Just curious to others thought and impressions on this years Handweaver's Guild of Boulder sale.  Or for that matter any other sale you might have been involved in.  What were the trends in what sold?  See anything intriguing? Inspiring?

Comments

Sun, 11/22/2009 - 18:23

Pattie (not verified)

Greetings,

Once again, I participated in the Boulder sale and had a great time.  I didn't have much in the sale, but I did sell every item (mostly scarves made from zephyr). It seems that the overall inventory gets lighter every year, but I don't know that my impression is accurate.  I wish I could think of a way to get more members to participate including newer folks as well as some of the long-time members.  I would pay a fair amount to have a handwoven item or handspun skein from some of the well-respected members of the fiber community.  Hmmmm, might be a great way to get $$$ into the scholarship funds?

Weave on ...

Pattie

Tue, 12/08/2009 - 21:23

Jeanne-Marie (not verified)

 Thank you Pattie,

 I know that I am personally intimidated by the idea of selling what I make.  I have this unfounded feeling that no one would pay money for what I make.  I am getting braver and have actually made some plans for next years sale.  

 I thought that this year was also light.  I was also surprised by the very few baskets. I also learned my lesson of, " if you like it buy enough, right now as it will not be there next year".

Did anyone see the felted potholders?  I was there on the guild reception and noticed that they were going fast.

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 20:30

flamingo (not verified)

I attended and bought stuff at the HGB sale, but I had heard (before going) that there wasn't much to buy. (I had no problem: my only problem was staying in budget with my purchases.) I bought a hat for me and several things for Christmas gifts. (They were a hit.) I wish I could afford the scarves I fell in love with (2) or the Yvonne Stahl jacket I loved, but my income has been frozen for years. I have been forced to spend more time with the smaller items. I suspect I'm not alone in this.

Fri, 02/12/2010 - 03:01

BonnieI (not verified)

I have participated in the HGB sale a bunch of times but not recently. I lived in Boulder in 1988-1990 and just loved the guild sale. For about 6 years I flew back to do the sale, retaining membership for this and because I had many friends in the guild. I used to check two huge duffel bags when I flew to Denver, back when that was easy and there was no extra charge per bag. I stayed with a close friend in Boulder and worked my shifts. Two more years were possible because we were on sabbatical and lived in western Colorado so I could drive the 5.5 hours to do the sale. The last time I did that was 2001 and I had to work nearly every day. Not enough time with my friend and hostess! Then she moved to N.C. But I hope to do the HGB sale again when we move to CO in retirement, around 2013. Now we live near Crested Butte for 3-4 months each year.

Tue, 07/13/2010 - 20:52

Moe Sherman (not verified)

Hello Jeanne-Marie,

I do the Boulder sale. It's hard to tell if there was more or less inventory then the year before. This past sale seemed to have more table linens then the year before but that;s my impression not necessarily reality.

The great thing about the HGB sale is the people you meet! I love work the show. The way it works is the Guild takes care of everything, site, advertising, publicity, props, display, handling the finances, etc. There is a percentage of your sales taken out before you get your check. You are also required to put in volunteer time (4 hour shifts) dependent on the number of items in your inventory or the dollar amount if you're selling hi end "stuff"

Some of us, me included tend to devalue our own work and there is some incredibly beautiful and excellently craft pieces on the sales floor so it's very easy to be intimidated by them but it so much fun. And you might enjoy the experience.   The other nice thing for a shy person or a first timer is you don't have to interact with or "sell" your piece to the interested party. It's a great way to dip your toes into the water.

Moe

Fri, 07/16/2010 - 16:15

Threshkin (not verified)

I am a member of the Rocky Mountain Weavers Guild (RMWG).  Our guild sale is similar in structure to the Boulder sale.  The guild handles all the logistics and takes a small percentage of the sales.  The selection and variety is quite large and very inspiring. 

One of the best parts of the sale is introducing people to the craft of weaving.  We have someone weaving at the entrance to the sale and it generates a lot of interest and questions.  I love demonstrating weaving and letting people try it themselves.  It is very fulfilling to teach.

Our sale is October 21 to 23 this year and I am looking forward to volunteering again.  

Erik

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