Tips for doing craft fairs?

[Former_Member]

I have a few friends and family members (even my boss) suggesting that I do craft fairs. I have sold at craft fairs before when I was a Discovery Toys consultant, so I have a good understanding of how things work. However, I have never sold my own products at a fair and I am concerned that it might become something I put too much money into and then end up in the negative. I sell costumes (adults and children) soaps and teepees. I am continuing to add to my inventory as well.

I would love any and all helpful tips for craft fairs! Esp on how you can make inventory and pay booth fees and be assured you are going to get enough sales to cover it :)

[Former_Member]

I love selling at craft fairs! The busiest time us Christmas and I've been able to get booths for as low as $20 with a table. The most I've paid for is $35. I know that lagers fairs (such as wedding venues) ask a few hundred dollars for a spot.

I would highly recommend getting a Square card reader for shows. Although a lot of people know to bring cash, some like the fact that you'll take credit cards too.

Sales depends on the foot traffic and also being available and friendly to all that pass by.

Good luck on this adventure. I'm sure you'll do great!

[Former_Member]

I've had same questions :) Like if your shop has a diversity of things - what do you bring to the fair? how many of each ?

[CrystalFoxTreasures]

I love doing craft shows! Whether or not you make money is a bit of a crap shoot though. So much depends on factors you can't control, like whether there are a lot of people come through, are they buyers or browsers, the weather, etc.

I've done shows where the tables cost anywhere from $25 to $65. The more expensive tables have been at larger shows or shows that were held in support of a hospital or other good cause.

It helps if you have actually attended the show yourself as a potential customer before signing up to do it, but how many of us actually do that (not me). If you know anyone who has done the show before, you can ask them about it - just bear in mind that you may make something entirely different from them, but it will give you the feel of the show and more importantly, the clientele.

I agree that having the Square is a very good idea. I had it this year and picked up a few sales, including a large one, that I would not otherwise have gotten and it made the difference between making money and losing it at a couple of shows.

One thing I have found is that most people who attend are looking for small ticket items, $5 to $15 or $20. Taking a broad range of price points is a good idea, but I would bring a larger quantity of the smaller priced items. It's amazing how quickly those sales add up. A wise person once said that it is easier to sell 5 $10 items that to sell 1 $50 one.

As for quantities, it depends on the price points and what you make. I sell jewellery, accessories and artwork. I tend to take over 500 pairs of earrings to a show and up to 100 of each of the other lower price point items. For anything above the $20 price point, I may only take 5 to 20 of each. It is better to take too much with you than too little. Show organizers take a dim view of people who pack up and leave early because they sold everything before the end of the show. You may not be asked back or if you do apply, you may not be accepted.

[Former_Member]

One of the things that has shot us in the foot in the past is not paying attention to the demographic that would be attending the craft Faire. If it is a college town and most of the folks who will be in attendance are as such, cheaper and more fun/funky pieces would be what we would bring along with us.

Another thing to focus on is to bring things that will add multiple dimensions to your table. Don't just have all of your pieces laying out flat. We use neck stands and bracelet bars, we also have a couple necklace trees, and even some pretty rocks we use to add levels to our display.

Know that you're going to have to have conversations! Make friends with people and build a rapport. At craft shows there can be many people selling similar items as you. Give them a reason to come back to your booth :)

Best of luck! I hope it goes great!

[Former_Member]

Thanks so much for all the great advice so far! Please keep it coming! I am really starting to feel a bit more confident plunging into this :)

[Former_Member]

I would always say do a trail set up at home of how you want your table to be, setting up takes a lot longer than people think so knowing where things loon best saves a lot of times, also help you work out what to take and what not to take. I always take a picture on my phone of the set up so when I get there we just copy that.

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

I always make sure I bring business cards with me, that way if a person seems interested but not ready to buy then, they can always go back to your etsy site. I have two boxes of cards, and one I dedicated to just for fairs. With that box, on the back I put a coupon code for xx amount off. That way its some more incentive for them to check you out later.

