- Know the demographic that will be attending. (I didn't think about this, but my mom mentioned) She saw that many of the vendors had "older women" type things for sale. She said my demographic is teenagers or young adults--and I need to be aware of that when I go places.
- Know your numbers. For example, my booth was 11x11 feet. The table provided was one 8' table with two chairs. I need to know these numbers when planning my display.
- Have a sign. I water-colored my own sign.
- Have an eye catching display. I plan on hanging my small items on a wire tree, and my clothing items from a rope, and everything else on a table. I plan on bringing a second table.
- Have a range of prices to interest each customer. My prices range from $10-$60.
- Have $100 in change. 40-$1's, 4-$5's, 2-$10's, 1-$20. All my prices are single digits, so I don't have to worry about nickels, dimes or pennies.
- Offer something for free. I plan on having a knitting lesson sign up sheet, and bubbles for kiddies to pick up!
At the Event:
- I didn't think about how many other crafters I would meet. I actually made a few acquaintances and perhaps started some new friendships. Many of those who had booths were from my area! This is a great opportunity to meet other crafters and make friends. I met Vicki and her daughter and another knitter, (I can't find her shop, sadly!) who I invited to the knit group I attend on Fridays.
- I didn't buy anything, but my mom did! She bought me an amazing "fairytale" scarf from one vender, and some rooster towels for my grandmother.
- I won a book necklace from Vicki's booth. This made my day. I have always wanted a book necklace! I'm wearing it right now and will be doing a photo-shoot with it next week :)
Anyway, this was my first experience with selling my items at a fair. Would I do it again? Maybe. I'm not sure. If you have any vendor tips, please let me know!
3 comments:
That looks like it was fun, and it was a good learning experience for you as you start out! It's definitely a good idea to pay attention to the demographic of people who attend a certain craft fair. I know that I typically attend the same three or four craft fairs each year, and each year, I'm attracted to (and buy) the same types of products.
Sounds like you had a good time! I've only sold at one craft fair before, and that was about two years ago. I wasn't as prepared as I should have been, and my prices were much too low back then. But I sold some things and it was a good experience (I shared a booth space with a jewelry vendor who didn't have enough items to fill the space). I've considered doing that fair again, but so far every year when fall rolls around, I just don't feel prepared enough! :)
~Kristin
It was so nice to meet you! I didn't know this was your first craft fair...your booth looked so nice...impressive! Yes, the fairs can be hard as you don't always know who's coming, what kind of things the other vendors will be selling... And it's really a lot of work to get ready for one. This was my fourth one. It was not the right venue for my items, but I did meet some nice people and with each one I do, I get a little more comfortable, so not a total loss. I'm thinking of just going to some craft fairs this summer as a shopper to see what's out there and if there are any I might want to do next summer.
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