PLATTSBURGH -- The popularity of Plattsburgh State's craft shows peaked in 1989, when as many as 180 vendors were set up in both the ice arena and the gym at the Field House.

"It's been kind of a steady decline since the 80s," said Scott Johnson, College Center director.

losing popularity

He thinks such sales just aren't as popular anymore, in part because of the availability of cheap goods from China and other places.

"Certainly, that's probably contributed to it a little bit," he said.

"It's just so readily available," said Melanie Wyand, who has been an organizer of Plattsburgh State shows for maybe 20 years. "With on-line companies, the Internet ..."

She also spoke with a vendor who suggested the sale of hand-crafted copycats has always been a problem, but now, with a tighter economy and higher prices, crafters are having to fight more to make ends meet.

"They seem to be policing themselves and turning people in" who sell manufactured items, she said.

That, she added, isn't the best situation.

Both vendors and attendance have been declining, Johnson said.

He compared the vendors at the 1989 shows (between 160 and 180) to the 110 at the recent spring event. The autumn show last year drew between 140 and 150.

"Our fall show still fills up," Johnson said. "It's always more popular because of the Christmas items."

Hard to compete

Top attendance was fall 1989, with 7,781 browsers among the crafters' stalls over the two days. Last fall, the show drew 3,254. Spring '89 was 3,802, while this year's event saw an attendance of 1,038.

Crafter Tamara Thompson has noticed the decline in vendors.