First Art Market — A Review
After launching my art print shop online, I wanted to share my work in person and participated in two markets. They were both at the same venue on different weekends and although they ran only for 3 hours, I thought it would be a good starting point for a beginner. The tabling cost was quite low since it only ran for a short time. I didn’t have any high expectations so here are my thoughts on the overall experience!
Market Type
The markets I attended were at a two-storey bar/restaurant with outdoor space and it operated weekly on the weekends. As far as I know, there wasn’t much promotion on the flea market. I found this market on a Google search, and I only saw a sponsored ad about the market later on Instagram. The place had a young hip vibe so I expected young to older adults to attend.
Conditions
Which brings me to the days itself. Unfortunately, it was pretty cricket quiet. Times to vend was between 10 am and 1 pm. As it was already pretty quiet, when customers did show up, it was nearing lunchtime and pack-up time. The market owners did allow us to stay longer if it got busy, but it didn’t.
Table Set Up
The market organizer informed me that 2 x 2 feet tables and chairs were provided. When I measured that out, the table was massive! I did use every inch of the table in the end and was happy to be vending indoors. However, when I arrived, I was placed at a table half the size I was told was available. Other vendors got smaller tables. They relocated me without me asking so I guess I was lucky or there was an error.
Since the first market was pretty quiet, and I noticed that prints didn’t sell, I didn’t want to take the risk and brought considerably less on the second market. I’m glad I made this choice because, on the second market, the table I was allocated was quite small, about a meter wide. I didn’t mind because I did bring less, and I think too many products and art prints overwhelmed customers.
The first market set up! I had preplanned where to place my items on the floor of my sitting/living room so on the day I had a good idea of where everything goes. I had some photos of the setup so referring back to them was helpful. Also, my sister kindly came with me, and having her assist with the setup was super great!
The second market table was considerably smaller. But I liked the simple setup, although a little crowded.
Products That Didn’t Sell
From research, art prints didn’t do so well in markets. But I wanted to take the chance anyway and brought my A4, A5 and square prints. And…I didn’t sell any prints. Items sold were mostly functional items like bookmarks, greeting cards and stickers. So now I know what to focus on in future!
Inappropriate Target Audience
These markets taught me a good lesson on target audience and market research! Although footfall was low, the customers browsing the market were mostly older adults (ie 30 years old and above to around 50 years old). Customers who purchased from me were teens to young adults, and since this market was at a bar, most of my target audience wasn’t there.
My art is quite “young” and “childish”, which caters to a younger audience, who to be realistic may not want to spend on prints but more likely on lower-priced items like stickers.
How I Felt Overall — Conclusion & Takeaways
I didn’t have any expectations before the markets, but of course, when people pass by my table with as little as a glance, it can feel a bit discouraging. I started to wonder if my art was any good and wondered if I should continue with my art at all. Okay, I might have been a bit dramatic and I’m still super fresh on my art and creative journey. I’ve come this far and to give up just like that is…well, kinda foolish?
On the positive though, when people who came by made comments on how cute my art was, or when I saw some smile at my work, I began to feel better and thought, some will appreciate my work and many certainly won’t. It’s all about finding the right crowd!
I also got to meet other creators, artists and small business owners! Many artists work solo in their bubble so it was nice to meet other creatives, see their work, discuss art and ask for advice.
One of the most important takeaways is to do your research! Always research the market and find out if it’s suitable for the products you are selling. Target audience is important and if your products don’t match the audience in those markets, you might not do well in that market.
Another good way to find out about markets is to simply ask other vendors. At my first market, an artist told me that the market was going to be quiet because it usually was. Having that heads-up was nice because it prepared me mentally!
Another takeaway is adaptability! I knew on the second market I might not sell as much so I didn’t bring any of my A4 and A5 prints. On the day of, I was placed at a small table and managed to put all the products on it. But I forgot some pricing signs and had to make do and using a brown paper bag folded into a makeshift price tag.
NEW HORIZON - Resetting Goals & What I’m Gonna Do
Right after the second market, I fell into a creative block. The vibes were just weird and I just couldn’t draw. So I gave myself time and doodled a bit here and there. I’m happy to say I’m out of it now and am resetting myself to creating again.
Since the markets, I thought a lot about my work. I know what kind of art I’d like to make, but I seriously lacked direction on where I want to bring my art business-wise. So, I’m going to focus on building a strong portfolio and see where that leads me!
An autumn-harvest-themed illustration I made before the art block…I kept working on it while not being sure if I liked it. I think it was because I rarely use the full page and I kept playing around with the saturation and colours. Nonetheless, it was different from my usual work and I’m super happy with the lil’ mice characters!
