So I sold a few things but there was only one thing from my Etsy shop that sold so everything else has been relisted and the shop is full again. So on the bright side, restocking my Etsy shop was really easy and quick!
Oddly, most of the people who stopped to look at my books would look at a few items then look at me, twist their face and head to the side a bit and ask with a wrinkled forehead, "did you make all these?" This happened a lot and I am unsure how to interpret it. So my books didn't look handmade? Or I didn't look like I could have been the one who made them? Or maybe more generally, how could a person possibly make a book? Someone mumbled something about, oh, so like, is this scrapbooking? I have no idea what planet they had just come from. Anyway. My general conclusion is that book-people don't shop at that particular craft show.
Having said all that, the few customers that I had, were wonderful and asked me lots of great questions and went away very pleased with their purchases. I do hope they enjoy their books immensely!
3 comments:
Wow.......... nice table. It looked wonderful!!!!
I think people just don't understand the fact that somebody makes books. And likes it. And the books are beautiful and more durable than non-hand bound ones. I've had customers who have issues with my age. They look at me like I'm nuts because I want to be a bookbinder even though here it's impossible to make a living out of it. And other bookbinders are upset because I got a masters degree at a very young age and they didn't, so they think I didn't really deserve it. Bookbinding is a very complicated business.
But trust me, it gets easier. Next time you're selling your books there might be a customer who saw you this time. One person less whom to explain that you can really make books by hand :) Slow and sure. Good luck!
Hi Rhonda, I'm sorry your fair wasn't as successful as you would have deserved it to be! I wonder if this probably was also due to improper marketing by part of the fair's organisers? At my first fair, I was announced with "handmade books" and a few people had come only because of the announcement.
Furtheron, when it comes to making books or also other crafted stuff -- in my experience a lot of people are really struck with awe when confronted with quality handmade items :-) So that means nothing negative at all, it's just expression of their amazement. Secondly, it's a fact that there are people who simply don't know what to do with blankbooks. A good friend of mine told me she likes my books a lot, but she simply never uses notebooks, jotters, diaries or alike.
So I think you shouldn't be too disappointed! And besides, your table looks really great with the display shelves your dad built!
cheers,
astri
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