hello.

I am going to Tuscon! I recently started working with a friend of mine who is a glassblower, and we have been collaborating on a line of jewelry, he makes the glass cabs and i do all the metal work. we are going to be selling our pieces at the best bead show in Tuscon. I was wondering if anyone has been to this, and maybe what i can expect? I have been making jewelry for years at a local art gallery, but i have never been to a show before. any advice/comments/support would be great, as i am starting to get nervous!! thanks.  

Hi, smr.

In the January issue of Art Jewelry, there is an article called "How to Tackle Tucson," which is a guide to the Tucson shows. However, it's a guide for those going to the show to buy, not for those selling. You may still find some of the information useful, since you've never been to the shows before.

 

The Best Bead Show really is the best bead show.  I went last year as a buyer and the place was filled with first class glass artists and filled with buyers.  I saw and bought some of the amazing beads at that show; I went to the True Blue something show the next day and on a whole it paled by comparison to the Best Bead show.  What I may suggest is along with your finished jewelry, you have components to sell,  I  think a good number of the people shopping that show are looking for pieces/parts.  Be sure to take more receipt books than you think you'll need, ditto on charge slips, catalogs, business cards, etc...

The day I went, I didn't get there until 2 hours before closing and the place was swarming with buyers, unfortunately it was raining and the people outside in the tents were wet, cold and largely passed by as people ran from their cars to the building.  If you're going to be outside, be sure to take plenty of lights and portable heaters - without the rain, it gets cold after the sun goes down with rain, I'm sure it was miserable.  Good luck on your show! 

I show at the G&LW Holidome show each year. I try to visit the Best Bead show each year. The comments you've had so far are right on.

Last year's wet weather was hard on outside tents at Best Bead. It usually gets cold at night inTucson no matter what weather we get. If you are inside it's not a problem. I would echo the plenty of business cards. You should never run out, no matter if you are a seller or a buyer at a show.

Tucson has too many shows. Your traffic will vary from day to day depending on what other shows are open, or worse what other big shows are opening that day. The day Holidome opens usually drops traffic at other shows as wholesale buyers flock to that one for first day. As you can see from the chart in the Tucson Show Guide the 40 some shows overlap each other in strange ways. 

 thanks for answering!! i didnt even think about business cards... ive been in a comfortable rut of working for someone else so i havent had to deal with much of the business side of selling my pieces. the friend that i am working with goes to this show every year, all he told me was to make as much stuff as humanly possible. that in itself makes me nervous! as for the cold, im ok with that, it cant be any worse than the winter in wisconsin! thanks for the responses. ~sonja