Gearing Up for Craft Show Season

So it's that time of year again to get cranked up for craft show season. As a craft show newbie myself (last year was my first to participate), I personally don't have a lot of insightful information to pass along, but others do. Come on, we'll learn together:

Bloggers Share

Fluffyflowers spent last year's season selling her cute critters at a weekly farmer's market in Macon, Georgia
(The City Market on the Green), and recently wrote a wonderful, informative 5-part series, "How to Set Up a Craft Booth at a Weekly Farmer's Market." This series includes sections on product selection, booth setup and management, sales and pricing, interaction with other vendors, and promotion. Fluffyflowers advises that one key to show success is offering a variety of products and a range of prices. She also covers her technique for handling requests for custom orders. This is a must-read for us newbies!

Want to know what you need to bring along to the craft show? Lia will tell you in her Ultimate List of Things to Bring to a Craft Show. Turn on your printer and PRINT that list! Thanks, Lia!

The Prim Pantry Gourmet Soaps has a list of 12 tips for setting up and maintaining your booth. In, "Tips to Maximize Your Sells: Your Booth," Prim Pantry offers the suggestion to use a floor covering in your booth. Now, that's an idea I'm going to use! She also points out the importance of not overfilling your booth and has posted a photo of a nicely organized booth. Great tips, PrimPantry!

Tip: Have a nice, interesting card holder in your booth, and keep it filled! Isn't this one gorgeous? It is the creation of Timothy Adam Designs who shares his last show setup and gives us his show tips for drawing a crowd, including having an appropriate sign. Wow!

Project Felt (Eco Etsy Street Team Leader) is currently writing an Eco Craft Show Series and has issued an invitation to follow along while she prepares for craft show day. This promises to be a good series as she will also be sharing some eco-friendly ideas.

Bloggers (and others) sharing their recent craft show experiences:
~MMS Designs from her March, 2008 show.
~MonsterBugBlankets from her March, 2008 show.


Online Resources

One of the most comprehensive online sources I have come across is the July, 2007 downloadable issue of Beneath the Willow Tree News. This issue contains articles on Choosing the Right Show, Locating Craft Shows, You and the Jury Process, Craft Show Checklist, and more. It also contains photos of some nice booth setups.


Want to see a few booth setups? Flickr has pictures of over 1000!!! I love the booth shown in this one. This setup and photograph were done by Jimmy Pickles. You can find more of her great photos here.

One thing not often mentioned in craft fair checklists is checking for booth safety. This article offers a multitude of important safety tips to consider.

Etsy Resources

The Etsy Storque recently published an article, "Penny-wise Product Pushing: Do a Craft Show without Breaking the Bank", discussing the financial aspects of show participation. This article includes some very good "trash to treasure" display ideas and offers other suggestions on how to make your craft show experience affordable and cost effective. Some of the tips for the article came from this informative forum thread.

Etsy also has a downloadable "How-To" that has some very good tips on filling out your application for a show. It offers this wise advice about applying (especially for juried shows): "This is your one shot to wow the judges of the applications with what you have to offer, make it count."

Also on Etsy, another craft fair thread with more good tips!
And another. And another. Yes, one more. And we have another.

Will you also promote Etsy at the craft fair? I will, by handing out my business cards and putting a blurb on my handout flyer. Personally, I will not be spending money to buy Etsy promotional materials. What about you?

Not to scare you off, but here is a forum thread containing craft show horror stories. Eeek!

And a thread on booth fees.
A thread on applying to shows.
Would you provide a door prize?

Tips & Advice

Tip: Most craft fair settings are very informal, but that doesn't mean you should leave your manners at home! About.com has a great article on Booth Etiquette and reminds you to "Mind Your Manners!"

Advice from a Sage: Who better to learn from than someone who is experienced?? QBranchLtd. has been doing shows for 21 years, and from a forum thread has this to say:

Don't go expecting to take orders - bring a lot of work and expect to sell it right then and there. I have been doing craft shows for 21 years. People are looking to buy and take it with them. Revise your work for the craft show that you can semi-customize in advance or customize in front of the buyer. I used to put names on leather wristbands and people love to watch as you do it. If you are lucky enough to make several customizable sales at once, tell the buyer that they can wait and watch or come back in ten minutes to pick up their sale.

