuff and all of his things was ornaments..most of those was of high school sports logos from several of our area schools..and that was it..Another booth had larger things..but did have a couple intarsia? portraits..Most of the rest of the booths was jewelry..I was just very disappointed that there wasn't much woodworking to look at..Now my interest has sparked about these shows..I plan to attend another show next week that I think is supposed to be a pretty big place.. Anyway do most of these shows only have a little woodworking and allot of sewn items and jewelry or am I looking at the wrong show, LOL.. Don't get me wrong I like to see a variety of things but dang..I think every other booth was jewelry, lol Thanks, Kevin __________________ mowerman1193

09-14-2009, 01:45 AM	#2
wood-n-things Behave Yourself..I can't. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Right here ---silly Posts: 4,471 Blog Entries: 1	Sadly it seems more and more are turning into flea markets and I rarely find good craft shows with wood working in them in my area as well. I hope to change that this fall by entering a couple myself. __________________ The Mike One of them anyway. Don't be so open-minded. Your brains will fall out!

09-14-2009, 02:04 AM	#3
groverd Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: washington state Posts: 449	I regularly do three craft fairs a year. One of last years christmas shows had three scrollers, all good but different. The other two that i do I am usually the only scroller there. . As I like to see others work another scroller or two would not hurt, , IMHO. . . But as it is I have the market!! __________________ Grover D RBI Hawk 226 and Dewalt 788 http://groverd.myphotoalbum.com/albums.php

09-14-2009, 03:23 AM	#5
Janette Intarsia Moderator Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Eugene, Oregon Posts: 2,108 Blog Entries: 4	There can tend to be a lot of jewelry at shows. The best ones are ones that are juried for quality - AND - to limit certain numbers of each type of things so you get a good balance. You should have talked to the scroller and aske him some questions. It could very well be that the high school stuff is what he tends to sell the most of at this particular show, this time of year because of school just starting. When it's a business - sometimes you have to sacrifice making what you like necessarily in order to make sure sales. It's a balancing act for sure. __________________ Janette www.square-designs.com

09-14-2009, 11:16 AM	#6
Jediscroller American Crafstman Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Galaxy far, far away Posts: 3,174 Blog Entries: 5	There just aren't that many woodworkers left. The few that I see in shows are typically well past retirement age. I know of only 2 other scrollers in the area that regularly do shows around me. We're rarely at the same shows but even when we are it doesn't seem to hurt business for either one of us. __________________ Kevin Scrollsaw Patterns Online Making holes in wood with an EX-30, Craftsman 16" VS, Dremel 1680 and 1671

09-14-2009, 12:40 PM	#7
Dragon scroller and moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chertsey, Quebec, Canada Posts: 2,421	There is a lot of jewelry around but I still do a few of the craft show that have real crafts. If it's a new place I will ask if it is a "craft fair" or a "bazaar". Because bazaars have a lot of junk so I won't do these. Diane __________________ Dragon Owner of a Dewalt 788 PuffityDragon on AFSP

09-14-2009, 01:10 PM	#8
Rolf Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bellport, LI New York Posts: 2,808	We have gone to several Craft fairs this year, non had any scroll saw work. Or wood work at all. I went to a county fair yesterday and the local carving guild had a boothe ( those guys are amazing) In our scrolling club of 30 members only 4 of us sell our work. Only 2 of us do delicate ornaments. I will have to go check out Kevin's wares sometime since he is only across the pond. __________________ Rolf RBI G4 Hawk, Delta SS350 Philosophy "I don't know that I can't, therefore I can"

09-14-2009, 02:17 PM	#9
Richard Grover Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 145	Most of the shows that I have been to (both as a vendor and as a customer) have been mostly fabric or jewlery with very little woodworking of any type. The shows that REALLY bother me are the ones that say in the application "All crafts must be handmade by you." Yet when you get there everything says "Made in China" I have seen some excellant wooden boxes wondering how they can sell them for $25 only to see a "Made in China" sticker on the bottom. DG Dewalt 788

09-15-2009, 01:21 AM	#10
reads2kids Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: North Dakota Posts: 27	Or when you finally do find a wood booth, it was laser cut and not scrolled by hand. Patty

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