It was a sunny day at the Estate Whim Museum, where the annual Starving Artists Sale was taking place, but it would have been hard to find a sunnier smile anywhere on the museum grounds than that of David Asencio.

The 10-year-old artist had just sold another of his drawings, bringing to five the number he had sold.

The annual sale at the museum drew a record number of vendors and by noon the crowd was well on its way to topping last year’s total of 1,000. Sale coordinator Althea Franklin said the sale boasted 100 vendors this year, and the organizers had to find room for 18 new booths. Final numbers would not be available until mid-week, she added.

Young David Asencio’s mother, Marlen Jiminez, was one of those vendors, selling jewelry and other arts and crafts, and for the second year in a row she invited David to sell his drawings at the booth.

"He’s always drawing," she said. "He’s got his imagination going all the time."

At $2, the drawings of moko jumbies in various guises – including a doctor and a pirate – were a great buy and by 11 a.m. he had sold half of the ten he had brought. A student at Alfredo Andrews Elementary School, he enjoys art, but said he hopes to become a firefighter when he grows up.

Throughout the museum grounds visitors surged through the booths, looking at Crucian crafts, sea glass jewelry and ornaments, paintings and much more, while music drifted out from the recitals of piano, horn and drum students in the main hall and dancers performed on the outdoor stage.

"We’ve had fantastic foot traffic," said vendor Lea Ann Robson, whose sales space featured Christmas ornaments made of sea glass. "Even though we’ve got a record number of vendors, there’s plenty for everybody."

David Asencion was not the only young artisan with work on display. Another booth featured the work of three young home-schooled students – Emily Snow, 12, Faith Snow, 10, and Wilie Crowther, 8. The girls had spent weeks stringing intricate necklaces, bracelets and earrings, while Wilie was selling yarn dolls with interchangeable dresses.

Emily Snow said it was hard to say which part was better, creating the crafts for the sale or manning the booth and interacting with the potential customers flowing by.

"They’re both pretty fun," she said.

The 20th annual Starving Artist Holiday Sale was also the scene of the second annual Guavaberry Competition, where four competitors vied for the prize that went to the best guavaberry liquor, a tradition in the Virgin Islands.

The annual holiday sale is a major fundraiser for the St. Croix Landmarks Society.