Last weekend I ran a market stall at the Kunst- and Designmarkt in Linz. Which quickly turned into a learning experience rather than an opportunity to attract customers. 

I am still working 30 hours a week in what is generally considered a “real” job (scientific communication at a university). Thus, I am in the lucky position that I do not need to generate a steady income. My expenses are covered. My art at this point is still a hobby. Although a very sincere one. One that consumes all my spare time. One that makes me get up at 6 in the morning (despite being anything but a morning person) to get an hour of illustration in before I am heading to the office. On the weekends I am additionally pursuing a media design course – mostly to officially get a degree in the creative field. (Unfortunately, there is no illustration degree course in Austria, but over the last months I became quite fond of design work, too.) 

What I am saying is that I am new to the art business and a lot of its ways are still a bit of a mystery to me. So my goal for this year is to bring some light into the dark and try new things that might or might not lead to some revenue – being it directly or indirectly. On my list are art competitions, exhibitions, merch-design, and – the title gave it away – art fairs.

Thus, last weekend we crammed the car with art stuff and headed to the Design- und Kunstmarkt in Linz. I had some originals in my bag, as well as prints, postcards, and T-shirts. Before that I spent weeks organizing and ordering stuff. I even came up with an IKEA hack and we built a standing frame out of Ivar-side panels, to showcase my work. I didn’t come unprepared. I had a plan. But its execution soon turned into a learning experience. Here is what I learned:

1. Concept stores are no concept for design markets: 

Here is the thing: I love concept stores. Cafés that also sell music records, flower stores where you can buy art or even home decor shops that are combined with ice cream parlors. I carried this idea with me to the art and design market and wanted to combine printed T-shirts with my realistic pencil art. So I put up my art alongside the T-shirts on my Ivar-frame… and I loved the way it looked. But I was the only one. It seemed to rather confuse potential customers and I ended up reorganizing my stall just after a few hours. 

2. People do not want to carry bulky stuff:

I did bring a lot of framed and original work and prints in A3. It did get a lot of admiration (which was a true confidence boost). But no one bought it. Spontaneous purchases are a thing at these markets. People will wander about and buy what they can easily carry with them. Thus, A4 and below is the way to go. 

3. Inexpensive trumps refined and crafty:

It seemed a lot of people came with a defined budget in mind to the market and would not go beyond that (which is smart, I have to admit!). Thus, inexpensive things will be favored by the customers. Additionally, many of them are simply looking for a souvenir to take home. This is definitely leaving original art out of the equation. Indeed it were my postcards that sold the most. 

4. People love to get their hands on things:

I did not anticipate the fact that people love to flip through prints and explore them on their own. I did put all my originals in frames and left the prints in hidden boxes, and would only show them on occasion. The reason behind this is that I really hate to bring more plastic into the world and the only way to make prints accessible would be to put them in foil. But I guess, there is really no way around this. 

5. Don’t forget the table cloth:

Table clothes are super handy. They will instantaneously make your stall look more professional. They are also great for hiding boxes and supply material underneath the table. I did know this. I had this item on my list. I still forgot to bring one. 

And last but not least: 6. Design markets are a place for marketing not for selling

People will go through your stuff, they will admire your art, but they will hold back in buying anything that is bulky or expensive. However, if you’re lucky they will take your business card and remember your work and might get back to you at a later point in time. 

Despite these little hiccups I still had a lot of fun at the market. I met nice people – both customers and fellow crafters and artists. I bought some art myself. And I will use my learnings for the next market. Which will be WAMP in Vienna on April 15, 2023. Should you be in the neighborhood please stop by! I will have some new postcards (and even a postcard set) with me and there will be some A4 prints to flip through!