When deciding to sell at a craft event you will probably have a lot of questions. Even before deciding to do a show you may be wondering if it’s even worth it. Not knowing what to expect is common & so we here at the Indie Craft Fair Guide wanted to help put together a “How-to” of sorts in hopes of helping you decide if craft shows are something that you would be interested in & if so, help you get ready! Of course, everyone’s views will vary depending on their experiences which is exactly what we found out when we asked a few questions of the crafty community. Thanks to everyone who replied! Hopefully the responses we’ve received will give you some insight into the whole thing! If you have any other questions or tips you can send them to mymy@girlswirl.net.
First, to vend or not to vend, that is the question. Maybe you’ve been successful selling your items online or to local shops & now you’re considering setting up a booth or table at a craft show. Or maybe you’re just starting out & want to get some exposure. Is it worth it? And how do you decide just what shows to do? Annette from Nut and Bee says “The first craft show I did was amazing because I was getting direct feedback about my products from strangers for the first time”. Obviously being able to witness your customer’s reactions to the product is something online sellers don’t get to experience first hand. Sure, they send you emails but it’s not the same. Lauren, the DIY & Arts editor over on the website for Venus Zine agrees “There really isn’t anything else that compares to someone coming up to your table and gushing about how cute your wares are – it is the ultimate end-result to all of our crafty endeavors.” There is also a strong sense of community at craft shows that you may not get to experience just selling over the internet. David of the tshirt empire Seibei says “Craft shows are a great opportunity to get your name out there, to meet other like minded people for friendship and networking.” Leigh from Rhymes with Twee says “I also like the camaraderie between fellow crafters. It's nice chatting with them and working out trades.”
Others, like Tasha McKelvey say that doing craft shows is a great way to sell a lot of items in a short amount of time with her show goal of making 10 times the booth fee in profit. The booth fee for a craft show can really vary depending on a lot of factors. Who is organzing it, how many years the event has been going on, the location of the event. But don't assume just because a booth fee is high that you will make bank. Often a high booth fee means nothing more than cash out of your pocket. Also, in the same aspect, a low booth fee does not mean a small profit. When considering doing a show based on booth fee it's important to talk to other crafters who have done that show previously, don't be afraid to ask them "was it worth it". If this is the firs time this show is happening, ask questions before applying or investigate the event's website. See what their expected turn-out is, where the event will be happening, who is sponsoring it. All of these questions will help you decide if the booth fee is worth applying to this show.
When it comes to deciding what shows to do there is a lot to consider. With so many shows going on you might have trouble deciding which to do. Shauna one half of the dream team Something is Hiding in Here says “Deciding which shows to do depend on what you want to get out of it... big bucks, test new items, meet new people, or gain a new audience.” For some it comes down to travel. Jen of Tilting Swiftly says “I only do shows I can drive to in less than 4 hours or so.” Amanda of the craft blog Every Little Thing makes a good point when she says “For me, trial and error is the only way. You never know how a show will be until you get there, and they can vary widely from year to year. You can try to scope them out ahead of time, but mostly you'll have to go on blind faith.” But remember, your skull and cross bone crochet panties might not sell at your local church craft show so it’s important to research the show you’re interested in vending. An indie show might be a hike but your items will get a better response then the show in your town where the audience won’t “get” you.
Alright, so you decide you’re in it to meet new people & gain an audience, the show is only an hour away but it’s a “juried show”. What does that mean? Well, a juried show is a show that you have to apply for. Usually the application process involves sending photographs of your work or a link to your website. But how do you decide just what photos to send? Most of the people we talked to agree that it’s important to include a variety of items, If you make patches and baby clothes, send photos of both! Maybe the organizers have dozens of people applying who make baby clothes but none of them also sell patches so that helps you stand out. Also, make sure your photos are clear and show the item well, but at the same time don’t send boring photos! You want to stand out! Lauren says “We usually just send along a link to our website to let the organizers have some variety to pick from... If we have a limit, we try to send along pieces that really set us apart from other vendors.” Also be sure to only send photos of items you intend to sell. Just because you made a 5 foot tall unicorn out of chicken wire with your friend Maureen doesn’t mean you should send a photo of it, even though it’s awesome & the organizers will love it. You won’t be selling it, so don’t include that photo.
The application process is over. The long wait to find out if you got in? Also over & guess what? You’re in! Now the real work begins. Where do you start? Bethany of Cleo Dee says “I normally have some sort of back stock that I use throughout the season. Whenever I find out about a show I make of list of what items I want to make, then I make other lists about when I need to get everything done. I have bins that I stock with all my items and I make an inventory sheet that I pack with my wares. I try to get everything completed a day or two before the show so I can take those days to pack and check everything.”
With the help of our crafters we’ve created this ist of “must haves” for craft shows:
Change (dollar bills are important for sure!)
Money Box (or apron)
Credit card "knuckle buster" if accepting plastic
Signage & displays
Tablecloth
Business Cards (card holder)
Signs visibly displaying prices
Tape (scotch, duct, etc)
Pens & markers
Paper bags & tissue paper (bubble wrap for fragile items)
Boxes (for large or fragile items or small jewelry pieces)
Mailing list sign-up sheet
Camera & batteries
Receipt book, calculator & inventory list
Misc office supplies: stapler, hole punch, safety pins, scissors, string
or twine
Hand sanitizer
Extra tags & price stickers
Click here for a printable version of this list!
