Selling Photo's @ craft fairs

  • Thread starter Thread starter RobbieW
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RobbieW

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Hi

Myself and my other half went to a picture framers this afternoon to get my recent moon pano shot framed. The lady in the shop suggested that maybe it would be a good photo to sell, personally i am not sure as I am very critical of my own work. However, with the help of the constructive c&c on here, I am starting to see an improvement in my work and with a little push from my lovely good woman I was thinking that maybe towards the end of 2007/early 2008 I may have a few photos that i could sell at a craft fair.

Does anyone know how you go about starting this to do this? or does anyone have any helpful hints or tips? or even who do you contact regarding setting up a little stall at these events?

This is just an idea at this stage, but if it allows me to justiy new lenses etc then its good

Thanks for any advice and feedback you can give.

Rob
 
Slightly off topic, but, if you've ever thought about it, I'd avoid trying to sell framed prints on eBay. The place is flooded with millions of pictures, and very few have any bids.
 
GfK said:
Slightly off topic, but, if you've ever thought about it, I'd avoid trying to sell framed prints on eBay. The place is flooded with millions of pictures, and very few have any bids.
Click to expand...

All advice greatly received. Thank you
 
Hmmmm in time I might be interested in doing something like this, what with the two of us taking some photos I guess we stand a chance of getting some reasonable photos.
 
Well its me! I was chosen at a judging evening to become a member of the Guild of Essex Craftsmen. Here

Since then I have been trying to set up selling at craft fairs and finding it very very hard work!

Even though the guild send me booking forms for various events which sounds like thats the hard part sorted...... they are just not selling.

They are all framed A4's in lovely gold frames.....beautifully presented on a table covered with a dark blue cloth with the ones at the back higher than the front so people can see etc. People stop and say what wonderful photos they are...ask where they were taken, what sort of camera I have etce etc....talk all about THEIR photo-taking activities....... then they say goodbye and walk away.

These people are known in the trade as " 3P's" they Pick up, Put down and **** off!!!

I sell an average of 2 per show. that covers the fee for the table but not the framing, insurance etc.

i have done 4 fairs now and only sold an average of 2 each time, sometimes less. That even includes 2 christmas craft fairs.....one at a stately home which was huge.

The only thing I can think is that with everyone into digital nowadays...they dont want other peoples pictures on their walls.

I now have about 50 framed photos sitting in boxes here till i can summon the energy/internal oomph to waste another whole saturday/sunday and sell 2 photos. The insurance is about £65 per year btw.

I dont want to put you off but want to tell it how it is.

I thought I was made when i was accepted into the Guild, but it has not turned out that way... i am only going to give it a couple more tries, and then they will all be consigned to the loft I think. There is only so long you can go on flogging a dead horse.

Hope that helps, or at least helps you to see though NON rose-tinted glasses.

Janice
 
There is a bloke I always buy photos from, who I think travels to lots of craft fairs and things, I always see him in Edinburgh. He has some amazing shots of the Scottish Highlands, and he seems to have a good trade going. He does offer a VERY wide range though. He has small 7x5 photos at the front going upto large 20x12 (roughly) and a good mix in between. But he frames all his in simple card frames, they are nicely made and all the frames are signed, but it seems a much cheaper and just as effective method of mounting and displaying them.

I cant remember the exact pricing, but the 7x5s are about £3 or £4 I think going upto £20 (if not more) for the large ones.

He also has a VAST range of shots, covering all seasons and all areas of the Highlands. He must have at least 70 different images and has copies of them in different sizes etc.

Anyway, the whole point of this is - I think if you are going to do it you need A LOT of pictures and loads of different sizes, and not to overprice them. I don't think selling 'originals' would work. Just sell nice prints at a price that anyone would be able to pay is the key, or so it seems.

But then again I have never tried it, and I may be talking utter poop! :(

(thats my essay writting done for the day!)
 
Thanks Jimmy for your comments.

Useful to get ideas from people - maybe IT isn't a bad career after all.
 
I have done quite a few craft fairs this year, my first year of doing so...
I found it (mostly) great fun, eye opening, informative and quite an ego boost.

I've averaged four sales per fair, usually approx £100 to £150 in takings. Two fairs I did, both which I knew would be busy, saw me sell 8 pics at one, and a couple of weekends ago I sold 14, £400 thank you very much.

I don't go for big craft fairs, I look for small village events in the village hall mostly. Tables there seem to average at about £8 to £10 for 1 6ft table, approx. £15 for 12ft. I always have 12ft as it gives you much more space to exhibit the pictures.
I have made a real effort to look professional. My wife and I both wear embroidered polo shirts in navy blue. I cover the table with a navy blue cloth. I have business cards printed professionally, using a navy blue and pale grey scheme...it's all about impression.
I offer two sizes of picture, either mounted or mounted and framed. The mounted pictures are spray mounted onto 2mm MDF backing board with a pale coloured mount surrounding them. These are then labelled neatly by hand with the location and signed by me. They are then supplied in a tight fitting bag with a small price label in the corner.
The framed pictures are as above with the addition of the frames. I obtain frames locally from a "cheap shop", making sure I stick to two regular sizes so obtaining frames and mounts is easy. To give you some idea I can buy a 20 x 16" chocolate leather effect or solid bare pine frame for £7, a mount to fit it for £3.50. I have my prints done locally by someone who has become a friend, for 16 x 12" (the internal size of the mount) I pay approx £2 to £3 depending on volume - I sell that for £40

I find people will look at either the small or the large, not usually both...

I also find a lot of people who only want to talk about photography, that's fine, I'll talk to anyone. It amazes me how many people remain seated behind their stalls and don't even bother with a greeting when someone walks up! I also don't let either my wife or I eat or drink behind the stall, again, looking professional.

Another thing to be aware of is what sells - I can guarantee it won't be your favourite! What sells falls into two camps for me, either local shots of the area, taken to make it look beautiful...or somewhere they have been on holiday and remember well. From paying attention and talking to other stallholders who have been to other craft fairs - what doesn't seem to sell are pictures of animals, pictures that are too modern in feel...to be honest a lot of people at these smaller craft fairs are older/more twee in their outlook, they want a beautiful picture, not a challenging one!

There's a starter for you, feel free to ask anything you like, I'll try to answer

Si
 
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