Sketching in the booth? Yeah, that's rather bold. We had that happen too.

My craft-show-partner used to use her best "mother" voice, and walk up to the person and say, "WE don't DO that here!!"

I guess the potential harm is that someone else could copy and then copyright your idea. As you continue selling your original idea, you could be accused of copyright infringement. Seems like a lot of work for someone to go through to put that on you, but I suppose it could happen.

I certainly wouldn't want anyone sketching the pattern at my booth, but like it's been said, with cellphone cameras, they can simply take a snapshot, download it, then copy it at home.

I won't plan to copyright unless I'm going to publish and sell my own patterns, which I would like to do someday. Selling patterns at my booth for quilts on display could be a good idea too perhaps?

This is what I did this morning for the craft fair I am doing on Jan. 29th. Flannel pillow cases for kids.

Very nice. Pillowcases have become quite popular lately. I hope they sell well for you.

Cute cute cute...pillow cases were always big sellers for me...everybody needs them...and your colors are just so enticing.

I did three bazaars and had the same experience.

We NEVER had great experiences with ETSY or EBAY...BUT we make Kitchen Witches for wholesale distributers for Renaissance Fairs....so we don't have to be involved with the fairs...just producing

I have been selling on Ebay for 9 years and Etsy for 3! I can not wait to be done with Ebay this year....come March probably, and I will be putting 90% of my merchandise on ETsy!

I am tired of paying ebay $500 a month so people can steal from me, call me a liar, cheat me, etc, etc.....I can go to a flea market and have that for FREE!

Jacquie,

How would you rate selling on Etsy instead or in addition to the craft fairs? My experience with craft fairs is to do them only from the months of September to December. My items are table runners, placemats, and mostly aprons, so I find people not really doing any home decorating except for autumn and Christmas. I'd love to be able to bring in some cash for the other 9 months of the year and be able to move merchandise. Would you recommend Etsy or do you think there's too many people on it already? Does it take a lot of your time to do it?

Etsy if FULL of hand crafted items..that is what the site is for!
search out the items you make and see if they are selling, or not!

I sell supplies, so my customers are limited to the artists! Mainly I have beaders and doll makers as I really just have ultrasuede listed there right now!
SOON, I will be moving over charms, patterns, books and some more notions!

Hopefully once I can get rid of the store inventory I can back to working/selling handcrafted items instead!