Great Day today!

[Squadron Prints]

Not one wasted mug from start to finish today - no smashing for me - chuffed! Only managed after all the advice from this board - THANK YOU!!!!

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll134/Gillibelle/Products/WallofMugs2-1.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll134/Gillibelle/Products/WallofMugs-1.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll134/Gillibelle/Products/UKARMugs.jpg

[mugstar]

always nice when that happens...have you done all those in the photos?? looks like a hundred or more:)

[Squadron Prints]

Most of them done today - I am so chuffed that there is not one in the bin :-) We have a busy week ahead selling for 5 days so here's hoping I come home with very little!

[Stitch Up]

Well done but please don't leave them piled up like that :smile:

[Lee]

Crikey you must go through some mugs :-)

[Squadron Prints]

Well done but please don't leave them piled up like that
They are packed in boxes already and in the van!

Crikey you must go through some mugs :-)
Only at this time of year when the airshows are on!

[Stitch Up]

Are you planning on having a stand/stall at any shows? If so, do get some pictures of your setup and let us know what went right, what went wrong and how you'd do things different next time :)

[Squadron Prints]

Here you go - we have been doing shows for 25+ years and still learning! Will start a thread once our season is over and we can maybe help each other! Here are some Photos from RAF Waddington Airshow on 2nd and 3rd July, 2011!
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll134/Gillibelle/Products/IMG_1014.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll134/Gillibelle/Products/IMG_1010.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll134/Gillibelle/Products/IMG_1008.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll134/Gillibelle/Products/IMG_1006.jpg

[Stitch Up]

Great stuff. It's always inspiring to see what others are doing.

How well did the mugs sell? Can't quite make our the price :smile:

I recognise the racking - our HOUSE is full of it!! From Aldi I think and very strong.

[Squadron Prints]

We sold the mugs at £8.99 or 2 for £15 - we use our own art work and photos! Pitch rates are high, accommodation is high, fuel is high and we rented a 6m x 6m marquee which is the best thing! The mugs sold really well but there were a few comments about the price so we are just going to sell them at £7.50 across the board this weekend! We are in a large marquee on Thursday/Friday then our own marquee Saturday and Sunday and back in the other marquee on the Monday! 5 days of hard slog with 6am starts to beat the traffic and 9pm finishes and lots of aircraft noise but I love it! :-)

[Lee]

Wow - looks and sounds fantastic! How lucky you are to be making a living doing what you love!!!!!!

[Stitch Up]

Not sure he said he was making a living. This is a very tough market and the added costs of visiting and setting up at shows all has to be factored into the selling price of your items. To low and you're a busy fool, to high and you're likely to loose money, the art is to pitch it just right.

[Lee]

To be doing season after season must mean theres something in it.... ;-)

[Squadron Prints]

Well I am back and shattered - weather this weekend past wasn't brilliant but ok! Costs are up all over the world and I must say that we are in a specialist market. Airshows are still going but I think next year will see a number of them disappear and the dates will all change because of the Olympics! Takings were down because of the weather at both places - Waddington was too hot for people to walk about and carry stuff and the Air Tattoo was wet wet wet on the Saturday and Sunday! The 2 set up/arrival days were very good and the departure day was also very good as the weather was much better! We do make a living out of this but mugs are only a small piece of the jigsaw - our artwork is the main part of our business! I picked up several orders too so need to start emptying the van now and get back to work!

[Lee]

Sounds like you had a good time overall though :-) And what good fun to be able to do these shows that you love and get something from it :-) It makes it all worthwhile if you enjoy what you do :-)

[Stitch Up]

I agree, to make money doing something we enjoy is great BUT, I think we all are afraid to admit that more often than not, we're not making any money at all! Or at best, we might break even.

Take me/us for example. We've invested heavily in equipment, very heavily. Are we making money? No. Are we breaking even? No. However, I knew this would be the case while we're both working full time. It's simply not possible to make money or a return on our investment in the evenings & weekends. How many of you find yourself in the same situation? Be honest :)

I'm not disappointed because it was planned this way. While we're both engaged in gainful employment, we're building up the equipment something it would be difficult to do when mainstream income stops.

[Lee]

Definately the same here, I've not sold anywhere like the amount I thought I would, but then again I have all these plans in my head and no time to implement them....! That said I've found doing it this way, at night, whilst working full time, has allowed me to make mistakes that I have otherwise wouldn't have afforded to do...... I do have a grand plan though (famous last words????), hopefully in the next 12 months I'd like to be in my own space somewhere doing this and at least earning a wage...oh, and be happy of course!!!

[mgibbs]

My computer business funded all of my equipment and stock.

I got into sublimation as an interest rather than a profit making venture and while sales are slowly taking off, now that I've found a niche market, it'll be a while before I get my investment back.

So I don't see that this would ever give me a realisitic living but that doesn't bother me as I still get satisfaction from it all.

Mark

[Squadron Prints]

I agree, to make money doing something we enjoy is great BUT, I think we all are afraid to admit that more often than not, we're not making any money at all! Or at best, we might break even.

I am happy to say we get a monthly salary and make a profit but mugs are not our only product - our artwork and photography are our most important products.