Value making at craft fairs: Narrating Objects in Person
Type
presentation
Date Issued
2024
Author(s)
Abstract
This text addresses the central role of the presence of the craftsperson, the maker, at craft fairs and studies how craft products gain value at trade fairs. In an era of online availability of a multitude of options for each product category, craft products stand out because of their uniqueness which is based on functional use, the demonstration of skill, and the human touch. By this, craft object are different types of products which not only affects their “marketing” at fairs but also how their value is created. The conceptual question of value underlies the practical question of how craft products are marketed at fairs. Fairs are organized, festival-like, temporary, and can be considered arenas at which seller not only meet buyers but also other sellers, some of whom may be their suppliers. In the world of craft, marketing is not done by a separate department or by external consultants, but as a practice executed by the small-scale craft producers. To account for marketing of craft products we use the sociological and anthropological literature on fairs as backdrop and identity theory and relational work to explain how values are created in a relational process by stressing the uniqueness. By extensive fieldwork it is possible to show that marketing cannot be seen as a separate activity, but integrated with the physical presence at the fair, at which the relation between objects and producers, via narratives and physical practices, is established; a relation into which the customers are invited. These practices are embedded in the arena of the organized fair which offers craft makers a collective identity. Craft-based production is enabled and constrained by the necessity of physical presence. The fair is an important element for the constitution of craft and those who are part of the field of craft-based production.
Language
English
Event Title
Lunch Seminar
Event Location
Warwick Business School, University of Warwick
Event Date
20.4.2024