On Saturday, Clif and I were up bright and early—for us—to set up at the Winthrop Art Fair.
The weather was good—sunny with clouds, not too windy, not too hot—and while there wasn’t exactly a crush of people, attendance was steady.
Unfortunately, sales were disappointing. We sold enough cards to pay for the table fee plus a little extra, but not enough to warrant all the work we put into getting ready for this event as well as the two of us sitting at the fair from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Plenty of people came to look at the cards. They told us how pretty they were, but many of them left without buying anything. The cards—at $3 apiece—are a good price, so it wasn’t the cost.
After the fair, Clif and I discussed the disappointing sales. While our cards are nice, perhaps flowers and scenery aren’t unique enough to grab people’s attention. With all the great, affordable, digital equipment that is available, taking good pictures has never been easier. Perhaps fairgoers felt they could take pictures and make their own cards. Or, perhaps people just don’t send cards the way they once did. Who knows?
I realize that Winthrop is not exactly in the hub of things, and my card sales shouldn’t be judged by one fair. On the other hand, my expectations for this fair—the table fee plus $100 extra—weren’t unreasonable, and we fell far short of that.
Alec Hartman, another photographer we know, was there, and his mother told me he did quite well. However, Alec takes unique and snappy pictures of animals, and he does a great job. Most people would not be able to get the shots he takes of bears, chipmunks, and various other animals.
So, now I have to decide how much energy and money I want to put into this because by spending so much time on the cards, I neglected other things, including my writing. I have not made bread for two weeks, I have not kept track of sales in the various grocery stores, and I haven’t been as diligent at clipping coupons. Would my time be better spent doing those things rather than trying to sell cards? I honestly don’t know.
Clif has suggested I try selling cards on Etsy, and I plan on following his advice. I might also do a couple of holiday fairs, where we would not only sell cards but calendars, too.
To make up for the disappointing day on Saturday, we had a delightful day on Sunday at our friends’ home. Jim and Dawna live by a lake, and this is the view from their deck.
We had wine and appetizers on the deck, and the weather even let us eat our meal outside, too. We had grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, and a wonderful salad made with Farmer Kev’s heirloom tomatoes.
As a bonus, this butterfly—a black and white admiral, I think—landed on the deck and stayed there long enough for me to get this shot.
I enjoy taking pictures, and I will continue to do so whether or not I sell cards. But this week I am going to take a break from cards. I will make bread, get the house in order, and maybe even do a little fiction writing.
Then next week I will decide how much time I want to put into selling cards.
Notes From the Hinterland 