Thinking of translating your artistic hobby into a business? This article will give you the lowdown on how to earn handsome cash by selling handcrafts at craft fairs. So, let’s get started.

In the past, craft fairs and festivals were a scary place, filled with tumbleweeds, toilet roll covers, and gem-tress. Trade fair or gallery was the only place to find creative and innovative handmade products. Although craft fairs still hold the tag for creative products, they have evolved over time. Craft shows provide an opportunity for talented and contemporary artists and designers to showcase their products. Home shows, industry shows, craft fairs offer a great opportunity to creative people to show their heart and soul to the customers.

It needs a lot of confidence and guts to sell at your first fair. You need to answer many questions like, will people like your products, what you should bring, how many products you should bring, will customers turn up.  We will clear all your doubts and help you to sell more at the next craft show.

Seven tips and tricks to start the ball rolling at the craft show

• Check out the competition: What’s the first thing you will do before setting up your stall at the craft show? Check out the competition by visiting some trade shows to get an idea of what people are selling. If you already have products in mind, find a booth that sells similar products and compare them with your products. Visit as many fairs as possible to find out the following things:

1. The type of products competitors are selling and will your product fit in.
2. The quality of the products, will you offer the same or something different.
3. The price of other products and what will be the price of your products.

• Look out for your budget: Before setting up your booth, you need to work on your budget. Depending on the fair you are attending, a booth may cost between 25 to $200. You also have to take other costs into account like: 

1. Marketing and promotions
2. Materials
3. Travel
4. Inventory
5. A permit
6. Shipping costs

Once you decide how much you want to spend, decide on the price of your products. People may bargain to reduce the price, so get ready to deal with such customers. Take all the above costs into account to make a profit. One pro top for the first time sellers is to share a booth or seek advice from another seller.

• Have confidence in your creations: Festivals and fairs are a great way to determine whether it’s viable to sell your creations to make a profit. If you intend to make a living from it, determine why your products are not selling. If it has nothing to do with foot-fall and other artists selling their products, find out the cause. Use this to find out what they are doing right and what you are doing wrong. How you can update your selling strategy to get maximum profits.

• Build a customer base: We all know sales are great, but you must develop a network to interact with future customers. You must have plenty of fliers and business cards that you can link back to your store or social networking sites. People can contact you years after the event to place orders for products. Prepare a mailing list to keep your customers updated with new ranges, events, and news. Being an artist can sometimes be very isolating; events like this can help you interact with different people and share experiences.

• Set the right price: Pricing your work can be a little tricky. If you charge too much, you will lose the sale, charge less; you will undervalue your work and lose a sale. Find out the manufacturing and cost of materials. Take other costs like your pitch, travel, and launch cost into account. Look online and at other craft fairs to get an idea of competitors’ pricing. You have to make sure everything is properly priced.

• Bring plenty of stock with different price: Make sure you have different price points. Sellers can make money by selling products at a low price rather than organizing one massive sale. As all the little sales add up, you should anticipate how you can create products. Put your less expesnive stuff at the front and more expensive pieces at the back. Bring enough items to cover your table; don’t put out duplicates of the same product. Always keep extra stock under the table. If it’s your first event, you will be confused about what to bring. With time you will learn the tricks to sell more.

• Use your display area in a clever way: Displays play a crucial role and are as important as your products. Flat displays look boring and unappealing, so be creative with the displays. As this is not a car-boot sale, think about your brand style and how to attract your potential customers. You don’t have to spend more to be creative. Shelves, stands, crates, and jewelry bust can add to your customer’s interests. By just adding cardboard boxes under your cloth, you can add different levels inexpensively to your booth. Props are a great way to convey your brand too. For instance, if your work is seaside, throw in a few shells. On the other hand, if you are using vintage-inspired fabrics, opt for some kitsch ornaments.

In addition to the above tips, the key to selling more products at the upcoming craft show is to pick your venue carefully. Share a pitch, don’t be critical of your work, and make stuff that attracts your potential audience. Smile bright, and don’t be disheartened if you don’t make a significant profit on your first attempt. It takes time to build your brand and to motivate customers to purchase from you. Follow the above tips to make it big in the world of fairs and shows.

Author bio

David, the content manager at FestivalNet shares tips and tricks to sell more at craft shows and fairs. At the one-stop platform you will find information about the upcoming fairs and festivals in North America. We strive to make it easy for vendors and businesses to find popular events where they can promote their products and brands. We use the latest technology to create a comprehensive database of information about the latest events and fairs.