Finding the Right Item to Sell

I'm an organizer, not an artist; I'm a casual crafter.  But I had been coercing my friends to participate, so I needed to do my part.

My family loves to spend Christmas at the beach, so I thought what fun it would be to decorate the tree with a beach theme.  However, finding "beachy" ornaments was not easy, so I thought I would make my own. That led to many happy hours combing the beach for perfect shells. My first attempt at making something to sell looked like this.  My friend +Beth Gilmore (who had some experience with selling said, "You need to have more than 20; make a hundred!") So I did. I only have 85 left.  I guess not a lot of people wanted shells as ornaments.

My next idea was to sharpen my sewing skills after many years. The person who made blankets had opted out of the next bazaar, so I thought I could probably make blankets. All I had to do was sew 4 sides on the wrong side and turn it inside out. Turns out you have to have lots of blankets for customers to choose from in order to select the one they want.  I had made 10; I only have 8 left.

Moving on...my great (!) friend Janice Graves graciously sent me a recipe for almond toffee that she said was exceptional. I tried it, then tried it again, then experimented with how to package it. After lots of searching for the right container, I felt like I had a winner. Janice was right; the toffee is exceptional, and after checking with the health department, I felt comfortable offering it for sale. I make about 35 pounds a year and sell out every year.  People love food!

More about attempts to find marketable items to come.

The Bazaar as a Social Activity...Just Plain Fun!

It is becoming more obvious that the Seaview Manor Bazaar is doing more than raising money for the Clatsop County Women's Resource Center; it's providing support for other charities, and it's providing a network for beginning artists who are trying to support themselves.  It's even providing opportunities for friendship. This has been playing on my mind for a couple years now, but I just reread my previous post on the Zimbabwe Artists Project and realize that this bazaar is unique,

One thing Carol and I want to do is provide opportunities for the vendors to interact with each other.  And, of course, we are still getting to know the people of the community.  So we have a party and presale the night before we open to the public.  All vendors are invited and each may invite up to three guests.

We also invite a few neighbors.  We have a great time and get practice with the cash registers and credit card machine.

Then we have soup and lunch stuff available upstairs on the two days of the bazaar so that vendors can take a break.  Everyone loves that, and gradually, we are getting to know each other.  Being around the artists and crafters is energizing, and I really look forward to this whole weekend.  I wonder what our vendors have to say about the social aspect of the bazaar.  Comments?

Focus on The Zimbabwe Artists Project (ZAP)

The Zimbabwe Artists Project (ZAP) has been one of our vendors for six years.  ZAP partners with Weya artists in strengthening self-sufficiency, cultural understanding, and education.  We love having ZAP be a part of the Seaview Manor Bazaar.  Customers love their artwork, and they have always sold well.  Each artist receives the proceeds from the sale of her piece, which I particularly like.  But the project does so much more.  I have taken the following description from their website.  You can learn more about the project and look at the many pieces of art available for purchase at http://zimbabweartistsproject.org/.  You can also find them on facebook.

ZAP’s Origins
Zimbabwe Artists Project has its roots in Lewis and Clark College Overseas Programs. Dick Adams, a sociology professor, led students to Zimbabwe in 1994, 1997 and 1999, on programs focused on gender and social change. In 1997, artists from Weya, who were host mothers/sisters for the students, asked him to find a market for their art in the U.S. He founded Zimbabwe Artists Project in 1999 as a non-profit organization.

Our Relationship with the Artists
Zimbabwe Artists Project strives for a genuine partnership with the women of Weya. We believe that traditional donor-recipient relationships often foster self-satisfaction on one hand and dependency on the other. This can be damaging to both sides, deepening existing inequalities. Our approach is based on the belief that self-respect comes through people’s own accomplishments. Our goal is to foster self-respect and self-reliance through collaborative projects.

