Some craftsmen participate in large wholesale shows or markets. These two to five day events are held across the country in large urban areas and attract shops and gallery owners from the surrounding region, or from across the nation. Here, the craftsman meets the buyer face to face, taking orders to be filled over the coming months, or distributing catalogs, price lists, and samples of work to potential buyers directly by mail, or through catalogs and publications such as this. Marketing crafts by wholesaling requires advanced business skills which unfortunately do not come with the technical proficiency involved in the production of work. These skills are learned much like the craftsman's skills with his materials.
Wholesale buyers are professional buyers.
They recognize value, marketability, and quality with a more critical eye than the general public. Extra care and attention on the part of the craftsmen are required in the presentation of their work to these individuals Craftsmen generally do not run small factories. Many will work on a single item from start to completion before beginning another. Others produce work in batches of several like items from start to finish. Production capabilities depend on the nature of the medium involved, and the stamina of the craftsman.