[Former_Member]

Business cards is a fantastic point, we don't go anywhere without ours.

Vistaprint is a great resource!

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

Vistaprint is amazing! Check out groupon too for them. I got one for vistaprint for $17 for $70 worth of product. Got a boatload of things, including business cards and window decals for my car and a banner when I go to fairs.

Oh, and get a banner. It'll be good to put it on the front of your table.

[Former_Member]

^ Everything that this lovely lady said, yet again! If you have a friend who can embroider, we had ours hand sewn by someone who loves us a lot, but Groupon sometimes has fantastic deals for Vistaprint (even without it, it is a great resource, but YAY cheaper)!

[Former_Member]

What my largest surprise this year at my very first show was lighting. I haven't yet learned the art of using light to focus attention on either items or areas - and I must admit that EVERY other craftsperson there told me that this was a vitally important thing to remember.

I have ended up loving doing shows!

[AmyEsryTreasures]

To keep your cost low, see if you can improvise your display. I use sheets that are hemmed with safety pins for my table cloths. I use old (really really old) folding tables that I borrowed from someone. I use shoe boxes to add height (with a black cloth over it). Check your local thrift store for sheets or shower curtains or whatever that you can use. You don't have to spend a ton of money. Now, if your doing an outdoor show, then you need a tent and that's expensive.

I second the person who talked about shopping the show first. See who is buying what. Do people have bags in hand? What booths are busy? I sell dolls, and they just don't do well in craft fairs. They are too expensive. I'm going to try to get into some "art" fairs this year instead.

There is a craft fair team that has tons of tips. You can search their discusions (lighting, display, etc). I think its something like Craft Fairs, Its a Living. Really really helpful group.

[Former_Member]

Such good information! I have been getting ready for two fairs here close to home. I'm a newbie at them, although I have gone to lots to shop.

[krjewelrydisplays]

Seems to me that you have an advantage with your products.

I would set up mainly soap products on my table, everyone can use soap!

I would set up one teepee for the kids to check out and play in, thus showing their parents how much fun they could have. On the front of the teepee I would have a big sign saying something to the effect of you can purchase this from my online shop SimplyMallory or to save on shipping and order from me here today!

I would also have a binder with pics of all the costumes I could make again saying they could order online or in person.

You can never assure that you will recover your booth fees but if you don't get out there then you won't make anything!

Also if you do hand out business cards and get sales later through your shop they would count toward the booth price.

Good luck!



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[JeanieBeanHandKnits]

definitely have the option available for credit purchases. In my experience, 75% of my sales have been through credit card purchases.
Make your displays interesting and inviting - Pinterest has a ton of ideas
Don't stand in your booth. I tend to stay in the aisle and stroll in to say "Hello" and then step back out.
Have a mirror available if need be.
A bowl of chocolate kisses draws people in as well!

[maliasmark]

Talk to other vendors to find out about other shows. The good ones (to me, the ones that cost the least) do not have the funds to advertise so it's a lot of word of mouth. They are your best resource!

[PlaynwithScraps]

Make sure you find out about the other sellers at the show. A lot of cheaper shows fill their spots with direct sales vendors. I do horrible at those shows. Personally I avoid the $20-30 shows and make out much better at the $65-85 shows.

[Former_Member]

Get a banner made that has your shop name on it with pictures of your products. You can find banner makers on Etsy. Order this well in advance of your show if you don't already have one. It can take time to make. Don't leave it to the last minute and worry about whether you will have it in time for the show.

Bring your business card. You should already have some sort of business card/flyer that you send out with your packages from orders from your Etsy store. These will have your store name, url, email address and if you want, a coupon code for future orders (that way people won't be so inclined to just throw away your card as it is also a coupon).

