My last show of the year, Geek the Halls in Portland, was last weekend. I'm very glad to be done for a little while, though I don't have *that* much of a break--in January I will be going to my first ever California show, Further Confusion in San Jose. Here's hoping it goes well!
I haven’t done any writeups of my last few shows, because I’ve done enough of them now that it seems silly to write the same thing over and over. Instead, I’m just going to recap what I learned this year in the hopes that it’ll be useful for someone else ....
The biggie: MORE SHOWS DOES NOT EQUAL MORE PROFITS. I did more shows than ever this year--9 in total--and once all my expenses were taken out, made less than I did on commissions for the year. Admittedly, some of these were one-time expenses--banners, rolling luggage, etc--but still. Sadly, it's time to rethink how much time and energy I'm willing to spend, and be more strategic about my shows. Especially the ones I have to burn vacation time for. :(
Lesson number 2: certain shows will make or break you, profit-wise. The years I can get into Sakura-con as a vendor? I make GREAT money. The same was true of Rainfurrest (RIP). Most of the rest of my shows--not so much. A couple hundred dollars profit here and there, mostly. Which given that I'm spending 8+ hours a day vending translates into a truly sucky per hour rate. So I think I need to focus on my high-earning shows, and really limit everything else. Maybe do 1-2 experiments a year, if they fit in my schedule.
Lesson number 3: travelling costs will KILL you. Anthrocon was one of my best shows of the year--until I took out everything I had to spend to get there. Airplane tickets, hotel, taxi, food ... it adds up, and will eat all of my profit much faster than I think. :( So no travelling to distant shows unless they're big enough that I think I can still turn a profit. (Or I can find some new ways to reduce expenses.) Sadly, Anthrocon, as awesome as it was, probably won't qualify.
Lesson number 4: hostels are great for cheap overnights--if you get a private room. I did that for the first time, and it was MUCH better than a communal bunk, and still cheaper than any motel/hotel. Here's hoping AirBnB might fill the same niche for other shows.
Other notes: rolling luggage is awesome. I invested in some this year to fly with, and it is SO much better than rubbermaid totes! I can either load it all on my cart (if I'm solo) or just drag it around (if I have a friend), and it makes maneuvering and organizing things so much better. I just have to watch the weight limits for airlines. :p
Retractable banners--also awesome. I can set mine up now in 5 min, rather than the 20 or so it took me before.
Practicing with mixed media (copics and colored pencils) while at a show works better than sketching--it's something I can put aside at a moment's notice without interrupting my groove, and people seem to like watching me work. Plus I can sell them as one of a kind pieces once I'm done!
Ok, I think that's all the rambling I have in me for now. Onward and upward~!
