Festival of Trees-My best show ever!

[martzy]

I attend a local craft show every year called Festival of Trees. They have food, entertainment, decorated Christmas trees, a chinese auction, raffles, and many different types of craft vendors.

First of all, I won the prize for best vendor. I was shocked because there was a lot of really good crafts. I was the only "wood guy". I donated my prize money back to the catholic school the festival sponsers. Plus, my wife teaches there and I am in charge of getting vendors to attend the festival so I didn't want it to be said that I cheated in any way or that it was rigged. I didn't even know who the judges were. The organizers fogot to get a ribbon made for the winner. I sounds selfish but I really wish I could have gotten one. Just for my own selfish pride of displaying a first place ribbon.

I didn't sell a lot of variety of items but did sell a lot of a couple of items. What sold a lot of this year didn't sell last year and what sold last year didn't sell this year. You just never know so I will keep providing some of the same things every year and add a couple new things.

I got a lot of compliments on my stuff which made me feel really good. I tell them that all I do is follow a line. Anyone can do it. Craft shows can take a lot out of you but I enjoy meeting other vendors and talking shop with people along the way. I was amazed at how many people said they had a scroll saw but never use it. I was also surprised at how many people asked if I cut it with a laser. I need better signage next time that says everything is hand crafted.

I also decorated a tree with some of the ornaments I cut out. My tree took third place in the people's choice voting.

Take a look at some of the pictures of my display which is still a work in progress. The portraits don't sell very often but they do bring people in. I display them more for the appeal than to sell. But if someone offers, they can take it home. My stuff is way underprised but I sold a bunch.

[Intarsia.co.uk]

It is a lovely setup you got....and yes your stuff is way more worth it,the time and effort that goes into it i would double your prices for your quality of work......but you do the pricing not me...

Danny

[wood-n-things]

Great signage and nice displays and a good variety. Congrats....

I'm gonna sell all my tools and just buy your things and mark em at the prices I sell em for. Will save me a ton of work and I'll still make sales...LOL

[Bill Wilson]

Congratulations on the best vendor prize Keith! Looks like it was well deserved. You had a really nice selection of work there. I'm glad the festival was a success. Sounds like it was a lot of fun.

You mentioned that a number of people said they had scroll saws but never used them. Hopefully some of them will want to attend the introduction to scroll sawing class I'm going to teach in your backyard next Spring. We're working out final details and scheduling now, but it looks like we're a go to have the class in May at the Sawmill Center for the Arts in Cooks Forest.

Again, great job with the show. How are you going to top it next year?

[paul44224]

I can see you deserved the "Best Vendor", Keith! Your work is also great! As far as pricing goes, I price my work pretty close to yours. But I know what my area, and the shows I attend, will pay.
Mind telling me where the "Joy" nativity, first pic, came from?

Paul

[Rolf]

Keith,
Congratulations on the award.
Nice display and I also agree with the others your prices are way too low.
Who are the designers of the the Joy nativity(really like that) and the multi layer one picture 4?

[Wood Dog]

Congrats Keith........you must love to scroll, your work shows the love.
Location, location, location as they say, guess that's why you priced your work so low, but if you enjoyed making them, and had fun, you have been rewarded.

[martzy]

I know my prices are low but they are adjusted for what sells in this area. I made $1000 at this show so I consider it a success. If the prices were higher, would I have made as much? Of course the booth next to me was selling $60 house things that I thought would never sell but several walked out the door. Their stuff was really high but it sold too. Never really know what price is right.

The Joy nativity came from Winfield Collection. They had it painted red and on a base board. It was also much larger that what I made. Their pattern would require a 2x12. I scaled it down for a 2x10. When I cut the J and Y apart from the O, I put them through the planer to thin them down so the O would pop out more. After they went through the planer, I cut them free from the rest of the wood and routed them to round over the edge. If you are doing several at a time, make sure you mark your J O Y with a number system or something similar so you can match them up again when it's time to glue them together.

Another change was that I routed out the back of the O so the nativity scene would sit beind it. The pattern wanted you to attach a piece of BB plywood to the front of the O for the scence to sit behind. I thought that would look sloppy so I did a rabbit with the router instead sort of like a picture frame. I also used a backer board instead of frosted glass with a candle like the pattern said to do. I just hot glued the backer board in. The backer is just a piece of luan. The grain texture gave an interesting effect with the nativity scence that I really liked.

The one in picture 4 is all one piece. I got the pattern again through Winfield but it came in one of their pattern sets that you get if you join their pattern club. I don't know if it is for sale individually. If you provide me with your mailing address and ask me to mail a copy to you, I would have to say no way because that is breaking copyright laws. They suggested a paint wash for the pieces. I hate painting so I stained them different colors and glued them together again.

If you are talking about the three piece set in the fifth picture, It also came from winfield. The only change I made was staining it instead of painting.

[Lou]

Your stuff is really nice and very well displayed. Glad you did well. Your prices are extremely reasonable, but I hear you about adjusting prices for your area. Sometimes you just do what you have to do, essentially. If you can make $1,000 at a show where I presume the table didn't cost a lot, you did very well indeed! I'd just love to find a couple of venues like that!

Lou

[martzy]

Well Lou, like I said, I am in charge of getting vendors for the show. I can send you an application. Western Pennsylvania isn't THAT far from Nova Scotia.

[wood-n-things]

Keith,
Don't get the wrong Idea I wasn't ragging on you for your prices. Anytime you can do 1000 at a small local venue you must be doing something right.

[martzy]

Sorry Mike. Didn't mean to come off sounding pissy. Having a fellow scroller like my work and think it's worth more money than what I am asking is a pretty high compliment.

Pricing is always my biggest question at shows. I think it's worth more but I really want to sell the items so I can come home with something in my pocket. The nativity cross by Sue Mey sold out twice this year so I think its price will have to go up. I do a bigger show in October with thousands of people attending so I raise prices for that. Festival of trees is small and local so I try to lower them a little.

Just as a bonus, I take all my left over items and display them at my school in the faculty lounge. My fellow teachers look forward to me bringing them in (they keep asking when I am going to set up). I made an additional $400 just by doing that. Everything I sell there is in incriments of $5.

[wood-n-things]

No worries. You didnt' sound like it but I did not want to offend either. I respond to so many threads sometimes i get in a hurry and do not elaborate my thoughts fully. It is nice to have those added venues like fellow workers etc. Bonus sales if you will.

[Rolf]

Keith,
I really like the changes you made to the Joy nativity. It took a nice design to one that really pops! I would never ask someone to copy a pattern and send to me. We have to keep our pattern designers employed.

[martzy]

Darn those copyright laws and ethical standards.