I had been preparing- for two years, now- to take part in the annual 'Fair in the Square' Christmas craft show held in Nathan Philips' Square. Last year the Fair was cancelled, obviously, though they held a virtual market online, and I participated in that.
Usually
the Fair runs for two weeks. The rates last year were $3,000 for the
two weeks, but you could get one week for $1500-1600. I was planning on
attending the one week. Technically, I had enough stock last year to
turn a decent profit, but hoping you sell literally everything you've
made at one show is not a realistic plan. So last year the best case
scenario would have been a break even- or perhaps a little extra- and
getting my name out there. When that fell through I spent the year
building more stuff for to sell at the next show, should the show
finally return. I was now looking at realistically turning a profit for
Christmas.
I received word a few weeks back that they were planning on returning and waiting for final approval.
Last
night I received word that the market would be running in a different
location- in Vaughan, far from the downtown core and all its foot
traffic- for one week. The cost for this one week in this worse
location is.... $3,000. Same price for half the time and fewer
potential customers.
I
can't justify the expense, and I can't afford to risk a loss on that
scale. So it looks like I'll be back to the virtual market again this
year.
Cue the music.
2 comments:
You are not a loser! The dang world is a loser, beating us all like bad dogs. I actually like this song, even though I'm in my late-middle years (if I live to 120), because I graduated in the 90's with my long sought after degree. So I was exposed to alternative music when I worked at the university and acquired a taste for the genre.
Getting half the time in a worse location for the same money is for suckers. I'm glad you didn't do it. Maybe nobody else will and they'll rethink for next year.
Thanks.
I have a slim hope, very slim, that perhaps they will have trouble filling the venue under those terms, and may offer reduced rates to vendors, but there are a lot of desperate sellers out there after the year we've had.
I listened to a lot of alternative music in my younger days. My friends and I were snobs of a sort, looking down at those who listened to all that commercial rubbish and whatnot. It's the old line: 'He went to university. like all university students, he majored in condescension.'
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