Markets and Stalls?
-
Who sells their work at markets around here? I just got back from a local country festival and while my nose hates me for going out in these gusty August winds, I had a good chat with some of the artists there.
They were very encouraging and suggested trying to do markets or a stall, but I question whether my work is marketable in that way... but it could possibly just be me self sabotaging again. I know I keep hitting a wall with trying to make a store online. I feel so overwhelmed by it all.
So what do y'all do when you want to sell in person? Things to consider for the newbie shopkeep, how to showcase, any tips, tricks, suggestions or words of encouragement to offer?
-
@Amanda-Jean Your work IS marketable, but you do have to figure out how. To sell at markets, you need to have some sort of product. You can make your art into many things: nursery prints, adult prints, comics, bookmarks, mouse pads, tea towels, etc. But you have to really think about it, you can't just throw together a bunch of random products. What kind of products would suit your art best? What kind of person would be looking to buy that kind of product? Basically, who is your product for and what else can you do to appeal to that kind of person? That's very important to think about. If you sell nursery prints, baby books and baby bibs, those things go together. If you sell nursery prints and adult comics, you're just confusing people. They will be at your stall wondering "Is this product meant for me? Who is supposed to buy this, is it for kids or adults?" What you're looking to create is more of a feeling of "OMG that's SO me, I can totally imagine that product in my home, I need it." This needs a little bit of thinking to figure out, but once you do you have so much direction that you're all set at markets!
-
You have to keep your market in mind too. In my area (MA, USA) there are a lot of alternative / horror / weird? conventions. I have friends that sell loads of prints and buttons art books and what not and some of your work would fit well on that category. (Your cat and rockabilly vampire on IG Iām looking at in particular.) You just have to focus who you are selling to and what you are selling.
-
@NessIllustration @jakecrowe
All good advice, thank you. I will ponder this. There's a happy medium to find between content and product I suppose. I am quite keen on the tees and prints idea so far, so I will just stick to them for now and see where it goes.My local markets have artists that do illustrative and abstract painting or illustration work. The lady I met on the weekend is a printmaker who does workshops and sells prints, cards, and random little ornaments.
I am looking for the practical as well as the aesthetic, but it will require some thought and questions to put forward to people.
I appreciate your input, both of you!
