Back from the road... More Tales from the Craft Show Circuit

Please notice the open coffee cup on the chair... and the odd lighting... and the fact that I'm sort of leaning to one side.

This is all due to the fact that it's about 7:30 AM on a Saturday morning. Operating on about 5 hours sleep, I'm standing there waiting to get the go-ahead from the organizers to set up my table for the Collingswood May Fair. Collingswood May Fair is kind of a big deal in my part of the world. It's a juried art and craft fair in southern NJ where they close off the streets in most of the downtown area -- which is pretty quaint and charming anyway -- and put on one heck of an event. It's widely publicized, well-run, and brings visitors from all around the area.

By 9:00 am, we were all set up and ready to go, although part of me was ready to go back to bed and get a couple more hours of shuteye. An hour later, the early birds started arriving and before long, we were off to the races. This was our third year participating in this event ("our" = myself and my soon - to - be - ex - but - we - remain - good - friends - and - occasional - business - partners. More about that some other time). It was hot as Hades with the kind of oppressive humidity that the northeast is famous for. It usually doesn't hit until July but the weather's been very unpredictable lately. A mini heat-wave at the end of May requires a little mental and physical adjustment, particularly when you know you'll be out in it all day. Thank the Universe for tents and sunscreen!

The first hour of the day is the most stressful for me. That's the hour right after you get your table or booth set up just the way you want it and then begin to wonder, "Will I sell anything today? Should I change my displays again? Are my prices OK?" Sooner or later, folks start trickling in and after you've been doing this long enough, you get pretty good at figuring out which are "lookers" and which are "shoppers". Body language is key! Almost everyone has a "tell" whether they know it or not.

Male shoppers are the best. Women look, touch, handle, go back and forth over this item or that one and often go back to the first item they picked up. My male shoppers are quick. They walk in, look around for five seconds and then point and say, "That one. I'll take that one for my girlfriend." In and out in under a minute. (Hmmm... how can I attract more male shoppers, one wonders. Perhaps I should keep a couple of copies of Sports Illustrated lying around, or ask to be placed next to the pulled pork sandwich vendor. ha!)


One might think the flagging economy would have affected sales negatively; on the contrary, we did the best we've ever done. My theory: Many people can't afford to go away for the holiday, or don't choose to, and so they stayed in town. One of my shoppers told me specifically that she is usually out of town when the Fair is scheduled but this year, she stayed home. Along with the crafters and food vendors, the Fair features two live bands, a car show, and hair and face painting for kids. Who needs to go away when you can get all that for free? Well, not free, exactly... but there's no admission fee to attend a street fair, and on a personal level, I'm always pleased when people make a point to shop local.

Despite the oppressive heat and an abundance of jewelry vendors, we made out pretty well. Experience being the best teacher, we've learned how to pack efficiently, so we broke down, packed up and were ready to roll in less than forty minutes. A quick stop for pizza and a cold six pack of Beck's; get home, count your cash, chill the beer, heat up the pizza, jump in the shower, and there you go: the perfect ending to a near-perfect day. The next morning, stretch the aching muscles you overworked lifting and carrying bins to and from the car, make no plans for the day since you need recovery time, reflect on things you could have done better, faster, whatever, be glad it's all over... and then start thinking about the next one!