Craft shows
 

I would like your opinion on craft shows. I was thinking about doing a booth at some festivals next year. How many of you have a booth and do you make good money? What I mean is it worth the time and money and hours spent in making them. What are some items you make and sell? Pillows, hot pads, lap quilts.

I'll be interested in seeing some responses here. I had a craft business way back in the 80s and I do remember it was a lot of work, esp. the outdoor shows where wind and rain can be a real problem when it occurs during the show. Rain outs are another big disappointment after planning and getting everything ready. I'd say you really have to enjoy the process--won't ever make back what your time is worth.

A friend of mine does craft shows but not alone since mother nature calls at the worst times. I helped her with a couple and people really enjoy the "5 finger" discount. She's been doing it for a number of years. She always tries to add a couple items different to see what kind of response. She made some Christmas spiders with the history of them attached. She gets on a list and keeps track of the different events. She also had a full time job and a very supportive family since all benefitted. Her 2 girls did face-painting and made money also. She kept an eye on the weather predictions. She also check to make sure she could get a refund if an emergency came up or an event was cancelled since scheduling for a later date sometimes messed up her schedule.

I have done a lot of craft shows . I only do inside shows now because the tent and all that is to much work and the weather is unpredictable. I have three shows scheduled at this time. one at elks, and then a school, and another at a school when they have a christmas parade. They are only one day which is enough. I sell purses, bay blankets, adult bibs. aprons, little aprons for children, Cloth xmas trees, Corn or rice bags for microwave for sore muscles, jewelry totes, and more. I also make jewelry and sell that two. I don't make a lot but for some reason I keep doing it. I live in a small town and it is better if it is done in a bigger city. I have done shows in Phoenix and did well but the show cost more, then I have to travel and stay all night.

A friend of mine used to make quillows to sell at a place that sold local crafts on consignment. She said she made decent money but never said how much. Someone told me she sold them at $60.00 a piece but that was well over 10 years ago. Another friend made the folded quilt balls to sell. She sold them for $15.00 a piece. I can't imagine paying that much for one, but they do take a lot of time and are not cheap to make. Crafting in general is not cheap. I used to do the crocheted angels for family and friends - then I saw some at a store made in China for less than cost of the thread I used and it just bothered me. When my DD was in Girl Scouts I was in charge of the crafts they made - it was fun.

I do one big local craft show a year. It's cancelled this year due to construction at the venue. Mainly I sell baby quilts, wall hangings, hot plates and small kitchen items, never any big quilts. Cost to participate (bring your own table) is $30. I generally make about $250 for the day. To me, it's worth it; it's fun to see some return customers, some friends, it's a pleasant day. If you consider my time I'm really not making a profit but it's fun to do. Doing it seriously, several shows, to really generate income is a different thing. With the cancellation this year the vendors who do this as a business are missing out on a day's income. There are also days when nothing sells. Setting up and taking down tables etc. isn't easy. I'd say give it a try and proceed based on your own experience.

I also take a table at my apartment building's annual flea market. It's completely closed to anyone outside the building and we vendors spend most of the day visiting with each other. There isn't much participation from a building with 400 apartments. Is this one worth it to me? Not really, but I try and support whatever building activities I can.

If you go ahead and try it, good luck and enjoy yourself. (both of these are indoors)

I would say, before you commit to doing anything. Spend some time visiting all the Craft shows in your area. See what everyone has. You really don't want to make and sell the exact same thing. Economically, At the moment, I think that little items would probably sell better. Anything bigger, maybe just make a few samples and take orders for those items.

I've done three and my experience was that people like to look and comment but expect garage sale prices!

I've never done one--only contribue to the church bizaare and the guild boutique at the show--my aunt used to do craft shows all the time and I'd sometimes be that extra help for set up/take down and spell her for nature's calls. She did a great business--but almost all the sales were small items--mostly wooden painted Christmas ornaments. In our boutique it seems like most buyers are also looking for small items--things that they wouldn't make for themselves and can use as presents, etc.

Judith has a good idea...our YMCA has several craft shows each year and sometimes there are duplicate items. I don't think attendees expect a discount and I can usually find something unique for gifts but I have never purchased items I know I can make myself.

I have a table at my church's Holiday Fair, except last year I didn't go because I'd had my shoulder replaced, so couldn't sew much at all then. This year I'm making up for lost time. I make placemats, table toppers, table runners, wall hangings, mostly Snowmen patterns as I love making them, but others as well. i also make quilted hand bags and totes, and this year I've added children's pillow cases, and reversible head bands. I did go to their Strawberry Festival in June this year and did OK, but the traffic was light. However, I mostly do it because I need to have something to do, besides the quilts I make for family, and despite his objections, I managed to bring half of my stash with me when we downsided to a 2-bedroom apt. My quilting keeps me reasonably sane; but the main reason I do the church's craft fair is that i get to spend the day with friends and make some "mad money" too. I used to do 2-4 craft fairs with my sister until her health declined and she couldn't do them any more. I know this is a long answer, however, try one or two and see if you like them or not, and then decide if you want to do more.

