So we took the plunge. We decided to become vendors to sell our art last month. What an experience it has been.
For our first market we stayed up until 5am preparing our products. We woke up about an hour later, loaded the car and headed down to the Las Olas Sunday market. Nothing could have prepared us for what was about to happen next.
To set the scene for the readers, we live in Ft Lauderdale (30 miles from Miami). It's the middle of summer and naturally Katie and I didn't bring any water...or a fan. Saying it was hot and humid is an understatement. We're both running on no sleep, no food but the adrenaline kept us going.
There's nothing like the feeling when you make your first sale. Starting a business takes a lot of courage and to see someone come up to your tent, look around, pick up a product and decide to take it home was one of the most proud moments of my life. I know it sounds simple but it was exhilarating.
So after our first market we came back for our second and third. We found that people who run other markets will come to your tent and ask if you would like to participate in their market. Or other vendors will tell you about lucrative art shows around town or the state. Katie and I did a little research about these certain markets and found two that we were interested in.
One was the Third Thursday Morada Way Art Walk in Islamorada. What a fun experience that was. We will definitely be returning. It was our first market/show at night and it helped with the summer heat. There were lunch trucks, affordable cocktails and live music. People were in great spirits and we met some really great people both locals and tourists.
The second will happen this Saturday. It's called the FatVillage Art Walk and we're actually the "featured artists". This is definitely more of an art show so were excited to be around our peers. They expect 2500 or so people which is are largest show by far.
We are so excited and grateful to have this opportunity at these markets. We have received a great amount of positive feedback and look forward to the future.
We encourage everyone to go to your city's markets and support your local artists, chefs and farmers. We also encourage anyone who is thinking about starting something to go for it. The entry fees for the weekly markets are extremely affordable ($30-50) but they can get into the hundreds for more prestigious art shows.
The first time you go out you will never be prepared enough. We have changed and tweaked our tent so much, it's hardly recognizable. We've also found other vendors are very supportive and most are very willing to help.
If you find yourself at any of these events, we'd love for you to stop by our tent! See you there!