Kirk and Tim are right on the money. My total sales at the two big Christmas fairs I go to generally cover my production costs to make stock for the shows and maybe a few dollars more, when I say a few dollars more I mean like at best $100 or 200. If it were not for the exposure the shows give me, exposure that leads (usually) to more profitable work, I am not sure I would keep on doing them. For example, I did get several thousand dollars worth of commissions from people who viewed my work at these shows and chatted with me, people I otherwise probably never would have met.
Many years ago I used to do a lot more art fairs, etc. However, it didn't take long to realize that 1) the cost of producing fairly large framed and matted prints was seldom, if ever, recovered ... tht along with the fact that people frequently expect to pay less at one of these shows than they would pay in a gallery. At the time, some 25-30 years ago, I was represented by a good gallery in Georgetown, DC and I soon realized that all I was doing was undercutting my own sales.
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