Craft shows take a thick skin - people look, linger, are about to buy and then walk away. Some make remarks to each other that are not ego boosting to the artist. Others come over, are delighted and buy.

If you do make a sale that will become an order that you will do away from the show - get at least half as a deposit and plenty of information to contact the buyer. One of the greatest problems in doing custom work like this is that people are very picky and don't always understand what something will look like once it is made. I know a few artists that did a lot of work and never got paid because the buyer did not like the custom work once they received it.

Set your prices and stick to them - do not let a buyer bargain with you. My answer is always that if I do not sell it here to day for my price I will sell it at the next show.

Bring plenty of singles, fives, and change (if you might make sales that come out between dollars). Don't go alone - at some point you are going to need the restroom and you do not want to leave your booth alone.

Craft show buyers are not quite like the buyers found here on etsy. They do not all appreciate that something is hand-made. Many craft shows have become glorified flea markets - even some of the bigger shows - and buyers do not know the difference.

Tip: Don't forget your receipt pad! Purplehug offers personalized receipt pads and the reminder: "Chances are a customer will keep a receipt from their purchase before they will keep the packaging or a business card. Don't use a generic receipt pad - your customers may not find you again!"

Tip Learned the Hard Way: Here is one thing I learned from last year's show experience. Find out what type of product is being sold on either side of your booth! My sister and I sell fabric goods and last year our booth was beside the Kettle Corn booth. Kettle Corn, you ask? Flavored popcorn. Cooked in a kettle. On site. On a windy day, you can smell it for miles! It is absolutely wonderful. If you eat it. But it doesn't mix well with FABRIC!!!! AND, they gave away samples. So folks walked by, got their Kettle Corn sample, then browsed our fabric creations while munching greasy popcorn. Not pretty! So don't forget. That booth is your little piece of real estate for the day. Real estate you paid good money for. And that old real estate adage applies: location, location, location!

Strange Tip? The most unusual tip I've come across was in one of the forum threads: "Bring dog biscuits," a tip provided by Coryell Design. I don't know if this was meant to be serious or not, but I think this is a great idea for outdoor markets where pets are allowed. The monthly crafter's market in my area (Market Day on the Square, Newnan, Georgia) is held on our downtown square around the old courthouse. Lots of folks walk from home and bring along their canine companions. Having dog biscuits to give to their furry friends is a wonderful idea. And you can purchase some from Chambers' shop! Here puppy, puppy!

Tip: Take along your organizer. Why? It will look much more professional than having little scraps of paper flying around your booth!
-As you meet fellow crafters and make new business contacts, write down their contact information.
-Keep handy your show date calender. Someone may want to know where they can find you later in the season.
-Taking custom orders? Note on your calender the "needed by/promised by" date, and keep up with the customer's contact information.
-Write down new product ideas that customers and others pass along to you.
-When not busy, work on your "to do" list.
This great six-section organizer is from Bittybooks, and she can customize the sections for you! (What are you waiting for? Go get one!)

From the Other Side of the Table

This blog post from Woodmouse, a "veteran craft fair shopper," points out major booth turnoffs as she explains why she will not buy from you! I'm reading this one again!

Things to Consider

To Bag or Not To Bag, That is the Question
I ran across the question of whether or not to provide a bag for your customer's purchase. And if so, what type of bag? To answer the first question, I think it depends on what type of product you are selling. For example, I sell market bags. Do I bag the market bag? Not unless requested to do so. What better advertising than someone walking around using that bag to carry all their other purchases? I do always ask "Would you like a bag?" and have them available in case I get an affirmative answer and also for items other than bags. But selling other items often leads to the question, "Don't you need a shopping bag to carry your purchases in?" (sneaky, aren't I?)

To answer the question of what type of bag to use, the above forum threads offer several good ideas. Again, I think it depends on the product. If possible, find something creative and applicable to your product to "bag" the item. For example, if you sell soap, maybe buy some cheapie washcloths and wrap the customer's purchase in the washcloth tied off with pretty ribbon. This may be just as cost efficient as buying bags! And it adds a little something extra for the customer. They like extras! Don't you?