I have done craft fairs for over 30yrs. You make a little money but not a lot. People expect tp pay Walmart prices for quilts. You need at least one item that is cheep to make and sells for under $10 that you can sell a lot of. The reason I do them is, I can produce more product than I can give away, It lets me try new patterns, and the satisfaction of making something someone wants to buy. A good ego boost.

Same here, except I only did 2. Made just enough to cover the cost of entry. Did take several sweatshirt special orders (design with names) but definitely not worth the effort... at least for me. Kathy is right, it seemed most people wanted garage sale pricing. And the more booths at the show, the more duplication of items - so if you are not at the "front", people have already bought. BUT TO BE FAIR, I am a little reticent around strangers, so not exactly a good type of person for selling.:)

I do several shows a year. My stash is huge so not much expensive in doing the crafts. Whatever you decide to make and sell, be sure it seems profitable or saleable--I have seen people not sell anything but think it was because of the items they were trying to sell. If you decide to do outside shows, please be sure you have someone along to help with tent. Not many tents. if any, are 1 person set up plus they can get heavy. Last craft show, hubs helped 5 women set up their tent--including me--lol ! He is a helpful kind of person . As thank yous were said, not even an offer for a cool bottle of water !! Time to break down the show, we did, loaded our car and left. Those other ladies were just sitting there--lets hope someone came along and took down their tent. Off my soapbox now !!! Good Luck in whatever you decide.

I do well at craft bazaars. I focus on kids items ... cloth chalkboards (my own design), balloon balls, zipper pouches, and other stuff. I always have a new item ... this year it is "I Spy" Bags. I'll also be selling Yard Dice that kept us very busy last summer.

Have fun!

I volunteered to sew for a local cat rescue. They gave me tons of fabric which someone donated to them. With that fabric I made enough items to fill a table. The rescue ran a craft fair and supplied me with a table. I had one quilt, lawn flags, cat bowl placemats, tote bags, tiny tote bags, sunglass holders, wristlets, pet beds, sets of 4 placemats, 1 set of 2 placemats, table runners, wine gift bag and coaster sets and special pins.

This was the 2nd craft fair this group ran. The first one did well so they had repeat vendors. IDK what happened but almost no one showed up for this one. It was so disappointing. I sold one tote bag - to a fellow volunteer. Vendors started to leave early.

This was my first craft show. I thought it was a great way for me to scope them out and practice in case I ever wanted to sell my own items.

I think the lesson I learned is to make sure the show is a long standing one with a big customer base.

Before doing any, you need to ask a few questions. What type of fair and what type customers? If it is like a church bazaar, you will want to keep your items in the lower price point. If it is in a more eclectic street fair, you can usually have some higher priced items. Even then you will want some lower priced items or 'specials' to draw them in. Also, the kind of thing you make - is it unique? Will there be several other vendors with the same product? If you are only doing one fair, what will you do with the product after the fair? It won't do you any good to make a bunch of money at the fair and yet lose money because of leftover product. But, at the same time, you can not go to a fair with only a small amount of items. I love doing small local events because it lets me get feedback from a variety of people. So, even if I don't make a huge amount, I feel it is very worth it. Once you have decided to do one, take some time at your house to play around with a display. Depending on the set-up, will you have a table or can people walk into a booth? If table only, vary the height. Use boxes or blocks under a table covering to give it some interest. If a walk-in booth, be sure to add a basket or tub on the floor filled with smaller items or even just a decorative element. Make sure you have plenty of change, a notepad to jot down their comments and, if possible, have either business cards made (Vistaprint for $10) or quarter sheet notes printed on your computer to put in their pages or simply to hand out. I have my email on these, not my home phone number. I also have a small binder with examples of the items I make in other colors and variations. Depending on the circumstances, I will take orders (prepaid!). Do not expect the first ones to make a ton of money. If they do - great! But, as with anything, the first couple times you do something, it is a learning experience. But, it is a great way to find out what people think, what they want to buy and it can be a lot of fun. I have met some absolutely terrific people at local events and been hugely inspired by many of them. Good luck - jump in - have fun!

Lots of great suggestions here.
I did craft shows for years with my Mom and by myself. (Not quilts, ceramics and horse items, but the theory is the same.)
I think one of the real tricks is to really know what is "in". What the current fad and colours are that people are using in their homes or whatever.
Also, have some lower priced items that people will just pick up on the spur of the moment. You want other people to see activity around your booth and be drawn in.
Another "draw", if you can manage it is to have a demo going on....even just a bit of hand-quilting in a small frame that you can put down easily. It's a draw for people to come to your booth to see what you're doing.
Have prices on everything. You may lose sales if people have to wait for you to ask for a price.
Talk to everyone. People at craft shows are there for the experience as well as to buy.
Decide ahead of time if you are going to give out your contact info for future sales and make up cards, if so.
Have bags, calculator, change, pens, paper, table and chairs ready and organized.
Get there early to set up. As mentioned above, use boxes to create height.
Have fun!
Watson

Editted to add: In answer to your question, "Did you make money?" the answer would be yes, with the disclaimer that with the ceramics a lot of the items were seasonal, so that was the big draw for them and with the horse items I got in at the top of a very popular fad, made good money and got out before it was over, hence the suggestion of finding out what is popular with people and catering to that market.

