EDGEWATER — After 11 years and displaying thousands of handmade crafts from Chicago artists around the city, the DIY Trunk Show is coming to the "end of an era," according to Rebeca Mojica, an organizer and owner of Blue Buddha Boutique, 1127 W. Granville Ave., in Edgewater.
Mojica announced online the show's November event, which was held at the Broadway Armory, would be its last.
"The DIY Trunk Show is my favorite show to do, by far," she said. "The last few years have been rough on our business, and we realize we need to focus our staff’s efforts on building our core business rather than funneling time, energy and money into nonprofitable side businesses, no matter how emotionally attached we are to them."
The annual event was known to showcase wares from artists citywide and has been sponsored by local organizations and arts-focused businesses like Blue Buddha, Edgewater Workbench and Edgewater Artists In Motion. Last year, it even included beer from Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Still, Mojica said November's show reported a $10,000 loss — a financial hit that meant that organizers would have to charge higher booth rental fees to break even in 2015.
"If we raised the booth fees, we'd likely have mainly veteran applicants, and, while their work is great, it changes the vibe of the show, especially if customers say things like, 'Oh, it's the same vendors I've seen at other shows.'" she said. "No one wins in that situation."
She said the time her crew at Blue Buddha put into the show each year was essential and took away time from the "core" duties of the shop's daily operation. The move will ensure her employees have a "stable place" to count on in the long run.
Plus, she said, the event's original goals — made in the pre-Etsy era — have been met.
The show's first organizers, Cinnamon Cooper and Amy Carlton, set out to create a craft show that would give new artists a place to show off their creations. They wanted to charge low booth fees so that artists could maximize their profits.
But with rising costs due to manpower, declining attendance, oversaturation of craft festivals across the city and increased park district rental fees, Mojica said it was time for her and her team to have a difficult conversation.
Ultimately, the trunk show became an unsustainable "labor of love," one that unfortunately couldn't pay the bills, she said.
Mojica said one of her colleagues said, "I'd hate to stop doing the DIY Trunk Show, but I'd hate to lose my job more. If spending time on DIY means we aren't able to spend the time we need on our own business, then we shouldn't do it."
Over the years, she said she's met and worked with some of the most amazing and talented artists the city has to offer.
"I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to the show founders, to the hundreds of crafters who’ve sold at our shows, and to the tens of thousands of customers who’ve come out, often in less than stellar weather, to spend their hard-earned dollars on lovingly handmade items. You made this amazing thing happen."
As for Mojica, she said her business is about to welcome another craft retailer, AVP Jewelry and Beads, inside Blue Buddha at 1127 W. Granville Ave.
"I think AVP Beads will be such a great complement to our business, and ours to theirs," she said. "We love being a part of Edgewater's community. That's what we're all about at our core, and now we have the opportunity to focus on that, and be better than ever."
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