Craft Fairs

[Former_Member]

Hi i was wondering how to find craft fairs near me to sell my items.I heard that is a very good way to get more sales.
Thank you so much for your help

[theartofstacy]

The way I find shows may not be the best but I use internet search, and word of mouth. My area of WV only has a few big shows a year and I really have to rely on the small shows. I have only really been to one big show around here.

[shaylalynnjewelry]

I always check the community section of craigslist, under artists, events, and general even. I moved this year and that's how I found most of the fairs I did. You can always do a google search too. Once you find a couple fairs you can talk to other vendors there and they are often very helpful about telling you about other shows.
Hope that helps!

[IstriaDesign]

Very useful info. I've been wanting to find local craft fairs as well. Thank you guys :)

[Former_Member]

Thank you so much that was really helpfull

[Former_Member]

I use zvents.com. I also use it to find out if the venues I'm considering are actually promoting the event. No sense in going if no one knows about it!

[Former_Member]

I will ask other members of the local artisan guild. Word of mouth is about the best way.

Once you see a festival that you think you might like to participate in, I would suggest that you go first as a buyer and really take a look at the setup. Talk to the vendors to see what their impressions are.

I don't do any festival unless I've been told about it by another vendor whom I know or that I haven't checked out myself.

Just because a show is a good fit for one person doesn't mean that its good for everyone!

[ForgedMettleJewelry]

If you google "craft fairs" and wherever you live there should be a few websites that come up that have a list of all of them. They usually want you to pay a membership fee for ALL of the info, but from what they do give you you can do a couple google searches and find the not free stuff.

Though I'm thinking the craft fair season is over 'til about March...

[Former_Member]

Search the internet, but also get in contact with your local community center or public library, they will likely know of a local show. If you can figure out who the promoter is for the show, call and ask about their show and any other shows that they know of. One show can generally lead to another and so-on, until you have a list of different places. A huge thing, though, is to make sure you are looking at high-end shows; you sell something that is wonderful & unique- you need something more than a local bazaar or high school crafters show. I know of about a half dozen shows in Michigan that you could look into, but you'll definetly want to look for higher-end art shows and jurried shows (where they actually JURRY the show- many claim to be jurried, but I think they are looking at how much junk they can find and how many booths are filled with imports :P ) If you are able, either attend the show first or talk to people who've been to the show, or even ask the show organizer for another vender's contact information and ask them for their feedback about the show. Some vendors will lie, but many can give you an accurate idea about what the show is like. Good luck!

[PrairiePrimitives]

@CherryBlossomAvenue - those shows are "juried by check." As long as the applicant's check doesn't bounce, they get into the show! ;-)

[PrairiePrimitives]

While you're looking for shows, also be thinking about how you'll set up your booth. There are some great craft fair booth pics on Flickr. One of the most important things to remember when designing your booth is to have different heights in your booth, rather than laying everything flat on the table.

[MariasWorkshop]

Great advice.

You may also want to check out the following discussion from the "Crafts, its a living" Etsy Team. That Team offers a wealth of information on how to set up your booth, what to take with you, etc., as well.

http://www.etsy.com/teams/8070/craft-fairs-its-a-living/discuss/9505007/

Good luck to you!

[SassiChic]

On this same note, I have been considering selling locally. Has anyone already done that in local stores, markets, etc? What is the best way to get started?

[Former_Member]

I wrote a great article on tips I have learned from attending craft shows. I hope it helps!

http://showandtelldesigns.com/2012/01/02/lessons-learned-from-attending-shows/

[Former_Member]

In Wisconsin, the WI Arts Council (or something like that) publishes a catalog of arts and crafts fair each year. I suggest Googling to see if there is a board like that in your state. I agree with the idea of checking out the fair first. I wouldn't want to pay money and end up at a fair that doesn't target my audience at all!

I've had most of my sales in actual stores. My suggestions are to ask at locally owned shops you frequent, or where you know the owner. Don't automatically rule out types of stores - your items might sell well at a coffee shop for example, where there is less competition than at a gift shop. Find out which stores sell locally made items, and ask about their sales policies. Some have you apply online, while others you can show up with your items and talk to the owner. I suggest offering to sell you items on consignment. You and the owner can split the profits, and there is no risk to them, since they aren't buying anything from you.