If you do provide bags, use them as a promotional tool! One easy way to do that is to purchase bags in bulk and put labels on them or handstamp them. Terbearco offers nice custom stamps like the one shown. You can turn your bag into a work of art. It may hang around a little longer, get recycled to someone else, and not immediately go into the garbage! And that someone else might just turn into your next customer!

Will You Take Credit Cards? Checks? Counterfeit Money? The opinions on taking credit cards varies. This article indicates that taking credit cards at craft shows is a real sales booster. However, QBranchLtd. offers this to think about:

Unfortunately, credit card services are expensive. There are fees for everything and if you are not able to transmit the card transaction when you make the sale the fees are even higher. Beware of internet offers for credit card services. Talk to your bank. Contact Visa/Mastercard. Be prepared for a shock. Most who take credit cards at craft shows are in the business full time. In 21 years at craft shows I have only lost two sales because I did not take credit cards. Some may ask, politely tell them that to keep your prices down you only take cash or checks. If they really want to buy they will not walk away.

Also you can take checks but make sure you get valid photo ID and write it all down with a phone number. We also carry one of those pens that checks for counterfeit bills - get them at office supply stores, even Wal-Mart for a few dollars in the stationary department.

Since I participate in a local market in my hometown and I know (or know where to find) most of the people who shop the market, I take personal checks. Have I ever been "burned"? Yes, but from my own stupidity. I took a check from a very nice looking young girl from out of town (not too far from my hometown). Naive, trusting little me did not check her identification. Guess what? The check was no good. The account was closed. The phone number on the check was bogus (and the folks who had that phone number were thinking of having it changed). So what did I do? Wrote it off to experience. I do not take checks from out-of-towners anymore. And at out-of-town fairs, I don't take checks. Even from the locals! How many sales have I lost this way? Can't recall any.

Here is an interesting Etsy forum thread about Propay, one simple and affordable way to accept credit cards at your show! And, fellow Etsians, here is an open invitation from Propay!

Will You Have a Guest Book?

This is a question I've been pondering for a while. We did not use a guest book last year, but are considering one for this year's shows as it would be nice to have contact information for those who are interested in our work. But I'm wondering if people take the time to sign a guest book. And if so, do they leave contact information? I know I usually don't unless consenting to be put on a mailing list. However, this idea is still up for consideration by me! And if I do decide to have a guest book, I love this one created by Bibliophile. (Actually, I think I just want this book and am looking for a reason to buy it!!!) If (when) I buy this, I will ask the creator to send along lots of extra cards for those who want to know where the beautiful guest book is from!

Who's Minding the Store? Will you be away at the fair for several days? Don't forget to let your online customers know the dates you will be unavailable. You may want to use in your shop announcement the away logo provided by Etsy. Will you be selling inventory from your Etsy shop? If so, don't forget to take the items out of your shop while away. You wouldn't want to return to find you have sold an item you no longer have! (Unless you have a duplicate, of course!) This forum thread tells what you need to do to temporarily close up shop.

Craft Show Promotional Items?

So, what do you think about using at your show promotional items such as these scratch-off coupons offered by Promos in a Snap? If used in the right market - outdoor and informal fairs - these might generate interest and traffic to your booth. You could have someone walk around and hand them out. Do you think something like this would increase your sales enough to recoup your investment and then some? I'm going to give this idea some thought and would love to hear what you think!

Calling All Promos

Some craft fair participants put together promotional packages to give away to their customers. The packages usually contain business cards or small samples of other people's work. What better way to get samples and cards out there? All you have to do is arrange to get your items to the fair participant and they promote for you! Don't have samples? What about Moo cards?? Here is a forum thread asking for just such items. Do you have promotional items you'd like included in craft fair promotional packages? Are you putting together promotional packages for your fair? If so, and you'd like to be contacted, leave your information in the comments section!

Here is a Call for Promotional Items from Handmade Faire. Send something! It's free advertising!!

Useful Products for Craft Fairs


Keep all your essentials close at hand with one of these aprons from C. Wade Designs. Lots of pockets to keep everything organized and within reach. Every craft fair vendor needs one of these!