 

Accomplishments in Zimbabwe

We are involved in a number of important activities with the artists and in their community. We have helped Weya artists create their own cooperative association, assisting with constitution writing and fundamentals of bookkeeping. ZAP gives the artists continuing feedback on their art and has funded workshops to enhance artistic skills. We frequently transport artists and supplies on the 200-mile round-trip to Harare, the capital city, and pay for health care for all artists. Additionally, we assist with special projects for artists who have emergencies or compelling needs. In those cases, we request that the person in need create a piece of art about her situation. We then purchase the work at above the normal rate. Artists have used this income to rebuild fragile houses, meet major medical emergencies, care for AIDS orphans, and enter teacher-training college. ZAP has completed a clean water project in Weya and is engaged with the people of Weya in responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

What makes a good bazaar?

I went to some holiday craft shows the last couple weeks around Portland, OR, some good and some not so good.  So what makes the difference?  Because I want the Seaview Manor Bazaar to be known as one of the good ones! The following are some of things I noticed:

1.  A variety of vendors, enough to fill the space, but not too many.

2.  Creative displays that show off the art or craft with enough items to allow choices  wihout overcrowding.

3.  Whatever the art or craft is, it has to be well done, even beautifully done.

4.  Something unique, but can be envisioned on yourself, on that new granddaughter, or in your home.

5.  Reasonable pricing.  A few large ticket items, then many more that people think is a bargain.

6.  Color always helps.

Look at the detail on the Santa...all hand painted by +Lori Wagner, and the basket, built around a perfect piece of driftwood for the handle by +Deb Carnes.  And the colors show really well!

But maybe you have other things that you have loved about an art/craft show.  Let me know in your comments.  What are you looking for when you go to a bazaar?

Holiday Bazaar...or just a Bazaar?

How do the marketing gurus figure out what the public wants even before the public knows what it wants??  We were thinking holiday bazaar, so that means holiday décor, right?  Wrong.  Who could resist a tree filled with ornaments?  Or beautifully hand created Christmas décor?

 

Lots of people, evidently!  With all our great Christmas and holiday decorations, they didn't sell very well.  Instead, blankets and photo books did quite well.

 

 

And we sat around a lot.

 

 

 

 

Choosing a charity

Carol and I decided early on that we wanted the bazaar to benefit a charity, not ourselves.  We researched a number of local charities, focusing on their missions, goals and services. We also asked lots of questions of community residents. Since one of our goals was to get to know the community, this research was already helping.  County residents love this charity!  It has a great reputation.  The following information was taken from its website.  Good choice, right?

The +Clatsop County Women's Resource Center provides advocacy and support to survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking. Our services include 24 hour crisis response, case management, emergency and transitional housing, trauma informed support groups and individual advocacy. We also provide community education opportunities promoting the prevention of violence in our community.

Providing Support For Survivors Of Violence In Clatsop County Since 1976.
1361 Duane St, Astoria, OR 97103
http://www.ccwrc.net/
(503) 468-6705

First year doldrums!

2007 - We thought we would be deluged with requests to be a vendor after we had distributed an ad for participants.  We even got a post office box to handle all the mail we were going to get!  After getting absolutely no mail and pleading with our friends and relatives to be a part of our bazaar, we resorted to visiting craft shows.  We discovered it was harder to get good vendors than we had ever thought, but we were determined to keep our standards high, accepting only those people who were really good at their art or craft.  I'm forever grateful to our first vendors for making us look good!  Aren't these things fabulous?

 

Teddy bears in the German tradition by +Anita Kelsey (Astoria Sunday Market), Seaside, OR

 

 

Lampwork beaded jewelry by +Vicki Perkins (Carol's friend), Portland, OR

 

 

 

Stuffed turkeys by +Lori Wagner (my daughter's high school friend), Temecula, CA

 

 

Crocheted baby clothes by +Kathy Magee (my friend), Boulder City, NV

 

We finally ended up with 23 vendors, and had about 100 customers, though we didn't start keeping track (real data) until the next year.  We brought in a little over $6800 (we did keep track of this), but the vendors kept 90%, so that meant we only had $680 to cover expenses and provide a decent donation to the Clatsop County Women's Resource Center in Astoria, Oregon.  Carol and I covered most of the expenses ourselves and managed to give the Women's Resource Center $300.