The first day of the Mulhenberg Summer Festival was busier than I remembered it being in quite a long time. This show had been steadily going down hill for me over the past three years and B even stopped exhibiting there because it just wasn't worth it to her anymore. Although sales had decreased over the past few years, it still has proved profitable enough for me to come, and now that I'm local, its even better since I spend way less in gas and time getting there and back.
I sold quite a bit last night and saw many who came by at Musikfest and told me they'd be back at this show to make their purchases. It also seems to have many, many new vendors- some of a very high quality. There is still some made in China junk, and some stuff made here in the US, just not by the person selling it. That's what's commonly referred to as buy-sell in the industry. Really only other crafters and really savvy festivalgoers can tell the difference anymore. Its not the quality that makes buy-sell stand out, its the price. If something seems too reasonably priced (like a 12" tall handcrafted plush Christmas decoration for only $7.50) than most likely it is a buy-sell item. It could be hand crafted by a hobbyist crafter, who is just trying to get the cost of their materials back so they can craft again next year, but anyone trying to make a living at crafting has to take their considerable time into pricing the object. The old adage never changes "you get what you pay for" and if you want handcrafted by a true artisan, you'll pay for it.
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