Gary's Third Pottery Blog

When the going gets tough, dragons gonna get going....

Gary's third pottery blog

WRITE TO ME! garyrith@yahoo.com Come see me! Open studio HERE! November 25-26 (11-4 each day); Aurora Art and Design, daily until 12/24; Cooperstown Art Assoc. daily until 12/24; Ellis Hollow Community Fair, 12/10; December 10, Little Red Wagon at the Space at Greenstar. All material on this blog unless stated otherwise is copyright Gary Edward Rith 2016

Monday, July 11, 2011

adorable is a big word these days.....

I was at a big street fair, art and jazz fest in Binghamton for the last 3 days. Awesome event and weather, good sales, but a bit tiring, you know? Up at the crack of dawn, home late. I do very few fairs these days, having done hundreds when I was in New Hampshire for ten years. It is back breaking work, setting up, being there, etc, whereas sitting on my ass blogging and selling is mighty easy ;)
ANYWAY, this is a fun and worthwhile event, one of the few fairs I really like to do.

Potters who have done street fairs will have also noticed: there is a certain type of person who will stand there yakking at you, giving you their opinons on your work and marketing and their cousin, niece, neighbor, something they saw on vacation or "I don't need anything now" or "why don't you....". The more some people talk, the less likely they are to buy something. Makes you figure that humans are very strange animals--I am like a captive in a cage and I have to listen to these yahoos' strange ideas? Remarkable how many people like to hear themselves talk.

BUT you are always amazed at the shopper who swoops in and grabs and pays for something quietly AND also the vast majority of visitors who smile, ask questions, tell me what I make is adorable and then buy it.
The bar on the street behind me had this doggy looking out the upper window, a kitten too :)


Part of my display.




Below is the street where most artists were. We are on the courthouse lawn usually, but due to renovations on Washington St. A very pretty street. Looking up the line of booths you will notice this potter up the way with ugly brown pots, overpriced plus he was an unfriendly turd :)



Bar with doggy in the window upstairs, watching me.

Below you see the groovy building across the street.




17 comments:

~ Sil in Corea said...

Sure looks like a neat historic district to have the fair in. I love your surroundings almost as much as your pottery! ;-) I bet you sold lots more than the 'brown pot man' --- almost said 'chamber-pot'...LOL! You are wise to have plenty of cool spoon-holders and tiles; I bet folks snap those right up.
{{{Hugs}}} ~ Sil

Ron said...

Hey Gary, I'm glad it was worth your time and energy. Fairs ARE hard work. I don't think customers understand that sometimes. Packing up, loading, traveling, setting up, etc, tearing down. All all the stuff in between listening to crazy people. I'm trying to sell more online but I do like doing a few shows a year. I do have some really nice customers who I've come to know over the years and they come back to buy my work regularly. That's a great feeling and it's fun to catch up.

It certainly is a beautiful place there where you had the show and that dog and kitten in the window are too funny. Perfect for you, the pet lover that you are.

Your stand and pots look fab.

gz said...

good weather, good music, that's what this should be!! (and sales as well, of course!)

I love grey cats.

Busy Bee Suz said...

This looks like such a quaint little area to spend the weekend Gary!!! Could not possibly imagine someone giving you any grief over your pottery....gorgeous!!!!

Cheryl said...

What a nice setting to set up in. Beautiful building and love the doggie and kitty. They wanted to be sure and see you. I would come to your booth and exclaim over and over again wow! wonderful! I love this and this! And I do NOT like turds.

Joyful Things said...

Those who can, do. Those who can't, give advice. Very annoying "customer". The other annoying customer is the one who comes in, loads their arms full of pots and when everyone has left the booth sets them all down and says "I'll come back" only to disappear like Jimmy Hoffa. Glad you had a good show - your pottery is fantastic and the advice giver is an ass.

kate et jim said...

Did you stay in Binghamton or drive back and forth each night?

I was born there, but only lived there a few weeks, I'm told. So I don't remember too much about the place! (hehe).

Looks like a fantastic display - all your checkered pottery looks really cool grouped together like that.

gary rith said...

Thanks all! As far as the person who sets stuff aside to buy later, or go to the atm or whatever, I am gonna start collecting cell phone numbers or I am not gonna let them reserve stuff :)

Reverend Awesome said...

Your booth looks great! Those doggie and kitty are so cute! Of course they were spying on you. They know you're a friend of the furred.

Farmer*swife a/k/a Glass_Half_Full said...

Getting a cell # is a great idea so you don' miss a 'sale' if someone else wants something while person #1 possibly forgot all about it. Good thinking!

Farmer*swife a/k/a Glass_Half_Full said...

PS, I commented on FB but love the pictures!

Susan as Herself said...

What a charming street/location. Oh how I do love street fairs. I am one of those people who buys WAY too much stuff and then look like a pack mule as I attempt to carry it all!!!

Unknown said...

I am one of those people who stops by your blog, and tells you that stuff is adorable but hasn't yet bought anything.

Talk is so cheap.

Do you hate me?

Michèle Hastings said...

i haven't done a lot of street shows... i am not a fan of packing pots, setting up and tearing down (who is?). i do enjoy the interaction with customers. my goal is to do a couple shows a year and sell the rest either through our own gallery, the co-op we belong to and online through Etsy.
... and Gary, please stop picking on the over priced brown pots, Jeffy and I happen to love them... but we are friendly and don't act like turds :o).

Unknown said...

Love, love this blog. Great photos, love the doggie sentinel with the kitty. hahahahaha! Your booth looks really spectacular, love that also! :) Know what you mean about people at shows, hahahaha! Had a guy ask me a hundred times how I put the holes in the colanders...hahahhaa! Every time I answered him he said, "No Kidding"! hahahahhaha!

Glennis said...

What an amazing building! I don't remember Binghamton being so attractive!!

The festival looks fantastic! We just had our big west coast arts & crafts festival here, the Contemporary Crafts Market. I will remember to think of the vendor's point of view - it's true that you are trapped! I tend to dip in quick, bail out quick and when I buy, I do it quick, but you're making me even more aware of it!

Hope you did well!

Quietly Otaku said...

What a great setting for a fair, it looks so pretty and the doggie - very sweet! Looks like it was a great day : )

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I am a full-time studio potter, sculptor, and dog walker, married to superhawt Missus Tastycake.