Year 4 | Open October 1-31, 2020 | Virtual Pop-Up / Online Store
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, we opted to try something new, and pivot the experience to a safer, socially distant virtual pop-up. Instead of a retail space, we sought out a studio space where we could collect, photograph, and store the inventory, and fulfill orders. We found our home in a small studio space at Art Factory in Midtown Memphis. We made it work, but wow was it cramped! Inventory from nearly 70 makers lined every wall in our 10x11ft. room, leaving just enough space for 2 people— my amazing partner Matthew and I, to pull, pack, and ship out just over 800 packages. Not bad for our first year online, but quite a lot for just two folks. (Given the close quarters, it was the only safe way we could figure to do it!)
The 2020 Monster Market Studio
Instead of a retail space, we found a small studio space in Midtown Memphis, TN which acted as our inventory storage, product photography studio, and order fulfillment station. It was very cramped, but we made it work.
Making the most of the space! Wall to wall shelving, storage, and room to work.
Inventory was carefully organized and packed in tightly! All of these yellow storage bins actually came from my alma mater, Memphis College of Art, when they closed.
Packin’ 800 Dang Orders By Hand!
One of many batches of orders ready for the post office.
Stickers from a 2020 order.
Matthew learning the ropes of shipping delicate handmade art firsthand.
An awesome order on its way out the door featuring sinzes, comics, and stickers from 2020 makers.
The 2020 Product Photos
With our pivot to an online store came all kinds of challenges. Suddenly, we needed a photo of every single item in our sprawling inventory!
`In later years, we asked makers to submit their own product shots, but this first year, we took hundreds if not thousands of photos ourselves!
A special run of freaky pieces from ceramic artist Babycreep!
Our first foray into product photography.
The Witchy Vibes box set featuring work from Vichcraft, Lime Tree Handmade, Neither Nour, Sarah Day Arts, and Metaphorically on Fire.
Flannel: Mushroom Vintage, pins: Future Monsters, Whimsy Woo.
Earrings: Leximonster, shirt: Straydogthey, flannel: Mushroom Vintage, pin: Mackenzie Lemoine, button: Lindsey Jenkins
The 2020 Promotional Campaign
2020 Monster Market Makers:
Ghosts of Pop-Ups Past…
Monster Market has been running annually each October for six years as of 2022. Take a stroll down memory lane to see how we’ve grown over the years! Jump to a specific year by clicking a thumbnail below, or scroll to see everything in backward chronological order.
2017
88 North Main Street
2018
Crosstown Concourse
2019
618 South Main Street
2020
Our first year online!
2021
Year of our first lookbook!
2022
Year of the Mini-Mart!