Craft Show Tips

So, recently we just started attending craft fairs to see if we would be interested in doing this. This adventure is by far a daunting task. There is a lot of research that should go into this before you decide if this is what you would want to do. It can be frustrating. I don’t want to scare you away, but please do some research before attempting this. I am going to talk about our experience with craft shows and what I did to prepare for them.

We are having a blast now with attending the shows, but the first couple were very disappointing, to say the least. Our first show we sold 1 item. The show was right outside, in a parking lot, an antique/consignment shop. Most of the customers were there for the shop. Thinking this place received a lot of traffic, it sounded like a good idea. Almost discouraged us from going to anymore. I am glad it didn’t.

Our second show was at a church. This was a little more profitable. I actually had a special order for one lady. This got me thinking that this was something else we could offer up at the craft show we attended. We decided to give the first town a try again but again we met with the same results. Looking around this second show in the same town, I noticed that no one had the same items we had. I sometimes use the show we attend to get new ideas. I did talk with someone about a potential contract, but her shop does not open for another year. We will see where that goes.

We have met some wonderful people along the way and I have even taken a few custom orders, which I now advertise for at the shows we go to. I have also done up business cards and I hand them out with every purchase and anyone who stops by I will offer them up.

So, what do I look for in a craft show. My best success at a craft show has been when I attend ones held by volunteer fire companies. They will usually draw in a lot of people and these have just been my best. The average cost for one of these has been anywhere from $25 to $50 to enter. Most of the time you will either get a 10×10 or an 8×10 space. Of course, if you need more space, you can always get a double or triple. It will just cost you what ever the about one space is times the number of spaces you need. Most of the volunteer companies will either supply you with a table in your cost or charge a few extra for a table. This is good if you are starting out and don’t have a folding table to bring with you. They usually will supply you with a chair or two for no extra cost. These craft shows I have been able to recoup my fees and then some.

Next we sit down and research various different craft shows and how far out in advance do we need to sign up. I also take suggestions from others that participate in craft shows in the past. Maybe someone has been going to a certain craft show for a couple of years and are continuing to attend. This will sometimes play a role on which to attend if there are more than one happening on the same day.

Once we pick a show I will usually contact the coordinator for an application. With the application they will usually have instructions on what is available, the size of the area available and the time frame to apply and pay. Some shows may require you to submit pictures of your goods. The application will also have an area to write in your products.

What are you going to sell? I decide depending on the season. If I am doing a show around August or September, I am looking at Halloween and possibly Thanksgiving. As we get a little later in the year I will start to include Christmas in the bunch. I try to stay seasonal but sometimes its hard to do.

Don’t forget to price your work. In my opinion, if I have to ask the owner how much something is, I will usually not bother with it. Take the time to price your product, it will pay off for you. I usually get a small sticker and stick it on the back of my product, or the front, depending on what I am selling. If I am selling a lot of one item, for example ornaments, I will either hang them on a tree or place them in a bowl. Then I will create a sign indicating something like “Ornaments $2 ea.”

Get to know other people around you. We have met some great people while at a craft show. For example, I am retired from the Navy. One of the shows we did I just happened to wear a shirt with Navy logos on it. In the booth next to me was another retired sailor. We started talking and exchanging sea stories like we had known each other for years. Walk around the show and met other vendors. Don’t be afraid to hand out your business card. Who knows, they may purchase something from you. Or maybe ask if you could make something for them.

Talk to your customers when they stop by to look. They may be looking for something specific but if you don’t ask you will never know. I had a large project I was selling and the customer looked at it and then turned away. When I asked if I could help them find something, it turns out she wanted it in a different color. I asked her when she needed it by and it wasn’t urgent. I took the order and got it to her the following week. She bought a couple of other items from me but I believe if I had not engaged her I would not of sold anything to her.

Display, display, display. The first thing a customer sees is how you have your booth set up and displayed. This I leave up to my wife. She is very good and setting things up so it doesn’t look cluttered. Don’t go overboard with items you are selling. By having too many items to choose from can be very confusing for your customers. They may like everything and not be able to make a decision. This, I believe was are first mistake when starting out. Scale back to just a few items. If they don’t sell, try some other items. I usually walk around a show to see whats selling.

Crafting can be fun and you can make some money at the same time. I have made some new friends at crafts shows and passing out my business card has landed me a few extra jobs. If this is something you are interested in, try it out. You may like it and it may take off for you. Good luck with your crafting and hope to meet up with you at a show someday.