Craft Shows - help!

[#1]

Hey all,

So I bit the bullet and will be a vendor at my first ever craft/art show at the end of September. I will be selling items from both of my shops, so this includes paintings (n canvas), prints, hand painted glassware, scrapbook paper patterns.

I have less than zero experience, so I was just wondering if any of you had some tips or helpful do's and don'ts? I'm very excited, but also very nervous.

For my prints, I know I'll have to get them all printed in multiple sizes, and plastic sleeves for all of them, and I'm worried I'll be left over with so much stock that won't go anywhere.

Helps!

[BittyBlissBakeshop]

Erin, check with local elementary schools, churches, etc. usually this time a year they have craft fairs for very reasonable prices. Maybe you can still try it out!

[LindasArtSpot]

Maybe the show you were trying to do was too big for the first one.
I did not have funds to get started either. So here is what I did.

I started with our local farmers market and a table, in the fall, I only sold my patent pending book makers. It was only $20 a day and a folding table. It was no means a professional start, but you have to start somewhere. I could not even afford business cards at the time.

You could start with just one size print and take custom orders that you could ship.

I took all the earnings and bit by bit built my booth and stock up to where I am today. Canopy, banner, full on professional, and no more farmers markets, just large art shows.

So take it slow and build your self up, with a tiny bit of cash you can start.
You can do it!

[Mulchandmore]

Linda, I agree about building slowly with smaller/lower priced shows (I started about 20 years ago at a show that was free when you demonstrated your craft) and that is still one of my better shows and the vendors more like extended family! And my first table was a card table about half full of items for sale, the rest was tools for my demonstration!I still only do low to mid-priced shows- there's not a lot of big ones in my area.

Before doing shows, you should get a sales tax number for your state, to enable you to legally collect sales tax and pay it at the end of the year.

Many things to learn in doing shows, I'm still learning and trying new things, and even a "bad" show can be a good opportunity to give out business cards with links to the rest of your business!

[TheSalvagedEdge]

I have been doing shows for about 3 years, about 20-30 show weekends a year. It's wonderful and rewarding but also a lot of hard work! And I agree, start small and just keep plugging away. You'll get the rythm of it all and be a pro before you know it.
I am part of a team that is all about craft shows and its wonderful to be able to talk to people who have years of experience and who have great ideas for new creative displays, etc. There is quite a treasure trove of info.
https://www.etsy.com/teams/8070/craft-fairs-its-a-living

[Former_Member]

Too bad...

I realize it's a timing thing but Christmas is the season for shows, there should be more coming up.

You might even want to start putting aside some money to pay for them.