As the return of false autumn crept through September, so too did I return to Viking Alchemist Meadery for Mead and Metal. One of my favorite local shows!
Applications
Signing up for Mead and Metal is pretty straightforward. You can follow them on Facebook to know when upcoming markets open for applications. I was able to get an email confirmation for this September market in mid August.
Nicole was on top of communications, giving us info through email a few weeks up until the event. Event graphics were shared with us that we were free to post on our social media. Vendors were also allowed input into what information would be shared for vendor spotlights that would advertise the event.
The Event
As usual, September strong with autumn temperatures, but by Mead and Metal the afternoon heat was back at 85°F. Certainly, not the worst of Georgia, but hot enough to keep us outdoor vendors sweaty. A big thank you to my table neighbors for helping me set up and take down my ABC Canopy tent, Evergreen Burrow and Stitchidermy. To account for the heat, this Mead and Metal would be a night market, open to the public from 3-9 PM.
There were enough vendors to fill out the parking lot in front of VAM. We had the parameter covered with an island of tents in the middle. My own booth was along the far side from the meadery next to the end cap. We got a little bit of shade from the trees. Of course, to get this many tents into the parking lot required a coordinated effort! Nicole assigned us different arrival times from 12-2 PM to arrive for load-in to make sure we wouldn’t get in each others way with our cars.
Despite my tent, because I sat myself right on the western side of my booth, the sun happened to be hit my right side most of the afternoon. So it’s a good thing I put on sun screen! It’d be awkward to be asymmetrically burnt.
At one point, I switch up my sticker and print/charm displays because I noticed the direct sunlight was causing my vinyl stickers to roll up something fierce! This happens sometimes with heat and it doesn’t effect their performance as stickers but they look so weird all curled up. I’m gonna have to fix them with weights at home. Interestingly though, my stickers remained my best selling item despite moving them from the front and center. How much layout plays into attention and sales can be hard to predict sometimes.
On the other hand, I finally found a good spot to put my self-standing print stand. It seemed by putting it just between the middle table and my clothing rack people were able to notice and flip through it. While I didn’t make any tabloid print sales it was satisfying to see its new placement work. I’d been having trouble having that print stand be acknowledged at all! Maybe it’s time I try putting them on clearance prices to move ’em? I’ve really been wanting to move from my 11×17 laser prints for a while TTvTT
You may have noticed I didn’t use my clothesline method to display my shirts, and to be honest, that was because it was too hot! By the time I had the rest of my tent set up I was too tired to deal with the knots. I’m not sure what it is, but something about the heat makes it too hard for me to remember how to tie them. Perhaps I need more practice, but fortunately the breeze was gentle enough that I could use my hangers no problem.
I got to see a few friends as well as members of Georgia Reptile Society! (who are also friends, ha ha) Turns out they were hanging at VAM, to relax after their Junior Member event earlier in the day. The nice thing about local shows is they can allow you to catch up with your neighbors. Fortunately, as a local hub, Viking Alchemist Meadery is a terrific venue.
For dinner I treated myself to a “brat & barrel” from Frazie’s Meat & Market who were our food vendor for the night. It was a mighty bratwurst indeed, freshly grilled with toasted bread and crispy onions. Of course it was when I was making a mess of myself that I got my one shirt sale of the night ^w^;; While Nicole is in charge of organizing us art vendors, I think VAM chooses the food? They generally keep shorter hours than us at the art market, so keep that in mind if you’d like to grab a bite.
Overall, vibes were good but sales were slower than my previous events at VAM. By 3 PM visitors began to trickle in and there were always folks meandering through the evening. Mostly browsers, with my sales having a couple of spikes at 4 PM and 7 PM. Naturally, traffic really slowed down by 8 PM after sun down. Some vendors even packed up 30 minutes early, with most of us starting around the 8:45 mark.
Fortunately, I was able to make back four times the booth fee, thirty dollars, so that marks this Mead and Metal a success. I can’t help but wonder why my sales were down about 50% from previous VAM events? Maybe the lack of a holiday or special event to tie this event to?
I’ve been speaking to my fellow vendors and artists, and we do wonder if its the natural down swing of the economy? I feel like it’s so hard to track these larger trends as just one small business.
Billie’s Vendor Review
I can’t complain about this Mead & Metal, it wasn’t my best event at VAM but it also wasn’t the worst! Some fluctuation is to be expected in the vendor business, and it may not always be obvious why it is so. VAM is an excellent host and Nicole, aka Nikki Stitch, is an excellent event organizer. So I look forward to the next market!
| Brat & Barrel | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Foot Traffic | ⭐⭐ |
| Attendee Vibes | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Restrooms | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Pokémon GO | ⭐⭐ |
| Organization | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
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