Jan

The Basics of Selling Crafts at Craft Shows

Craft Shows

Selling crafts at craft shows has been a time-tested way to bring in cash for your handmades. News reports indicate that even in these tough economic times, sales for some craft makers have remained steady or even grown.

Finding the right craft shows for your craft is important. I recommend you check out the craft show guides and review resources listed here to learn what other craft artists are saying. Of course that alone does not guarantee your success, but it narrows the odds in your favor. I have saved hundreds of dollars avoiding bad craft fairs because of a review and made thousands exhibiting at better reviewed shows. Research first before you sign up for any event.

When you are starting out, it can be a challenge trying to figure out which kind of craft show is going to be right for your specific craft. You want events that will attract buyers of the products you make. Though that may seem obvious, there are different kinds of festivals and events, some of which may be completely wrong for your items.

Crafts can be sold at events like state and county fairs, mall shows, renaissance fairs, high-end flea markets, country craft shows and juried craft fairs.

Country Craft Shows

At country craft shows, you usually find craft knick-knack items for the home priced from $2 to $50. Country craft fairs can be great venues if you make and sell small inexpensive crafted gift items. If you craft high-priced items ($150 to $200 range) you may be disappointed.

Mall shows are listed in craft show guides and periodicals. They are usually produced by the mall management, a show promoter, or a local organization. These shows are usually part of a tour sponsored by a producer putting on events in one or several nearby states. Many exhibitors follow the circuit for several weeks, especially in the fall and pre-Christmas months. Mall shows may be an option for otherwise empty weekends. Mall shows might help, too, in slow months like January and February.

Juried Craft Fairs

A juried show means you have to apply well in advance and your acceptance is subject to approval by jurors who judge the quality of your work by slides, photos or images of your pieces.

Fine art shows are usually juried and they can feature high-end crafts, paintings, photos, posters, prints, sculpture, and other fine art. Juried art and craft shows are often the most well-attended markets because the high quality of craftsmanship draws lots of shoppers. Crafts displayed at juried events tend to be higher priced. Art and craft events are juried to screen out manufactured or imported items.

Renaissance Fairs

Renaissance fairs are large productions held outdoors, usually for several weeks running. Many of them include craft booths as a part of a total entertainment package. Vendors are required to dress in medieval costumes and craft booths reflect the renaissance theme look. Renaissance festivals feature all kinds of food, drink, jugglers, and even jousting matches. They draw large crowds and if your craft is a fit, they can be a good selling venue.

Other Types of Events for Selling Crafts

An event doesn’t have to be called a craft fair to make it a good selling place for your crafts. Home shows, boat shows, pet shows, and even horse races offer booth space to vendors. You’ll find these events in most major cities, typically in large convention halls. Find out the name of your local convention center and see what kind of events are coming to your area.

If you make clothing or accessories, consider local fashion shows as events to sell your crafts at. Often large hotels host fashion shows. You may also find gift shows at hotels and convention centers.

Although flea markets in general tend to draw bargain hunters, some outdoor markets are huge and handmade items can be found there. One of the biggest outdoor markets is held in Canton, Texas and is called First Monday. Smaller flea markets may be cheap to get a booth in, but if you have high-end crafts, you may not find these markets good selling events.

Your First Craft Fair

If you have never exhibited at a craft fair, choose a local event for your first show. Getting into a local craft show will mean you won’t have much expense for traveling and a local event will let you test the waters without much investment. Keep a record of your costs and your sales. Note what kinds of items sold and how well attended the event was. This way, when next year rolls around, you will have some guidelines for which craft shows to get into and which ones to avoid.

Whenever you can, visit any craft show you are thinking of displaying at before you sign up. I know that it isn’t always practical. But think long term and you will find that a little research can save you lots of time and money. You want to know that the attendees of your craft shows are looking for crafts like yours.

Craft Shows Applications

For the most part, doing craft shows requires some planning. How many shows will you do in the coming year? You will need to apply for most events well in advance so map out your schedule ahead of time.

For most craft fairs, all you have to do is write for an application from the event producer. Even if you aren’t accepted, you will probably continue to receive applications for a few years because you will be on the show’s mailing list.

The better attended shows are going to fill up with vendors faster. Sometimes you have to apply six months or a year in advance of the actual show date to be considered.

There is no guarantee that you will be accepted into any craft show. But if you are sending images, make sure they are well-shot images of your best pieces. If you have the budget and you plan on doing craft shows for some time, consider hiring a professional photographer to produce a set of images you can use for juried shows and in your promotional materials and on your website.

Why I Like Craft Shows

I enjoy selling at craft fairs because they are fun events. People are there to have a good time so so should you. You get to hear people’s admiring remarks about your work. I have found collectors at craft shows who come back every year to see my new pieces.

I also like it that there’s no commitment beyond the days of the show. You can do one or two craft shows at a small cost of time and money and gain a tremendous amount of feedback on what sells and what doesn’t. Like me, you may come to like the craft fair lifesytle and do events every month or even every week.

Craft shows let you test market new craft products, designs, price changes and promotinoal materials. At these events, you are plugged into the marketplace, so if your crafts are not selling, you will know why from people’s reactions.

The other part of doing shows that I like is that when selling direct to people at events, you come home with lots of cash, minus your costs, of course. Immediate income. And most craft shows are on weekends, so the rest of your days are free to craft more items or do whatever you like. Time freedom is a great benefit of making a living selling at craft shows.

If you like the idea of creating a craft business selling at shows and fairs, you will find more tips on marketing at events in “The Basic Guide to Selling Crafts.”