Patti makes an excellent point about staying away from shows that allow buy/sell products. Although the buy/sell vendors may not be direct competition for you in that they aren't likely to have the same kind of products you do, people tend to blow all of their money at those stalls, and it makes the prices of actual artisan crafted pieces seem high in comparison. I've done a handfull of fairs, and I've sold on average 1/3 - 1/2 in a day at a show that allows buy/sell what I would normally sell at a juried show that doesn't allow it. That being said, I do sell jewelry which is a big buy/sell item so it may be more of an issue for me than it is for you.
Kemarie also makes a good point about looking for shows with several thousand vs. just a few hundred attendees. I know it can be a difference of paying up to $200 more to be in a big show, but either way, you are going to be spending the whole darn day there, plus several days preparing, plus (in my case anyway) paying for an assistant to help with the show. That's a lot of time to spend to just make a few dollars at a small show. However- doing a show is fun, and it's going to be fun I whether the venue is big or small, and a lot of it comes down to how busy your life is, and what your time is worth. If you have the time to mess with a show that may not make you a lot of money, then by all means, go have fun. In the end, it's not ALL about the allmighty dollar. While I've always stuck to larger shows for the above reasons, I'm actually doing a small one this Spring myself.
When you go to the show to ask questions, go toward the end of the day, but not so late that they will be starting to pack up and too busy with that to talk to you. That way you can ask how they did for the day. Do ask "how were sales today?", or "how did you do today?" rather than asking directly how much money they made. If you explain why you are asking a bunch of questions, most vendors are going to be happy to talk to you. Make sure you spend a lot of time in any booths selling products even a little similar to yours- you want to get display ideas. If you see a display you like, ask the vendors permission to take a picture of it to help you remember it later.
