Hi again, everyone!  I’m a bit of a dunce sometimes, so this website on How-To sell crafts was very helpful to me.  I thought it might be worth sharing.  The articles were written by a woman named Susan West.

http://www.sunshineglassworks.com/articles/articles.shtml

As I said before, I have been to quite a few shows and worked behind the scenes.  But the thought of venturing out on my own is both intimidating and exciting.  My dream is to use my talent for creating small things or “miniatures” and start making money from craft festivals.  A while ago, I signed up for this online job where you basically make your own small things.  Then I realized, you know, instead of paying for shipping and splitting the profits from these things, I could go out on by own and start selling them at craft shows. 

I especially liked the 160 things to take to a craft show article. 
http://www.sunshineglassworks.com/articles/craftshowlist.shtml

This went into a lot of detail that I hadn’t thought about.  Like if you’re going to an outdoor craft fair, you might need sun lotion, a tool kit and extra lighting, and just little things like that.  She also went into detail about packaging materials, signage, office supplies, sales items and display props. 

There was also an article for new craft vendors on how to approach “etiquette.”  For example, I never thought to wear “product specific” accessories and clothing.  Dressing in a way to help sell your craft can actually increase your sales.

Anyway, I’m new, so maybe everybody knows these things by now.  I just thought they were very interesting and could help out another newbie.

Feel free to share any other links or insider tips you come across.  I could really use them.  :)

Thanks!

Hi!

Thanks so much for posting the links to these articles. They are helpful. I know when I was first getting started doing festivals and fairs one of the hardest parts was actually making sure that I had everything I needed. I do concessions, which is a bit different than doing crafts but I still ran across some of the same problems. The first few craft shows that I did, I somehow managed to forget some basic but essential items. Thank goodness I had a friend helping me and they were able to run out to the store and pick up what I needed. Now I have a checklist that I always use before I go out to do any fair or festival and I know I have all of those little things like tool kit, etc.

Hi Sheila_cl76,

Thank you so much for posting this information. When it comes to craft shows, I am open to any help and advice I can find. The world of fairs and festivals can be a confusing one, and it seems like everyone has advice. Sometimes, it can be downright overwhelming! As a small craft vendor myself, I am always looking for solid advice that will help me out. 

I especially enjoyed the article entitled “63 Questions to Choosing the Right Craft Show.” In the past, I have only participated in small, rural craft festivals; however, I am looking to expand. This article is like a checklist for me, which I will definitely be using as I work toward branching out to larger fairs.

Thanks again!

Hi Sheila_cl76

Thanks for sharing these great articles about what to do at craft shows!

I really enjoyed the one about 160 things to take to a craft show.  I know I am always showing up at these festivals and forgetting something I really desperately need.  I sometimes make my own checklist of things, but that one was much more complete than anything I have set up for myself.  Some of it I just don’t have to bring, like catalogs, but some of it is really useful stuff that I wouldn’t have even thought about, like the checklist of miscellaneous things.

I thought the idea of a guest book binder was great.  I sometimes collect email addresses from potential customers who want me to email them about specific pieces, but I know it would be a good business booster if I got together some kind of regular newsletter thing and sent it out.  Of course, because I don’t want to look like I am spamming anybody, I was stuck with how to get a mailing list together.  Yet I think the guest book would be a really good and tasteful way to start that process.

Some of the display equipment checklists were a bit much, I did think, though.  Especially as I thought that the list assumed one thing which I have not always found to be true:  easy access to constant power.  Obviously at the indoor craft events you can always get a bit of power throughout the day, but for the “Arts in the Park” kind of stuff I just always assume that I will be working without steady power, so I don’t bother with lamps and lighting displays.

The personal comfort list was good too . . . .how many events have I been at when I would have killed for a change of clothes!

Again, thanks so much for sharing . . .really good info and interesting read!

Fivedays,

I agree that some of the items on that list were a bit overkill, but handy, nonetheless. I also heartily agree about the power situation. I’ve been to quite a few fairs, festivals and craft fairs in outdoor situations and almost never had access to electricity. The small town square type festivals sometimes have power, but it’s never a sure thing.

Therefore, I, like you, always try to be prepared for business without the benefit of electricity. I accept credit cards, so for these events, I always make sure to carry the “hand swipe” machine and a stack of triplicate paper receipts for my customers.

I also have to agree that the guestbook option is probably the best way to form a mailing list of interested customers without spamming friends and family :) I’ve used that technique for quite some time now, basically since I got my first email address, and it’s worked very well. I’ve got a long list of people that are happy to receive my newsletter.

For the newsletter, I try to send it out on a bi-monthly basis - I’d like to do it more frequently, and have planned to start doing a few things that will allow me to do just that. I’ve got a friend who’s a writer and she’s going to be creating a few pieces per month for me that can be included in my newsletter, which will allow me to go to a monthly basis, rather than every other month.

I also found an interesting link in this site. It’s along the same lines as the one with the 160 items to take with you, but is much shorter and (in my opinion) more useful for those of us who don’t routinely rely on having electricity at hand in ANY type of venue.

Oh, here’s the link: http://www.fairsandfestivals.net/articles/view/how_to_prepare_for_your_craft_show_-_your_event_checklist/103

WdCrvrEd

I just wanted to thank you for posting the list as well.  I have always been the type to swear I don’t need a list, despite the fact that I am also the type that can go to the grocery store solely for milk and bread and inevitably leave with only one of the two.  I broke down and printed the list and it is inside the plastic insert on my sales ledger.

Like many of you, I forget something every time I go to an arts and crafts festival.  I still remember my first festival, because I essentialy brought myself, a box of change, and my inventory.  As you can guess, I was only able to do cash sales, which is really fine when you are starting out, but I also didn’t bring signs, which made answering questions while it was busy very hard.  Forgetting bags can be a real pain as well, which I learned, especially when you sell fragile items.  A day of numerous customers coming back to find out if they could exchange a dropped item is certainly a tough way to learn to start bringing bags.

While I have gotten better at remembering the essentials when attending fair events, I will always be a bit harebrained, so this list is rather valuable.  I think that many of us could benefit from checklists of some sort.  Like many of the other posters, I rarely do events where we can bring our own lighting, but there are few things as embarassing as setting up in a place where it is required only to realize that you own an abundance of lighting and no extension cords!

Thanks again for the post, and for being the only person to ever convince me to actually print (and likely even use- Gasp!) a checklist for before each craft fair.  If I manage to actually get through a show without forgetting something essential, I will definitely post back and let you know! :D

You’re welcome!  Thanks for reading!