I recently decided to take the leap and enter a craft show. It was very small and was put on by the high school I attended so I figured it would be a pretty good place to start. The table fee was only $25 plus a donation for a silent auction which I thought was pretty reasonable. I learned a lot and I wanted to pass those lessons on to you, in no particular order.
1. Start early.
Once you find out you’ve been accepted to the show, get started planning. Start thinking about what you want to take and what needs to be done or made still. If you’re a list maker, like me, then make lists. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to create enough inventory to take with you. Don’t cut your time close either, just in case something comes up and you’re unable to work on your crafts. I ended up being in the hospital for five days two weeks before the show I was entered in. Though I managed to get everything done last minute, something like that could really screw a person over.
2. Try not to spend more than necessary.
Being my first craft fair, I literally had nothing I needed. I had no tablecloths, no display items, no price tags, no bags, ect. You get the picture. I was starting from scratch. Start up costs can be steep, but you can keep the price down by using what you have. I used a nice sheet as my tablecloth instead of buying one. I scavenged the house and my parents houses for display items. Anything I still needed, I shopped for at thrift stores. There’s not a whole lot of money that can be saved when buying price tags and bags. Though for my next craft fair I’ve decided to buy a tag shaped paper punch to save in the long run. Since I had no idea what to expect or even if I would make my money back (spoiler alert: I didn’t) I wanted to keep cost down as much as possible. In the future I hope to slowly invest in nicer display items that will last me a long time.
3. Be aware of the type of show you’re entering.
The show I just finished was a craft and vendor show that ended up being more vendor than craft. Not that I have anything against vendors, I just wonder if maybe had it been only craft I might have made back at least my cost. I think vendors attract I different type of customer than crafters. It’s hard to sell to people who are looking for Tupperware and Mary Kay instead of crochet hats or handmade baby blankets. Knowing what you’re walking into is essential. Perhaps you can adjust your inventory based on what kind of people and what type of vendors/crafters are expected to be there.
4. Don’t be afraid to contact the person in charge.
This one is pretty straightforward. If you need to know something, ask! I had so many questions that went unanswered because of my fear of making calls and contacting people. My surprise at having to set up on a cafeteria table would have been easily avoided had I made a simple call or email. Knowing everything you can about the fair is an important part of being prepared, even if it’s just mental preparedness.
5. It’s not all about the money.
This one is personally the most important lesson for me. No, I did not make back my cost. I did, however, get my foot into the door of a market I had been eyeing for at least a year and learned a lot for my next show. I gained valuable experience and met people who have me advice for next time around. This is just as important as making money. Well, maybe a really really close second. 😉
I’m so happy I decided to join the craft show and I really hope to be entering more soon. I hope that some of the things I learned can help you first time crafters and good luck with any oncoming shows!
That Crafty B**** 