Thread: Craft shows
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Old 10-24-2016, 08:36 AM
  #17  
klswift
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,857
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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!
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