Disappointed crafts vendors hopeful for more profitable year

Selling jewelry and African art,
Kingsley Molen of Wazobia, Inc. is
one of the handful of vendors who
will be returning to the Spring Fair
arts and crafts area this year. Despite
last year's setback for both the vendors
and the fair's committee because
of weather and a cramped location,
Molen realizes the value of selling his
goods at the fair.

"The last [Spring Fair] was a disaster,"
said owner Kingsley Molen. Yet,
Molen added that his business is only
10 blocks from Hopkins and realizes
that Spring Fair is a good promotion
for his store.

This year's committee has
worked hard to resurrect the arts
and crafts aspect of the fair. The
process of attracting and assigning
arts and crafts vendors to the 115
possible spots on the upper and
lower quads requires a yearlong
commitment.

The first major sources are lists
of possible vendors from previous
years. This includes not only vendors
who came before, but also potentials
who didn't. However, after
last year's disappointing weather
and location, many craft vendors
refused to return.

"In the beginning, it was difficult,
but [the arts and crafts chairs]
did a good job advertising, going to
fairs and talking to vendors," said
Spring Fair Executive Chair Megan
McCann.

The chairs also admitted that word
of mouth has been an effective tool,
since vendors usually know each
other.

But the process doesn't end by
just talking up the show. The chairs
must compile a list of potential vendors
and mail out information
about the fair as well as applications
to each vendor. They must then review
each application and ensure
that each vendor pays the $175 fee
for a 10 ft. by 10 ft. space at the fair.
Acceptance letters are then sent and
each artisan is assigned to a specific
location.

"Very seldom do we [send out]
rejection letters, unless we get too
many of one type of craft or people
don't pay," said Spring Fair advisor
Jane Rhyner.

As for assigning spaces, vendors
are divided up into two major categories:
artisans (those who make their
crafts) and "buy/sell" vendors (importers
and buyers who then sell
items). This year, the artisans will be
on the lower quad, while the "buy/
sell" vendors will be on the upper
quad.

Finally, each vendor must be notified
of information concerning Spring
Fair policy and loading and unloading
their goods. Policy problems have
occurred in the past despite this, including
wares being mistakenly
thrown away at the end of the fair and
security guards kicking out vendors
who make art at the fair after closing
time.

Other miscellaneous items that
must be figured out before the beginning
of the fair include whether or
not each vendor is renting tables and
chairs, needs electricity or needs more
than one space.

This year, since the fair has moved
back to the lush grass of the quads,
the committee has banned tents that
require stakes that need to be driven
into the ground, due to the irrigation
systems.

Originally setting a quota for 80
vendors, the committee has exceeded
their own expectations, with an estimated
90 arts and crafts vendors expected,
some being booked only a
few days before the fair starts.

"We have a lot of new vendors,"
said Rhyner.

Rhyner explained that typically,
the chairs reach their quota by the
end of March, but due to last year's
setback, they didn't do so until only
two weeks ago.

"We were trying to explain [to the
vendors] that it's different, and last
year's result was because of things we
had no control over," said McCann.

To make matters worse, the fair is
competing with a major, indoor arts
and crafts fair at the Maryland State
Fairgrounds in Timonium during the
same weekend.

Record Connection, a vendor of
rare records in Baltimore, is just one
of the new vendors. "We were trying
to get [a spot at Spring Fair] for awhile,
but just haven't been able to get it
because we didn't have time before,"
said manager John Lewis. Despite
having a permanent location, Lewis
explained that about 25 percent of
the company's business comes from
fairs. Like many vendors, Lewis
claimed that he doesn't really have
big expectations for the fair, but wants
to get a feel of what Spring Fair is all
about.

"Sales-wise, [Spring Fair] is not
bad," said Molen, owner of
Wazobia, Inc., which also sells semiprecious
stones in addition to the
jewelry and art.

Molen usually makes Spring Fair
his first show of the year, adding
shows as far as Miami and New Orleans.

Les Mor, an artist who specializes
in caricatures and portrait impressions
of people and animals, is also
returning to the fair, despite not being
there last year.

"It's a fairly good show, but it depends
on the weather," said Mor.

Mor originally discovered Spring
Fair through a craft magazine and has
attended several times since then.

Competition is also something
that the committee chairs try to prevent.
The level of competition depends
on the goods. In addition to
not accepting too many vendors of
the same trade, the chairs acknowledge
that certain vendors will overlap
with their goods.

"There's some overlap, especially
among the jewelry sellers," said
McCann.

Yet, McCann added that if the
committee sees a potential competition
problem, they will place overlapping
goods apart from each other.

Owners like Molen, who sell jewelry,
realize the potential competition.

"There's always a lot of competi-
tion, but I believe in my stuff," said
Molen. "I like competition."

"I never had any [competition],"
said Mor, who claimed that when he
has attended, he is usually the only
portrait artist.

With phones still ringing with
interested vendors, the Spring Fair
Committee is working around the
clock to book as many vendors as
possible. Despite the challenging
year, the committee has exceeded
their own expectation in terms of
numbers, and hopes they can exceed
those of the vendors in terms
of success.