I've got eight tightly packed boxes of pottery for the ACC show. For an average two-day festival I will pack four boxes. The most I've ever packed for a show before was six boxes. Will they all fit in my car? If I truly cannot make them fit, I live close enough to Baltimore to make two trips. After all, I only need my wholesale lineup for the first days of the show, which is only two out of these eight boxes. 

My wholesale display and my retail display are going to be completely different. If you follow this blog, you know that my feelings about wholesaling are very complicated. After six years of doing it, I realize that wholesaling is vital to a solid business plan. In fact, becoming a wholesaler is what took my business over the crest of the "earning a living" climb. But I also know it's possible to overload myself with wholesale work. It's a tricky balance. Last year, my wholesale strategy was to skip all of the trade shows, focus on growing my art festival capacity, and see exactly how much wholesale income I really need. This year, I'm back at a trade show, ready to meet new galleries again. But with some major changes to my wholesale lineup, and a clearer perspective on my needs and limits. 

After the show, I'll post pictures of my wholesale and retail display, and explain what I've done.