In the summer of 2023, I was looking for a way to sell my art in a in-person setting. This was before I stared in community art sales and I was just starting out in selling. I have a pretty decent backyard and decided to use that. Once a month, I advertised on social media and set out signs on the day of the sale. My daughter has a Cricut so I bought the blank signs and asked her to put on the words and a graphic similar to my logo -- boots out a truck window, with a big heading that read, "Backyard Art Sale". I also sent notices to all my friends in the city, inviting them to come and bring a friend.
This type of art sale is relatively new in my area and interest was high. In addition to original art and prints, I had a free draaw and offered a small framed print as the prize. I also offered free bookmarks with hand-painted flowers on the front and my name and website on the back. (I got these laminated at Staples.) I set out a few items from my RedBubble shop: coffee mugs, shopping bags, and cushion covers with my art printed on them. I also had some notecards with my paintings printed on them as well as some hand-painted cards.
At the first sale, attendance was low but the word was getting out and more people came to following events. I learned how to talk to customers, how to display the items, and which items people were the most interested in. I also learned which subject matter people liked most in paintings. I sold a few things at each sale, enough to keep me excited to have another one the next month.
After the first sale, I decided to invite a guest artist to join me for the next ones. I invited my son first to display his photography. The next month, I invited my daughter and husband to display their new craft business selling wood crafts and fibre arts. The summer was holding warm into the fall. I decided to have one last sale on October 14th and invited my writers' group. Two members signed up with their books and crafts. It turned cold that morning. Not many came except for the few intrepid souls and it was clear this would be the last outdoor sale of the year. In the afternoon, the sun came out and the day turned lovely and warm, bringing more people.
At most sales (except for the October one) more people came out in the morning thatn the afternoon. The lowest attendance was in September with about a dozen people. The sale with the most people was in July with about 50. The best idea I came up with was to invite a different guest each time. Their products added variety to the whole display and I had someone to talk to in the quiet times. We generated ideas while we visited.
Overall, it was a great experience and I'm glad I did it. The next summer, I signed up for some Art in the Park sales. I went into those being better prepared because of the experience of my backyard sales. With each sale, I went in being better prepared than the last one. I also procured more pieces of equipment each year: in 2023 I bought a folding table and borrowed another table and a canopy, in 2024 I bought my own canopy and a high folding chair for myself instead of using a lawn chair (in a high chair, I can talk to people face-to-face from the chair whereas in a lawn chair, I stood up each time to talk to someone). I enjoy talking to people about art, meeting new people in both customers and other sales people. It's a learning experience but an enjoyable one.
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