My friend and I been doing craft shows for several years now. Ten years ago I used to sell several of my jackts that are $90. Most of the craft shows have dissappeared because people were not buying anything. Nowadays, only things that are $5 or less sell around here.

Just generaly, when people walk by your booth, they make an instant decision as to whether or not they are going to go in your booth. Many booths sell just one thing, so people know quickly if they want to shop with you. If you are several different things to sell, you'll need to figure out how to let people know all the things you have. That is why height is so necessary. We'd hang things from the top and sides of the booth so people could see. People won't read either. So if you have something that isn't instantly recognizeable, you'll need to pop up and say..."this is a xyz and this is what it's for... People also like it if you talk with them. I wasn't comfortable doing that and have made an effort to engage people in conversation. At the very least, you should stand up and greet them and briefly tell them what you are selling.

Frankly, nowadays I barely make enough money to cover the entry fee and whatever other expenses I have like parking and gas to get to the show. I think other areas of the country might be doing better. In the meantime, it's just a hobby for me now.

I don't think it is a money maker. With all the cute and extremely cheap imports, few people will pay the higher prices. Hand work, in my area, isn't valued like it used to be.

I have done 1 show for 8 years & every year can be different. This show runs with the Lions Club Chili fundraiser so both benefit. Weather can also play into the success of a craft show. I mainly have quilts, usually sofa or lap size. Another woman does baby size, wall hangings,10 min. table runners & the crayon aprons so I try to duplicate what she does. The organizers also need to advertise. This year we had great advertising & had a lot of traffic. Also think the chili sales were up. I have 2 more shows in Nov., both of those are 1st time shows so we will see what happens. The 1st Sat. in Dec. is the biggest show date. I think there are 6-7. Too many to get to in 1 day & I only covered booth charge when I did a show so decided that day was not worth the trouble.

Check out a few shows this year & see what seems to be a good fit & try it. You need enough items so you look like a serious seller but you don't need to stock a store.

I've been doing craft fairs and festivals for 3 or 4 years now. The first year I did nine! (What was I thinking?!? LOL!) Those were hit-and-miss, both sales-wise and also discovering which event organizers were good to deal with.

The people who organize the event can make or break the whole thing. Some of the organizers knew exactly what they are doing, advertise like crazy, and have everything running like clockwork. They even go around several times a day offering the vendors a bottle of water, a potty break, etc. :) Other organizers were AWFUL, with no advertising, poor planning, and even promising vendors they'd have a 10'x10' space, then when the vendors got there to set up, they were only allowed an 8'x30" space. Yep, 30 inches. The woman denied ever promising me a 10'x10' space, even though I had it in writing, and she refused to refund my booth fee. She literally turned around when I was in mid-sentence and walked off. :mad: I tried to make the best of it, but my only sales were to other vendors. I did make my booth fee back, barely. Needless to say, I won't deal with that person again! There were a few other flops, but that one was, by far, the most memorable. That said, even at the less-successful events, you get the chance to talk to other vendors and get recommendations about which events are worth it and which aren't. I've also been invited to other events by "scouts" ... people with other organizations who visit fairs looking for vendors who will be a good fit with their group. Even if you don't sell much, the connections you make can be awesome! :)

The first year I did several events that were based around children ... Halloween, school talent shows, etc. Those, unfortunately, weren't all that great. People were there to watch little Jenny and Johnny sing their Christmas songs, which is fine, but they left afterwards without doing any shopping. Sales-wise, I didn't do bad, but those events really weren't worth the time.

The very best events have been at churches, VFWs, and city/county-run events. On those, I generally bring home $250-$400. At a city-run Christmas event last year, I sold almost $700. :)

As far as what sells, I'm sure it's going to vary by area, but my purses and zippered boxes/bags fly out the door. I also make potholders, placemats, and other small fabric items, which sell okay. Quilts barely move. With only a few exceptions, people only see the price on the quilt, not the quality.

Other thoughts: Take credit/debit cards! If you're not already set up to do so, check into PayPal's "PayPal Here" app. It works on your phone. They even give you a card scanner. I've been really happy with them (no affiliation). :) Also, I try to have merchandise in all price ranges, starting at $1.50. Have plenty of shopping bags on hand. People REALLY appreciate that, especially when they're juggling a funnel cake, a Coke, other shopping finds, and a 3-year-old. ;) Have your business cards and a schedule of your craft fairs in a prominent area. Even if they can't buy something today, they can find you later on! :) Make your booth as attractive as possible, using both the horizontal and vertical space. And if you do outside fairs, buy the extra sidewalls for your canopy. If it's windy or rainy, the sidewalls help keep your stuff from blowing away and/or getting wet. Oh, and make sure you put weights on your canopy legs! I've seen more than one canopy get blown over and torn up. And take plenty of change! I keep some on my person, but I also keep extra change locked in the truck, in case it's needed. (You'd be surprised how often I've made change for other vendors! LOL!)