I just had my first in-person booth this past weekend and it was awesome!
I have always sold my illustrations and designs online, mainly on Etsy. After a year of putting it into full gear, I felt like it was time to step it up and try vending.
Back in April, I applied to the Corn Hill Arts Festival: Emerging Artists and got my acceptance email in June. And with that email, I prepped hard. I started cleaning up my illustrations, coming up with new designs, ordering more materials.
It was a lot of trial and error (and late nights). I definitely went to bed at 3am the night before cause of all the trouble I was having (aka a delayed Amazon order on some of my materials).
Day One: Saturday
Saturday's hours were from 10am-6pm to the public. I had to get there at around 7-7:30am to get my paperwork and begin my setup.
Thanks to my endless hours on TikTok and YouTube, I was able to figure out the best setup for my booth and my items. I sold stickers, prints, bookmarks and accessories (tote bags, pouches, beaded rings and scrunchies).
I made sure to include a Philippines flag to show some #filipinopride.
At first I was doing okay. One of my first few transactions was a bookmark for an old man, which was priced at $3.50, with a $20 bill. Boy was I embarrassed when I have him his change in all singles. I didn't realize I was able to take my own cash transactions and messaged my dad immediately to bring my change. Luckily, I was able to accept Venmo and I brought my Square card reader for quick transactions.
As the festival opened and it got closer to 12:00, everyone starting stopping by. It was nice to see people look at my art, purchase a sticker or two, or to even get compliments and "good lucks"!
By the end of the day, I was pretty happy. I had a good grasp on what was selling and what I needed more of. Business cards were one of them. I had run out of them pretty quick and encouraged people to scan my QR code in the meantime.
Day Two: Sunday
Sunday was a bit more chill. It was forecasted to rain, which I think turned some people from attending, but the sun was out so the clouds might have blown right around Corn Hill. The festival was only open until 5pm and I took my time in the morning since I already knew how I wanted it set up. I got there around 8:30 and this time with some Starbucks to get me through the day.
I had lots of friends visit this day and helped support my business. (A HUGE thank you to all of you who said hi and posted on social media!! I really appreciate you 🤍)
A few of my items sold out but I was glad to be able to have something still for everyone, even if it meant a freebie garbage plate sticker.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a very successful weekend. I was able to sell my art AND make connections! I do understand now that I need to bring more inventory (and make more of each item I'm selling). My booth was pretty popular among kids and adults around my age, especially for the purple branding I had and the Rochester theme.
Another thanks to my mom, Jesse and Brittney for helping me out this weekend <3 They kept me company and helped with my sales!
It was awesome to see the other artists in the Emerging Arts section, too. Be sure to check out the Corn Hill Arts Festival website and social media to see photos of the other things they have.
For this being my first time vending in person, I had a lot of fun and I've learned a lot. I look forward to vending again in the future and maybe you'll get to see me again out and about in Rochester! Keep an eye out for my garbage plate sticker, too. I've been sticking those around where ever I go. Snap a pic and tag me in it if you do~
Interested in buying some of my art? Check out my Etsy!
Here's some of the art that I sell:
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Thanks for reading!