While on vacation in a small private beach community in the southern Maine coastal area, I attended a local craft sale. It didn't take me long to find a booth with quilted items and I headed there first. I was looking over some 8 x 10inch wall hangings that I would describe as abstract/artsy in design which were machine quilted using stitch in the ditch and echo quilting. Then I looked at the price tag......3 times because I couldnt' believe it. $200!!! I thought it must be a typo and it should be $20 so I looked through the others.....nope....$200 was correct. Now don't get me wrong, they were nice but my first thought was "I could whip up a couple of these in an afternoon." There wasn't even $20 worth of fabric in the quilts. I told my family I was going back later and if she had sold any, I was renting booth space next year and selling some larger wall hangings and quilts and putting $750 - $1000 price tags on everything. LOL. I guess it just goes to show what tourists will spend. Needless to say, I left the craft sale without buying anything quilted :)

wow, maybe there are not many quilters in Maine!

There are many quilters in Maine. :) Just very few Mainers who vacation at this site. Most folks/families are from out of state and have been renting the same beach house for family vacations for generations. Over the past 20yrs that I have been a yearly renter, I've come to know many many people. We all seem to take the same week, year after year.

I just sent your post to my friend in N. Maine. Maybe she'll go in on a booth with ya. Ha. :XD:

As my dear auntie used to say when she saw something that cost a lot, "It must be made of gold thread."

Wonder if she sold anything?

heeheeheee, was behind a feller a few years ago at the fair, and someone had a cow for sale. He stepped back and said, "I'd have to buy new glasses to see that price" hahhahah I nearly fell over a little youngun when I laughed so hard at that.
Blessings,
Ruth

Seriously, we could put together some quilts depicting the maine coast, lighthouses, blueberries, etc and probably sell everyone of them. I did go back to see how she had made out selling her 8 x 10's and she'd actually sold about 1/2 of them. Wow!

All I can say is not for me. Quite pricey.

haha... but you explained the problem when you said it was in 'southern Maine" and I agree that is not where the locals shop.
I helped a friend one year and we painted abstract blueberries on cheap cotton men's T shirts (very simple - only a few brush strokes!) and sold plenty of them for $25 each at a Southern Me fair...we had to re-supply throughout the weekend....further north, barely sold a dozen all weekend...we called them artwork too!
Lori - how far north are you?

Those people that bought them must have "deep pockets"...LOL

I'm in between Bangor and Millinocket. I live in LIncoln which geographically is actually central maine. But as you know......anything above Augusta is considered Northern ME. LOL

LOL. Now they are "empty" deep pockets!!! Who said, "There's a sucker born every minute?" - I forget.

I've never liked making small wallhanging things but perhaps at that price. . . . LOL Not in central Illinois, a person is lucky to get that price out of a full size quilt.

Hummmm, what is the name and info for this craft show??

I think it could have been PT Barnum. He was right. I can not believe some of the prices peole will pay for things.

Holy cow!

You're right, P.T. Barnam was the one credited with that remark. Of course, as much of a con-man as he was he probably took it from someone else. LOL

Wow! Wonder if she is that "lucky" each year of if she hit it just right this year. It amazes me what people will buy and what they will pay for it! :hunf:

The seller is very smart. She wasn't marketing to quilters or crafters. She was marketing to tourists. She placed an appropriate value on her art work. Just because it's fabric instead of paint doesn't mean it's any less a work of art.

I think P T Barnham said that quote.

I agree! And I bet if she's charging $10-$15 an hour to make these, a small quilt would be in the $200 range for time and fabric. Sheesh. Let up on the woman and stop undervaluing our works. It's just perpetuates more people thinking our quilts aren't worth good $.

I know I have several small wall hangings I wouldn't part with for less than $150. And there is no way on earth I'd even consider selling a queen size for less than $1000.

HAHAHAHAHAHA You just tickled my funny bone :mrgreen:
And to think I thought it was my Dad's original quote hee hee

I had the same thought at the Sister's Quilt Show in Oregon this summer some of the quilt artist had works up for sale and they weren't cheap. One of those art quilts was listed for $7000.00 That's right $7000.00. I know that she's famous and all, and goes around the country teaching workshops BUT really $7000! It was something that I could go home and make myself. Obviously we under appreciate our talents.

What town was the show held? We visited ME last year and I was lucky enough to have found a few terrific LQS! I really liked their fabrics and they were so helpful. Their samples were amazing! Wish ! lived closer so that I could take classes there!!

I found a few LQS while I was driving home. The greatest was a small place called Cotton Weeds Quilt Shop in Freeport, ME. Wonderful customer service, beautiful fabrics and a great atmosphere. I took down all the information for 1 day workshops they'll be having and am more than willing to drive the 2hours one way to attend! They made me feel welcome and I can't wait to go back!

I was not undervaluing our work.....just the opposite. I'm wondering how to move into that market. :) You are absolutely right when you say the lady was not marketing to other quilters but tourists to the area who want to take home "a piece of Maine". Funny thing was.....none of her 8x10 wallhangings had a thing to do with Maine. Also, I looked over the work very closely.....the "work of art" could be completed in several hours time. Yes I too want people to appreciate the amount of work and skill required to quilt. Maybe we all need to put a higher price tag on the work we do. Unfortunately, most of the folks who might want our skills aren't in the same league as these vacationers.

A few years ago I did a quilt show to sell my crafts. Across from me was a coupla women that had lived in this town for most of their lives. People bought from them. Next to me were some special needs children from the high school, and people bought from them. They would glance at my table and walk on by. Hardly anything of mine sold. Sometimes it's who you know that makes sales. Six months later my friend took my stuff and set up at the coast....she sold over 1/2 of the items...for MORE money!!!! Go figure.