The Mothers & Others show was-- simply put-- a minor success. I made my booth fee and some extra. Most of my sales came from other vendors, and I did have several small sales from passers-by. There wasn't much traffic at the show, and I'm undecided about doing this show again.
Here is my setup:
I'm very pleased with that setup! I think it's a win.
I am so thrilled that I've had several sales from
my Etsy shop in the last week! I'm assuming they are Christmas (or other holiday) presents and I decided to quietly upgrade everyone's shipping to Priority. It's just the nice thing to do, this time of year, whether the gift is for you or a loved one. ;-)
I also had lunch with a friend this past week, and she bought quite a bit from me. I was honestly shocked, but in the best way possible. ;-)
I find that it's best to never expect to sell anything. I am, in turn, grateful for each and every sale I make, because it allows me to splurge on more great supplies. I want to continue to nurture this attitude in all of my future jewelry endeavors. I think it keeps me humble and also it helps me keep things in perspective.
To that end... I had an offer recently to buy some of my jewelry for wholesale. However, the price offered was barely enough to cover the cost of supplies for most of the pieces, and it didn't even cover supply costs for other pieces. She was, of course, interested in my most beautiful, most special pieces.
In the end, I declined the sale. It felt like an insult to my intelligence for the person to offer so little for these pieces, knowing that she was going to turn around and mark them way up for her own profit. How is that fair to me? She also doesn't tell anyone where she gets the pieces, so it wouldn't help to get my name out there.
I feel a little strange about it, because this person was very interested in my pieces, but there was just something that felt "off" about the whole thing. I always try to balance following my gut with making smart business decisions, and in this case, I got a pretty strong "this is a no-go" feeling for both.
I want to maintain integrity in my jewelry and designs, as well as the way I do business. In my quest for respecting myself as an artist, and hoping to garner the respect of others as well... there are times when I just have to say no.
That doesn't make it any easier, though...
If I don't post again until the new year (which is probable at this point), I would like to wish anyone who might be reading this a Happy Holiday season.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy New Year. May you be blessed enough to enjoy time with those you love, and lucky enough to avoid those you don't love!
