Joe Mills

What I Learned at the Festival

December 13, 2009 on 3:42 pm | In Business | No Comments

Considering this was my first festival experience, it was obviously a learning experience. Here is what I learned:

1) I need something to cover my inventory. I do not want people to think that I have an endless supply.
2) People do not want to carry around a poster for an entire day. Some folks said they would come back and buy a poster and they did. Other folks did not. Do I bring cardboard tubes so at least it can be protected? Or, maybe a music festival is not the best venue…
3) In regards to number 2, I need some smaller items that can be carried. I was giving away stickers, but it might have been nice to have some stickers or magnets or cards that I was selling. Those can be carried.
4) The price was still perceived as “cheap” to people. Now, this is something that I’m struggling with. Since I have been buying at large quantities, the price points I have still allow me to have a pretty decent profit. Yet, if they are perceived as “cheap”, they might not seem as special to people. At the same time, I like the idea of inexpensive art. Something that can be just thrown up on the wall if you want. As I have found out, some people have framed my Chicago 2010 poster, so it can be seen as special if people feel that way. Plus, I feel like my style skews younger. Many older people walked by my booth and then kept walking. Younger people seemed to be more interested in the style and gave me a “that’s cool” even if they didn’t purchase. I’m not sure. I have not fully figured this one out yet…

For my first festival, it went pretty well. Now, I need to keep pushing the posters to shops around the city, prepare for festivals and fairs next summer, and make more artwork. I was able to get a good amount of sketching done in between purchases…