How should I handle sales at in-person events when people can't carry artwork home?

Most art sales at events, especially in tourist or resort areas, should be structured as orders rather than immediate take-home purchases. This is actually advantageous because people often arrive on foot, by bike, or by bus, and many are traveling and flying home. Offer to either ship the work to their home or deliver it locally if they’re in your area. Take the order at the event, collect payment or deposit, and fulfill it later. This approach eliminates the objection of ‘I can’t carry this around’ or ‘I’m flying home tomorrow.’ It also means you don’t need to maintain large inventory at your booth—you can show samples and produce the specific size and substrate they want afterward. Make the ordering process simple and emphasize the convenience of delivery.

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Asked by an artist selling at markets and shows · Answered by Johnny Adolphson · art-marketing-podcast · 2024-12-14