2005 Village Art Fair, Asheville, N.C.

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="05bfd5a3.jpg"> <div> <B>2005 Village Art Fair, Asheville, N.C.</B></div> <div> <B>6260 N.W. 19 Street, Sunrise, Fl. 33313 Toll Free 1-877-512-3333    Email: </B><A HREF="mailto:mike@mikealbin.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:mike@mikealbin.com"><U><B>mike@mikealbin.com</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="05cd2043.jpg"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mike Albin.Com "><U>Mike Albin.Com </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="wd.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Web design"><U>Web design</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="ma.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marketing Articles"><U>Marketing Articles</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="sr.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Show Reviews"><U>Show Reviews</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mt.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marketing Tools"><U>Marketing Tools</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="l.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>Links</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#777777" TEXT="#080000"> <div> August 6th and 7th.  33rd Annual Village Arts and Crafts Fair, On the grounds of The Cathedral of All Souls Church, Asheville, North Carolina. Contact: New Morning Gallery, 7 Boston Way, Asheville, NC 28803  Space size 10x10, booth fee $550.00</div> <div> Set-up for this show is bright and early Saturday Morning.  The veteran artists for this show get here several hours before set-up to grab the closest parking spaces for unloading, some get there around midnight.  There is ample parking for artists a few blocks away, it’s too far to dolly so the spaces next to the show fill up quick.  The later you get here the further you have to dolly.  Bring your dolly for this show, you’re going to need it.  </div> <div> Shoppers come early here, most sales of big ticket items go before noon on Saturday.  After that it gets too hot and the buyers go home.  This is our fourth time doing this show and it’s usually a way above average show for us.  The volunteers at the church do such a great job, this is one of our favorite shows to do.  </div> <div> I’m not sure what happened this year but buyers for big ticket items just did not show up.  Medium and lower priced items did very well.  A jeweler selling medium priced items did very well, a leather belt/handbag maker did well but all of the artists with high priced items I spoke with were shaking their heads.  Our sales were down over 75% from previous years, ouch!  It did rain all day Sunday, a total washout of a day.  It would let up slightly for an hour and then start coming down again.  There still were lots of shoppers carrying umbrellas but big ticket items were not moving.  Two painters I spoke with selling originals only, one had a zero show and the other did not make expenses.  This was their first time doing this show and both said it would be their last.  They had been told by so many this was usually such a great show.  Others that I spoke with that had been doing this show for years were reporting sales down over 50% from previous years.   The rain had to blame for part of the dismal sales.  This is usually such a great show for every artist I see here.  We will definitely be back next year for another try. </div> <div> Break-down can be a bit hectic here.  Again veteran artists start grabbing the closest parking spaces about an hour before the show officially closes.  The rain let up slightly for break-down but we all were soaked by the time we finished.  </div> <div> This year it was a long drive back to Florida shaking our heads and trying not to get to depressed.  I still would definitely recommend this show to anyone selling high end artwork.  Hopefully the buyers will be back next year.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>