Small Business Saturday

[hark]

Today is the first time I've ever heard the expression, Small Business Saturday which was a campaign created in 2010 by American Express for people to support Mom & Pop types stores on the Saturday after Black Friday.

I know a couple of photographers on Facebook who are trying to get people to buy their work today which makes me wonder how all the pros here are doing with Small Business Saturday. Any buyers today?

 

[Rick M]

I'm not a pro but I was at a small show today. I don't think the public really knows about or cares about that designation. Actually another vendor mentioned that to me and it was the first time I had heard about it. Malls and huge retailers are the name of the game for holiday shopping. The show I was at was slow, I sold about $175 in prints which works out to about $125 profit for me.

 

[hark]

[MENTION=4399]Rick M[/MENTION], I'm not surprised you sold photos--your photography is beautiful! I remember another post you wrote about some type of sales display you set up, and weren't there a number of women buying manly photos? Who were the buyers today, and what would you say was the subject that sold the most? Flowers? Buildings? Trucks/tractors/and other vehicles? Or something else?

 

[Rick M]

Thanks Hark. Today was a mixed bag, sold a pretty good variety, weighted a bit towards trains and Gettysburg. Again, mostly women. Next weekend I am at a much larger show and I expect a lot more traffic. I would say out of the "normal" categories, flowers are the least sold, yet probably the most photographed behind people.

 

[Rick M]

These shows are actually fun for my wife and I, it's really just adding another element to the hobby. The "business" is really just fun for me also. The tax benefits and making some money is nice, but not really the primary motivation. We meet many really interesting people and occasionally other photographers. A lot of older folks reminisce about their darkroom and like to show me pictures they had taken. Occasionally I get photography students wanting to know all about HDR and folks that ask if I teach. It's a great feeling when people stare in amazement and ask if they are paintings or drawings.

I've done 4 shows so far and I've been the only photographer. Which is unfortunate because I feel it's a declining art form. For me, HDR has created a niche without which, I don't think I'd be as successful at shows. Perhaps it has something to do with interior decorating trends, people like stuff that pops on their walls. I also get a lot of sales from "themes". "My sons room is all trains", "mom love lighthouses" and since the HDR product is like nothing they've seen, they buy it to add to the collection. Part of it is creating a new vision of the overlooked, a rusty old bulldozer comes to life in HDR, sold 3 more of those today.