Options: Printable view
The human reason why buy/sell turns an art show into a flea market.
The below article was written by Sandra Rosner, but was lost from CraftLister.com during a 2007 site-crash. The below replacment-in-part is from a printed copy that another exhibitor has been mailing to events they apply to:
Just the other evening my husband was discussing a new book he was reading on becoming a better computer programming. It basically took the approach of using real world situations to point out how bad habits cause a bad product. Interested, I read the first few examples, but one just seemed to explain how buy/sell really can cause art show rot!
Recently, a government agency wanted to better understand why a nice neighborhood could, rather quickly, decay and become a slum. There are many areas in my native NJ that suffered this fate, but why if house values are so high here? The answer, they found, was a single broken window.
Now how could a single broken window ruin a whole neighborhood? Well, this single broken window was left unrepaired, for whatever reason. Seeing something in disrepair caused others to come along and devalue the structure even further. They broke more windows, or sprayed graffiti, but soon, the single broken window was insignificant compared to the other damage. Seeing something in disrepair day after day has an effect on people over time. Soon, the other inhabitants either moved away or began to care less and less for each others, and even their own property. In time, no one wants to live there, the value of the neighborhood declines and a slum is born.
In addition to this finding, this same agency conducted an experiment. They left a decent car, unattended but locked for over a week. Nothing happened to it. Next, they broke a window in the car. Within 24 hours, it had been striped of anything valuable.
The point, an unallowed buy/sell vendor at a handmade only show is like a broken window in a nice neighborhood. If you leave this window unrepaired (i.e. by allowing them to stay, just this once), you will have two negative results. The good vendors will be like homeowners who up and leave (never return to your show) leaving you eventually with only buy/sell vendors to fill your space. The other negative result, your show will be devalued quickly by the customers. If they come expecting real handcrafted items as per your reputation and advertising, but get a flea market, their bad word of mouth will eventually sink your shows.
Conclusion: One or two awkward moments of asking a buy/sell person (who lied on their application I would like to add) to pack up and leave will make you far more respected by your other Grafters. In fact, should I ever see that, I would be inclined to pay for your show on January 1st of every year
View Article in Printable format ->
Rate it! Would your recommend this article to others?
Don't rate articles highly if they aren't GREAT, else the ratings become worthless...
|
based on 9 ratings
w Links