There are also unique items you can bring to make your table or booth stand out. Shauna says “We always buy fresh flowers the day before and create small arrangements to have in our booth.” Also, most shows have some sort of snacks or refreshments either for sale or available for free thanks to groups like Food Not Bombs but it’s always smart to bring along your own, just in case. An outdoor event in the middle of the Summer can get hot so obviously, a big bottle of water is a must have! Also, Amanda says “bring tampons”. Maybe you won’t need them but there is a good chance someone will! But no matter how early you get your preparations done there are always late minute things. Shauna says “The preparations that go into a show are endless, seriously... endless. I am usually adding finishing touches to signage as we drive to a show after staying up all night the night before. No matter how much you plan and pace your workload there is always something else to do that will take your booth to the next level. & it's always worth it. The way we see it you have the rest of your life to sleep, so you do what ever it takes.”
So, just how do you take it to the next level? Table or booth presentation is important. Don’t wait until the day of the show to finalize your set-up. Take the time at home to try out a few different set-ups in order to find the perfect one. Some crafters say they even take a photo of their set-up at home to more easily replicate it at the event. A few suggestions from our crafters for unique displays include repurposed furniture, suitcases, cake stands, breakfast trays, coat stands. Lauren recommends adding height & levels to your display. “We like to mix up vertical and horizontal displays so that we can maximize table space. It’s good to keep similar things together so that people can see all of their options, and the multiple levels help it from getting too crowded at the table.” For shows where you only have a table it’s wise to bring some sort of table cloth. You could use a piece of fabric, a blanket, an actual table cloth, anything to cover up the table & also hide any back stock or items you have under your table. You can also hang a sign in front of your table but remember, at crowded shows people may not be able to see it because of shoppers standing in front of your table so it’s always smart to have another sign on top of your table as well as business cards, fliers or samples for shoppers to take. Be sure to check with the organizers to find out the size of your table so you don’t have an ill-fitted covering. Also, you may want to ask if you will be in front of a wall (for indoor shows) because this will allow you to both hang a sign & possibly hang some of your merchandise right on the wall. Another thing worth looking into is lighting. If the show is being held in a small club it may be dark so you might want to take along a table lamp. Be sure to find out if this is ok & if there will be an outlet for you to use (you may need to bring extension cords). This also applies to any sort of display that requires power.
But wait, how do you get all this stuff to the event? Jen from Tilting Swiftly says “In big plastic tubs and I have 2 luggage carts”. Luggage with handles & wheels makes the walk from the car to the venue that much easier, especially if there is no loading space out front (which most times there are but it never hurts to be safe). Shauna from Something is Hiding in Here also agrees that plastic totes are a great way to transport & organize your items. She recommends you label them “so additional restock can stay inside and it is easy to access throughout the show”.
Deciding just what items to bring can be a difficult decision, especially for your first craft show. Amanda from Every Little Thing says “Remember that you never know what the big-selling items are going to be, so have as diverse a selection as possible.” Price points are also something to take into consideration. Annette says “I've found that it's much harder to sell higher-priced items, even if they're good value for money, so I would concentrate on the more inexpensive items if I had a wide price range. Almost all my products are less than $10, so I bring everything.” Shauno tells us “We are pretty strategic about prices. We bring higher price points items, these are the show stoppers that generate conversation and set the tone. We bring mid-range priced items in larger quantities and we love to bring tons of small things that are really cheap. Once a buyer decides to get one thing, they are usually more likely to get additional items.”
It’s really important to make sure all your items are priced. Most often people will not want to ask the prices & may walk away from your table or booth without purchasing something because it wasn’t clearly marked or because you were busy helping another shopper & they didn’t want to bother or interrupt you. If your items can not be tagged then simple signs will do the job. Either way, you may also want to have a price list with you just in case. This can also be helpful for inventory purposes if you are not keeping track of the items as they sell. But if you do want to keep track and offer customers receipts you can purchase cheap receipt books at most office supply stores or create your own invoice using most document programs on your computer. A receipt isn’t necessary & you may have customers decline them but again, just in case!
If you offer custom orders you may want to include a sign on your tabling stating such. A shopper may see something they like but want it in another color. If you do not have a sign saying this is possible they probably won’t ask. Some crafters will take orders for custom pieces on the spot. Others will direct the customer to their website or offer an alternative way of contacting them to set up the custom order. The way you do it is up to you. “But do be careful, do not get swept up in the moment and over-commit yourself.” Amanda says. Also, you may want to accept credit cards at craft shows. Bethany from Cleo Dee is all for accepting plastic at shows. She says “yes, it was the best decision I've ever made and has made my sales go up a ton. I love having the credit card because it made people's cash limit for impulse buying go up quite a bit.” Jen agrees saying “Yes. You get lots more sales that way.” Most crafters we talked to use Paypal to accept cards at shows (you can learn more at http://www.paypal.com). On the flip side, it seems rare that people accept personal checks. Mostly, this is because of the possibility of the check not clearing after the fact. To be on the safe side, most of the people we talked to said stick to cash & credit cards. Also, when it comes to charging tax the responses were pretty unified: include it in the price of your item.
Be sure to check with the organizers of the event to find out if you need a permit. Often times they will take care of getting a temporary permit but if not, it will be up to you. This is easily done by contacting the tax department of the state in which you’re doing the show. They will guide you in the right direction.
The most important thing is to have fun, try not to stress out & remember that it’s a learning experience. Like anything, your first time probably won’t be perfect but at least you’ll know better what to do each time after!
