Market Recap

Inhale.

Exhale.

If you know me you know that The Local Beachcomber has grown faster than I could have imagined. I started in August selling at the wharf to tourists which then led to doing 4 craft and holiday fairs and starting this website. My art has made it to 13 states (that I know of) and my goal is to get ocean-inspired art to all 50 states. Perhaps you can help me? The Midwest and Northeast are sorely missing out. 

It's been quite the year.  

Let's recap my market experiences:

Monterey Elks Lodge: Easy, casual pace- I used this as a test run for Flair on the Farm (see below). Lots of lovely humans came by my booth and it was a good mix between rushes and lulls. I highly recommend starting with a calmer market, it allowed us to work out the kinks, figure out the best systems, and gather important data. 

Flair on the Farm: Higher stakes- Flair has been on my radar for a while as a consumer, but it wasn't until my small sea glass business started picking up that I looked at being a vendor there. The stars aligned and my timing worked out for applying. The event organizers actively promoted the event on social media, vendors were active as well, and it had a good vibe from the get-go. This was a two-day market so it was already *more* than the Elks Lodge. We arrived hours early to set up only to be greeted by high winds and rain. We quickly pivoted with my husband running to Home Depot for more weights while I stayed and tried to keep our inventory dry. The weather left just as the gates were opening to customers. We met so many nice people, and made some good sales, but realized it might not be our target audience. We were among lots of amazing folks who were reselling items vs. handmade crafts and whose prices were much lower. My family came out and supported us, my sweet friend Elizabeth stopped by, and my husband spent his birthday supporting me and my not-so-little dream. All in all, it was a success, but man was I tired! 

Stanton Art Market: This one I was excited for because it was located across from where I got married, downtown Monterey near the wharf. There wasn't a lot of communication before so I wasn't entirely sure if the event was inside or outside. I didn't have high hopes but thankfully made a small profit and got lots of good data and experience. I am narrowing down my ideal market type! 

On December 17 I'll be at Monterey Touring Vehicles at an event The Local Thrive is putting on to benefit two great organizations. I'm not sure what to expect as it's my first non-craft fair, but I adore the organizations that we're supporting so I'm giving it a go, keep your fingers crossed! 

Wow! I have a lot more I could share, but I'll stop here. Thank you so much for finding and supporting The Local Beachcomber, your support is keeping this going. 

Best Fishes,

Stephanie