Craft Marketer Newsletter

Craft Business Ideas

Issue Number 33, August 26, 2004
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Shows, Fairs and Events to Sell Your Crafts

For years, craft shows have been one of the easiest ways of selling handmade items. Fairs and events that have been around for awhile bring in thousands of prospective customers.

As an exhibitor, your commitment is brief, your costs are
generally known in advance, and most of the attendants are there to have fun. Of course, craft shows usually also mean being on your feet for 12 hours a day for 2 to 3 days and maintaining a positive, friendly attitude -- not always easy to do.

If you plan to sell your work at local events only, you should always visit the show in advance and get an idea if the event is a good fit for your items.

When you want to expand into other states, you may not be willing to travel thousands of miles just for researching a craft fair.

The solution to finding appropriate shows from a distance is to make use of craft show reviews. One of my favorites for years has been the Sunshine Artist Audit book. www.sunshineartist.com

SA has craft artists 'audit' fairs and grade each event by
a number of important elements like sales, crowds, weather, booth layout, contact details and more. This information can save you hundreds of dollars by helping you identify only the best shows and the shows most likely to be a fit for your media.

Searching and locating craft fairs has become easier with
the number of in-print show guides and several online event search sites. Click here for for a craft shows list.

More Types of Events

Beyond craft shows, there are thousands of other events
which provide opportunities for selling crafts. Here's a
list of non-craft events where your work may stand out:

• Antique shows
• Apparel:
   Accessories
   Women’s
   Men’s
   Children’s
   Shoes
• Baby / children’s expos
• Bath / kitchen shows
• Boats / yachts shows
• Bridal / wedding shows
• Ethnic events / festivals
• Fashion shows held locally
• Fishing / hunting expos
• Furniture expos
• Gems /jewelry / lapidary shows
• Gift shows
• Heritage events / demonstrations
• Home / garden shows
• Home decor shows
• Horticulture expos
• Hotels / resorts shows
• Interior design shows
• Landscaping shows
• Pet industry trade shows:
   Bird shows
   Cat shows
   Dog shows
   Horse shows
• Photographs shows
• Religious expos
• Textiles shows
• Toy shows
• Travel / tourism shows
• Woodworking expos

To keep up with news about trade shows, see
http://www.tsnn.com/blogs

Or do a search in the box below for these terms:
"trade show directory"
"events directory"

Have a great week!

James Dillehay

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