My First Art Fair Booth: The top 10 things I learned

Last Saturday was the Berea Arts Fest ArtWalk, in Berea, Ohio and I was excited to show my work for the first time!  It was a great day and I learned a lot.  

Here are my top ten nuggets I wanted to share with you:

1. Be Creative with Displays.  It's good to be creative about how art is displayed.  My husband made two of the displays from scrap wood and the 100 year old ladder I used to display some of my collages was quite the conversation piece. Many people commented about how clever the ladder was.  And, because I didn't buy any display fixtures I saved money too. 
2. Set up a Mock Booth.  Planning the layout of the booth before the event was incredibly helpful! I set up everything in my garage the day before. By doing this, I was easily able to identify what was missing. For example, I realized I needed the sign "$5 for 6 greeting cards" in front of my card baskets. Furthermore, because I already had an idea of where items were going to be, the set up that morning, was quick and painless.
3. Have a Low Priced Item.  Having a low priced item made it easy to make a sale.  My husband suggested that I have a packet of 6 cards for $5. I was surprised how many packs I sold to people whom probably would not have purchased anything otherwise.
4. Stick with the Set Prices. Figuring out how to price my artwork was way more of an emotional process that I imagined it would be. I struggled to know how to price everything. I read that if the price for your original piece of art feels a bit too high, then you are probably at the right number. This is how I priced my originals and I decided that I would not negotiate price. When someone made a comment about the price, I simply said "I have prints too."
5. Just Smile and say "Hi!"  Chatting with folks who stop by my booth was not as awkward as I thought it might be.  By simply saying "Hi" and smiling as people walked by or browsed welcomed people into my booth and opened the door for questions or a conversation.
6. Notice What People are Noticing.  Some of my artwork have fun sayings and it was amazing how many people made comments about the phrases. Those collages were also my top sellers. Now I know to make more pieces with quotes. Which is great, because that's what I have been wanting to do anyway.
7. Wear Comfortable Shoes and Have a Comfortable Chair.  Much of the day I was standing on a concrete sidewalk so I was incredibly glad that I wore my most comfortable and supportive shoes. My chair, on the other hand became more and more uncomfortable throughout the day. Next time, I am finding a better chair.
8. Friends Make a World of Difference. I was so lucky that my dear friend Leslie decided to join me in my booth.  She helped set up, she answered questions, and she cheered me on the entire day! And, that was invaluable!  My wonderful husband was my Sherpa and carted all my stuff to and from the car, another friend lent me her tent, and many other friends stopped by or offered encouragement before, during and after the event. I am grateful to each and everyone of them.
9. Listen and Truly Hear the Compliments. I am usually quick to brush off or not fully believe a compliment. It is something that I am working on changing.  On Saturday I listened and received the kind words and praises that were bestowed upon my artwork with a simple and sincere "Thank You". Wow, what a difference! I felt proud and humbled.
10. Tell the Story. People were truly interested in the story of who I am and why I create. By telling my story, people became more connected to my art. One woman returned to my booth after walking through the entire fair to purchase an original collage and to tell me how much she liked my artwork. She said that she had heard me say that this was my first art fair and loved my story about how I started doing collage. My story stuck with her.