Hello My Imaginary Friends,
Apparently I’ve never written this, although I swear I have.
Conventions are a hectic and exhausting event for those of us that sell. These are my pet peeves that clients do quite often. Most of it boils down to respect. Here they are:
5. Haggling
Conventions are a lot of work and most artists don’t do it to get rich. The money is used to go back into the art and to let us go to these events.
Most artists underprice their stuff by not including their time in the calculation of cost and profit. Be it art, hand crafts, food, etc; the artist has worked hard to figure out their price.
You can ask if they have deals, but this isn’t a flea market; don’t try to haggle down the price.
4. Blocking a table
I understand you want to chat and hang out. That’s great, but if you’re done buying or are just chatting then move to the side and let others look. You can still chat and hang out without blocking a table.
Same goes for those who want to hang out with friends, do it somewhere else. Be aware that if you’re blocking a table, others can’t get to it.
3. Selling to vendors
When someone is working on selling their own stuff there is nothing more rude or insulting than you going around trying to sell them something.
The obvious exception is food, I’m okay with that. But I don’t want your cheap ass flyers for life coaching, hotel rooms, or other bullshit. I’m there to sell coffee and crochet, not hear about how you can help me become a corporation.
2. Touching
If your hands are dirty or you’re holding food/drink, don’t touch. For the rest of the time when it comes to my coffee bags I don’t care. I have a set up the encourages you to touch and look.
For everyone else. ASK! If we had a dollar for every person who played with the crocheted items we’d pay for our table twice-over.
Not everyone has displays that are fixable or products that can handle touching. Be respectful and ask first.
1. Photos
Don’t. Just don’t take pictures unless you ask first. For those that make print art it’s the number one way to pirate their stuff. For those that make products, it’s a great way to steal designs or patterns.
If you must send someone the cutest thing you’ve ever seen, ask first. If you post it online ask first and give the artist credit.
This is the artist’s creation, don’t be a jerk. Most will be okay as long as you ask and are respectful.
In the end it just comes down to realizing that artists are there to sell and talk about their products. Respect them and their art.
Anything I missed? Let me know in the comments.
Éric
Eric, I took your photo and Jen’s and posted them on FB thinking to advertise your wares. You smiled for the photo and all but…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what I’d intended. You might have had advice for how I cropped it. Won’t happen again, I promise!!
Liz W-T
You asked if you could take the picture and then when you posted it you said who we are. That’s exactly what you should do. This was more for those that do close up shots of pictures or crochet.
Liz, you did exactly the right thing, asking first and tagging us when posting.
At the most recent convention we were at, someone was sneakily taking pictures of my crochet work, got defensive when I asked him to stop and to delete any pictures that he had taken, told me that he was going to buy something but wouldn’t now that I had been rude to him, and then didn’t even delete the pictures he had taken.
So please, this was not directed at you and people like you!