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Yes, being able to start the day in a clean kitchen makes a big difference to me. That is why I do it.
i don’t feel like I am getting a lot done, but I guess I must be - I am starting to get some push back from my dh about how I always overstock for sales. This is true, but I also run out of things, and there is no way to know what those things might be. For example, I have a signature style bowl. it sells best in green. sometimes it doesn’t sell at all, but I have also had a show where several people have specifically come looking for one. So, I want to have ten in stock - five of them split between two shades of green I offer. I was down to three, no green.
last sale I ran out of gray and kiwi hippos, the sale before it was blue. You can never have too many hippos. :) Yes, I may sell one “high end” art platter, but I need three on display to pull people over and I need half a dozen similar ones to pull out from under the table to show them when the one they are looking at isn’t “quite right” (“actually, I have one [with more blue or whatever] but I hadn’t put it out yet”) somehow draws people in, it becomes part of the story that I was keeping it back but got it out just for them and makes it more special.
and yes, the booth is still full at the end of the sale. The booth HAS to be still full at the end of the sale. If people come in at 1:00 on Sunday and see stripped down booths, they just keep walking.
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Chicken Lady, I know nothing about selling crafts, but my ex used to get on my case for buying too much food for dinner parties or birthday parties, and we always did have leftovers. But I hate the feeling of being at a party when I see they are running out of food. So I've made my peace with lots of leftovers!
Your reasoning about having extras sounds very sensible to me!
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LOL, Chicken Lady, that's why you are successful with sales, and he doesn't sell!
(and you are correct- empty booths kill an event. We had a local sale that was very successful, and had mostly empty tables mid Saturday afternoon, 2 years in a row. The next year nobody went at all!)
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So today I've done very little on the inventory control. I'll just go with the fact that nothing extra was added and nothing was "undone" and plan for a more productive tomorrow. Chicken lady your pottery sounds lovely, and you are right about needed your booth full at the end of the event. Best case might be everything unpacked and on display, I guess? I know when I go to a craft or antique show, I am not drawn into booths that look picked over or half empty - even if I'm towards the end of the show. Same with our antique mall booths, they need to have enough stuff that if we sell a good bit and I can't get there for several days, they still have plenty to look at!
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Early morning, some days holding your ground is just fine!
i thought I posted last night, but no sign of it.
yesterday in my home studio I glazed some test tiles and unpacked and sorted more stuff for inventory.
at school I unloaded the kiln and put a first coat on 4 hippos,
and at my class studio I made 4 more hippos before class but then I was so tired I just took notes during class - I didn’t try to produce work. I did put 4 dry pieces on the firing cart. I have a bunch of homework.
so far this morning I have turned the heat on and started the fan. Anything that warms up will go to school with me to fill out the kiln load today. (Work that stays cold isn’t fully dry)
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I'm enjoying reading about the progress in hippos, clearing out and writing. I made my first 6000 + steps for November yesterday- say 36! October was a huge success in my goal...this month not starting auspiciously, but I'll keep plugging along.
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Nswef, that is a lot of steps! There is still a lot of November left, so i’m Sure you will regroup and get more days.
put 4 pieces in the kiln with the kids stuff. There was a little extra room, but all the kid stuff was in plus everything I brought and the load has to be done for their next class. I want to unload it tomorrow, so I went ahead and fired. (The kiln fires better the more full it is, which is why I take my work in when we have a deadline but not a full load.)
glazed ten hippos. Might be done for the night.
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How many hippos did you want to have for the show? You are well on your way! congratulations.
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10 grey, 5 of each color, however many colors I get around to. Making hippos is like knitting a plain scarf. Pick it up, put it down, keeps the hands busy and looks productive. They are small, cute, inexpensive impulse buys and pull people over to my booth. Also, kids can play with the hippos and a ceramics show tends to be not so kid friendly. I think some people buy their kid a hippo to keep little hands busy.
i actually made 8 more while m hair was drying by the fire last night.
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Unloaded and loaded the school kiln.
glazed two hippos and two small dishes.
unpacked and sorted some more inventory.
