It?s not just the profits that keep vendors coming back to Crafts in the Park

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Some come because of the location, some because of the fellowship among venders and others see it as a quasi-reunion.

But whatever the reason, the vendors in the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance?s Crafts in the Park genuinely enjoy being there ? even if the weather conditions are sweltering.

Judy Collora, one of the Mt. Pleasant venders, said she has been doing her Collora Crafts for 35 years. In years past, she organized the craft show at the Old Threshers? grounds before moving to Central Park in 2002.

Why the move? ?It?s not nearly as hot up here and you are done at 6 p.m. each day. It also isn?t as exhausting,? she explained.

Collora, who does 10-11 shows a year, said one of the reasons for having a booth is the repeat customers year after year. ?I have a clientele who follows me, so I try to come up with new items every year. That?s what keeps people coming back. It is an evolving business and trends change.?

Having set up shop at both the square and at the Old Threshers grounds, Collora said there are advantages to each place. ?When it rains, people go home from uptown, but when it rains at Old Threshers, you get a good business because people come in and spend money.?

A few paces east of Collora, Dorothy Lane, of Mediapolis, had her County Lane Crafts booth. Lane is a five-year veteran of the Mt. Pleasant show and said one of the big attractions is that it is close to home.

Although most vendors will tell you that Wednesday and Thursday are not particularly good sales days, Lane said Thursday that she couldn?t complain about the sales so far.

Lane said she does about 10-12 shows a year, all in the fall, in a 150-mile radius. She?s been selling at craft shows for 30 years and said she will continue as long as she is able. ?I enjoy making things and meeting new people,? she commented.

Kris Shondel has been bringing his Shondel?s Stone Creations to Mt. Pleasant for about six or seven years. A resident of Centerville, Shondel said geographic proximity is one of the largest drawing cards.

But there?s more. ?There is always a good crowd, it is easy to set up and tear down, and I usually do pretty well here,? he said.

Like Lane, Shondel said sales thus far have been decent. ?I can?t really complain,? he commented. ?It isn?t bad for a Thursday, but Friday-Sunday sales are very good.?

Shondel also said he has a lot of repeat customers and has been making the stone creations for nearly 10 years.

Maurice ?Mo? Nurse, of Brighton, was pretty happy that he just received his patent for his Iowa Hawkeye venetian blinds. He calls his business Mo?s Angel Scents and has been at Crafts in the Park for six years.

?I just enjoy it,? he gave as the primary reason for doing craft shows. ?It?s like a reunion. The vendors look out for each other and you see many of the same faces each year.?

Nurse said he has a booth in about 60 shows a year, going hard from May-October. He said the farthest he has ventured has been to Indiana and Mayfield, Wis.

Getting back to the Mt. Pleasant show, he said he has done well in the past. ?Wednesday and Thursday are slow days, but Friday and Saturday are non-stop days.?

Barb Lawrence, along with her husband, John, sell hand-crafted oak furniture from their BJ?s Wood and Stuff tent. Now living in Floyd in northern Iowa, the Lawrences make a vacation out of the Mt. Pleasant show. ?I like the area,? Barb said. ?When we come, we camp at Oakland Mills for a week so it is a little vacation for us.?

The Lawrences are originally from London, England, having come to the United States in 1966. They are dong their 11th Labor Day weekend show in Mt. Pleasant and could almost qualify as good-will ambassadors for the community.

?This seems like a very friendly town,? she said. ?We also keep coming back because we see the same vendors every year and sometimes, we don?t see them at all between shows here.?

Age is causing the couple to cut back somewhat on the number of shows they do. She said they used to do about 26 shows within a 200-mile radius but now do about 10.

Larry VanEtten returned to his second Crafts in the Park show with his Van-ity Fused Glass and Scents. VanEtten and his wife live in Eureka, Ill., which is about 15 miles east of Peoria.

The reason for returning were financial and distance, he noted. ?The first year (2014) was good enough for us to come back a second year. We did alright last year. Also, it is a short drive.?

VanEtten also said he enjoys his time in Mt. Pleasant. ?It is a nice community.?

He reported good sales so far, adding that he?s had a number of repeat customers.

VanEtten and his wife, Cindey, are in the show circuit with both feet, traveling to 42 shows a year, ranging from Brookings, S.D., to Rogers, Ark. ?We are spreading our wings a little more each year since we started doing this full-time about six years ago,? he remarked. ?During the summer, we do one every weekend and sometimes, my wife and I split up and do two shows.

?We started this as a hobby and then got more serious,? he continued. ?Three years ago, we did 52 shows.?

The VanEttens hit the circuit in February and do the final one of the year in December.

He said he heard about Mt. Pleasant?s Crafts in the Park from a friend.

Nancy Davison, of Donnellson, who makes memo holders under the handle Nandy Company, said she has been coming to the Mt. Pleasant event for 15 years. ?It is close to home, and I can spend the night at home. I also like my location here. It is a good show, I have a lot of return customers,? she said.

Thursday afternoon was rather slow, though, she admitted. ?I think the heat is affecting people. The morning was busy and then it slows down in the afternoon.?

Davison is nearing the end of her craft shows, though, listing age as the reason. ?I am trying to wind down this year. Whether I do it next year depends on the inventory I have remaining after this year.?

After talking to the vendors, it was obvious that Mt. Pleasant puts on a good craft show. Collora said doing so is following a simple recipe. ?To have a good craft show, you have to have a good promoter, friendly vendors and good products.?