Craft Fair help

[Former_Member]

Hello everyone! I just started my etsy store in december and havent had as much luck yet as i had hoped. Nevertheless, I am still hopeful that time will fix that. I am wondering if anyone here can help me out with some tips for selling at local craft shows. I will be selling at one for the first time, and I am kinda lost as far as knowing what to expect, or what i should do to help get sales at my booth. I appreciate any advise that anyone can give. thanks

[Former_Member]

Hi Desiree,

I did the Sweet William Market in Stapleton a few times and didn't have much success there at all. I would suggest going to as many craft fairs before you have yours to really get good ideas on what people are doing for booths. If you can go to The Horseshoe Market or some others you will get some great inspiration.Some people are very creative with the booth design and that can really draw people in. I decided it was waaaaay too much work for me but I did see people around me doing very well.

As far as your Etsy shop goes, you can probably get a lot more views and sales by working on your titles and tags. There are whole teams devoted to this and since you have a lot of competition, it's something you can benefit from. Wishing you lots of luck!

[Former_Member]

Thank you!

[MRBrickDesigner]

We have had mixed success at craft shows. One thing that helped us was having low price items. Our high priced items to well on Etsy, but most people doing go to a craft fair looking to buy a $100 lamp. Instead, they are there to by items less than $10 (which are our items that don't sell well on Etsy). Setting up a booth is hard work, and not something I am very good at. One thing I have read multiple places is to have vertical displays, not not everything on a flat table.

[WhittyWireJewelry]

I agree with visiting craft fairs to see what they are like before signing up for them. I have had a couple that went bust, but I have also had some where I did quite well. I have found that I did better a juried shows that are exclusively handmade. Sometimes it is harder to compete at shows that include re-sell items in the mix. I prefer indoor shows as I don't tolerate the heat very well, but will do outdoor shows in May and June, Sep, and October.
If doing outdoor shows, make sure you have a good tent for shade and protection. Here is a link to my blog I did a couple years ago about preparing for outdoor shows. Just scroll down to the Aug 26 entry.
http://whittywirejewelry.blogspot.com

[Former_Member]

I just started doing craft and art shows (two earlier this month and one this weekend). For booth idea, I actually found pinterest really helpful. There are lots of great ideas for making your booth ascetically pleasing as well as tips on just about everything show related. I created a board with a bunch of ideas, if you want to check it out:

https://www.pinterest.com/katiki/art-and-craft-show-displays-and-tips/

Also, make sure you find shows that match your product. My first two were more "crafty" than "artsy," so they didn't really match my product (fine art photography). I'm hoping this one this weekend will be a better match. One thing I had several other vendors tell me was that spring shows can be very hit or miss, so don't get discouraged!

[rockystiersjewelry]

We have been exhibiting at shows for 35 years. My # 1 suggestion - network! Talk to other artists about what shows work for them. #2 suggestion, when you exhibit-- keep a mailing list. We have customers that have been buying from us for decades. Stop by and visit the juried art show we put on! -- June 27-28 in Nederland, the 15th Annual High Peaks Art Festival.

[HipViolet]

There is a pretty good Etsy team called "Craft Fairs... it's a living" that might be worth joining. There are several really good pinned posts that go over what to bring, etc.

I would also try to visit any potential show as a shopper first to see what the crowd is like - are there similar vendors? Similar price points? Are the shoppers your demographic? Are they buying?

Also keep in mind that someone else's "great show" might be a bust for you and vice versa, we all have different ways to gauge what a good show is, so sometimes you do have to try for yourself! :)

Good luck!