(no subject)

[listersgirl]

I am encountering a weird craft fair phenomenon this year, whereby all the craft fairs are much smaller than they were last year. By which I mean that a craft fair that was in 2 rooms last year is in one this year. It's odd! Maybe after last year's giant craft explosion there are now more events than artisans? Or maybe the handmade holiday has gone out of vogue. I went to 5 different shows today, 4 of which I'd been to last year, and they were all awfully tiny. And only one was particularly interesting. If this trend continues I'm going to have to make other plans for my remaining gifts.

Comments

[eanja]

It may be the recession. I remember a number of crafty people last year posting that they hadn't sold enough to cover their expenses at some of the craft fairs they usually do well at. So if sales have still been down generally, I'm thinking a lot of people have just decided it's not worth the gamble of renting a table and possibly losing money if people aren't spending much.

I don't know about shipping, but you can probably still find everything crafty you want on Etsy.

[listersgirl]

Oh, sure, Etsy is great, but I don't actually *know* what I want, and Etsy is waaaaaay too big. I'm a completist - I want to see everything before I make a decision! Plus I like to touch things. :) I did do some Etsy shopping this Christmas, though.

[mystery-diva.livejournal.com]

I hear you about Etsy. It's cool, but there's so much that you can get lost and never actually find anything you want to buy. Too much! Also, some things I prefer to see in person.