Im just about to the point of wanting to get out and show hopefully sell some of my turnings. I live in Delaware and the market here does not seem to be the best nor the worst. I was just curious as to how some of you guys and girls got started in doing shows. And insight would be helpful due to the fact that ive been searching online all morning and cannot seem to find much. Thanks in advance- Mike...

Before I did any shows, I went to a few and talked to various vendors (not just woodworkers) to get tips and tricks from them. I asked what to do, what NOT to do, and was open to any other suggestions.

The next step was to scout around my local area (mostly on the Web) and find some shows that I thought would be a good match for my work. (I was looking more for "art" shows instead of "craft" shows, but it's really up to you do decide what market you'd like to target.)

After I decided on what show I wanted to do, I applied to be a vendor. It was a juried show (as have been all the shows I've done), and they wanted photos of my work (which I already had) and photos of my booth setup (which I didn't have). They also required a copy of my business license/sales tax certificate. So before I could go any farther with the application, I had to get my business license, then buy a canopy (Caravan and Easy-Up are the two big names...don't go for something cheap), a sign, tables, table covers, and any other display items. Then I set the whole thing up in the back yard, filled the tables with turned pieces, and took some photos. Once I had all the required stuff put together, I mailed it all in to the show promoter (the owner of the del Mano Gallery, in this case) and waited a week or so to find out if I was accepted. I did get accepted to that first show, and every other show I applied for in the following years.

I've not done any shows for two or three years now. The economic situation around Los Angeles made it tough to make any profit, and I found I was making more money selling piece by word-of-mouth than I was when I was paying $300 to $400 entry fees for a weekend show, and feeling good if I sold $500 worth of pieces. On the other hand, I know other turners who have had good success in smaller markets.

I started out doing a few free shows and ones that were non-juried and inexpensive. I made just about what I put into them, but I learned a lot about displays, tents, credit cards, sales tax, all those things that Vaughn talked about. He is right about not buying a cheap tent. The better shows and some cities will require you to have a tent made of flame retardant material, and the cheaper tents will not certify that for you.