When you make a sale at a craft show, ask your customer for their email address. Most will give it, if they are truly interested in your product. This way you can contact them again via email if you have more new items in your shop or if you are doing a show again.

It sounds corny - but you should ensure you have comfortable shoes. Ladies - there is only so long you can stand and walk around on high heels. Behind the booth, nobody will see you are wearing sneakers!

[simplicitycosmetics]

It's super important to find the right show for your items, you need to get the right type of customers that are going to respond to your items. I do a 2x a year craft show that is put on by my local Etsy team and I do better there than I have ever done at any craft show! High school craft shows are so hit and miss for me, but I know other people that do great....

For me the essentials are square card reader, cash with a cash box, water, comfy shoes, and of course my products and set up! I would suggest doing a trial set up at home before the event so you know what works. If you can add some dimension to your table that's great. Having items laying on a flat table can be a bit boring. One idea is to attend a local even and walk the booths and see which ones jump out at you and which ones have lots of customers browsing.

If you decide to do them have fun! Make sure you meet other vendors, I've made some great friends at craft fairs! :)

[ReadyAimCraft]

I'm loving this thread! Here are my tips I've found helpful, sorry if some have been said already:

-Bring custom order forms. If someone sees something they want, and come back later to buy it and it's been sold, I have a simple form they fill out and I make them the same item and they can pick it up a few days later.

-Have a wide variety of items with a wide variety of prices.

-Work on your crafts (if possible) while you sit at your table. People will like to watch and it helps them appreciate how much work goes into your items.

-Square card reader. People tend to buy more if they can use a credit card.

-Have a price on every item, and make items easy for customers to touch and pick up. Statistics show customers are more likely to buy something if they can touch it or hold it.

-If you're chatting with a customer about an item, give them ideas on what they can do with it. I get a lot of people that comment on my shotgun shell flowers, and I'll say something like, "A lot of people have been getting these for their husbands for Valentine's Day." Then they'll say, "Oh what a great idea!" and buy it.

[DebbiesDenimDesigns]

All the above advice is great and already covers most of what I was going to say! Make sure you bring enough cash for making change. Also, although it's great to take credit cards, I've been in 2 craft shows that were held in vo-tech centers and they had the internet blocked (so students couldn't surf the web during class), therefore nobody could use a square card reader inside the building.

Arrange your displays at varying heights - shoe boxes work great for this. And I purchased a good-sized fabric remnant to use as a table covering. It works great and was cheaper than a large tablecloth.

[BlueRibbonConfection]

I love doing craft shows and festivals, they are a lot of work but once set up, it is like a party, where I can enjoy watching people, and sell my products.
I always make sure to bring extra change, business cards, water, pens, and I like to bring some moist cloths, to clean up any spills a customer may happen to do.

[JustMeToo]

I would strongly advise AGAINST a cashbox! Keep your money on your person with a small pouch, or money apron! I have been at two shows where the cashbox was chained to the table, but the thief didn't want the cashbox - only the money, and got it! Lots of tears cried at both shows! If your money is on you, no one can get at it! I prefer juried shows that charge admission, and ONLY admit handcrafts. They are pricey - one of them is $900 for five days, but that's where the money is! People who pay admission are serious shoppers looking specifically for handcrafts at those shows. Make sure your tablecloths go right to the floor, so your booth doesn't look unsightly from the other side of the room (legs, boxes, etc). It also gives you hidden storage for your lunch, extra inventory, your coat, etc. Don't forget NEW bags to package your purchases! All the best of luck!

[MysticKnotwork]

I agree with Carol. We used to use a cash box and it is more hassle than it's worth. We have our ipad for square and that slips under our display (we built in a 1" riser so it fits. As a guy, it looks normal to wear cargo pants. I have my small bills in the top pockets and large bills in the lower pocket. When the lower pocket gets too full, we unload into a bank bag that is stashed in the booth. Cash boxes are hard to work with and breaks up the conversational flow of a sale, in my limited experience.