everbtrue

I've been selling purses, wallets & other fabric items at craft shows for 5 years. Sales this year are the lowest ever, not just for me but slot of the vendors I've talked with. That being said, items under $10 sell better. Let people know they are nice to have on hand for 'thank you' gifts, stocking stuffers, secret Santa gifts etc. People need to know how & why to buy your items. Good luck!

sewmary

I did well last year sellig AM Girl doll clothes. I hit the mid point between the really expensive ones and the cheap ones cheaply made. But that is very labor intensive to do and is mostly a labor of love because you cetainly don't make a decent hourly wage. I had no time those year to build up inventory again. Maybe next year.

Frontierlady

Have you thought of having a garage sale or "open-house" billed as a "stocking stuffer" sale with small hand-made items? This is what I thought about trying this year. It may not work in all areas of the country. Texas generally has fair weather up until mid-Dec. It would probably be less expense for you and then
you can see what sells and prepare for next year and a craft show if you choose. Good luck!

kwendt

Wow... great ideas, everyone.

Okay... I so agree... it's too late to build up an inventory for this year. So I went to craft fair today in a nearby town. Was fun. I saw that LOTS of people did jewelry. And there were several vintage linen resellers. What seemed to go the best, was a lady selling purses that were really well made and great embellishments on them. Some funky, some elegant, small and large. There were 3 or so sellers of American Girl doll clothings ($12 per dress at one, $8/dress at the other). A Christmas booth, where a lady had found cutter quilts and cut them up to make small hearts, etc... which she then reworked to make Christmas ornaments. Seemed to me, that all of the quilters/sewers who embellished their items in some fashion... seemed to attract more attention.

The concept of having different price points - right on. I could see that a lot of people were selling small priced items. And along the way, there were some folks who literally bought $200 or more of such things, or bought bigger ticket items.

Another thing I noticed that really worked well... was the booths/tables that were delightfully decorated attacted more customers. Skirted/covered tables, tall displays using things like iron gates, Japanese screens, etc. NOT your average posterboard on an easel! Some booths had rigged up twinkly lights, soft Christmas music, scented candles on warmer mats, and even little vinettes with their products/wares. I was amazed.

So now, I think I have a better understanding of what's needed and can plan accordingly for the next year. I can see why one needs to start making things in February to have enough stock and variety! Phew.

wanda lou

I like the idea of sharing a table with a friend.

pennijanine

I share tables with two friends and we all do different things. Denim rag quits, baby quilts, sets of placemats and table runners. Sometimes we do very well, other days not so good. I guess you just need a large variety of items and lots of them!