Schaumburg craft show draws shoppers looking to spend locally

Shoppers heading to craft shows this holiday season often know they're going to pay a little more than they would for something from the mall that is mass-produced, but for many, the price is secondary to supporting local artists.

Donna Johnson, president of the Spring Valley Nature Club, said the people who come to the group's annual holiday bazaar at the Spring Valley Nature Center in Schaumburg are usually serious buyers, rather than people who are just browsing.

"They know we tend to be selective with the vendors. We jury them, so we don't have a lot of repetition," she said.

This year's show - which was also sponsored by the Schaumburg Park District - featured about 40 local vendors and fell on Small Business Saturday, which encourages consumers to buy from small, local businesses the day after Black Friday.

Mary Wand, a vendor from Lincolnwood, said it's "a different type of person" who does their holiday shopping at craft fairs.

"This is very time-consuming," she said, motioning to her table full of embroidered aprons and towels. "I think people are willing to pay for that."

Wand said the Spring Valley show is the only one she is attending this year because she likes the relaxed atmosphere.

"There's been years that I've sold a lot and there's been years when I didn't sell anything, but I truly enjoy this show," she said.

Lara Pacelt, owner of Wild Child and Me, was selling jewelry and knitted items at the bazaar. She has been attending craft shows for about 16 years and said the biggest change she's seen in that time is actually a greater appreciation for handmade items.

"I think there was a time where people wanted the manufactured Wal-Mart stuff, but now people continually come back to me because they are like, 'I like that you make it yourself,'" she said.

Like many of the other vendors at the show, Pacelt works full-time as a teacher and knows she won't make a lot of money selling her goods.

"This is something I do because I have a passion for it," she said. "I find people very receptive to that. They like that my fingers are all beat up and I have a picture of my kiln on my phone. They like that and I get a sense of self worth out of it."