Stuff For Crafts Fair

[Stewart]

Working on inventory to sell at a Craft Show.

Edited November 13, 2013 by Stewart

[artycpt]

I have yet to go to a craft fair to sell things. I am seriously considering it but haven't really built up an inventory. I am curious to know how much of an inventory you are going to create for a fair and what other needs are a must have (tables, chairs...)

[Stewart]

Well money for change, chair, Small table, shade, cooler( no beer ). Business cards. Samples of what I do and small pocket stuff that do not cost much cover Cars- sport teams, Religions, Women styled stuff. A portfolio of what I have done. one thing a flask that I have done for taste testing.

[joet]

I just finished my first craft fair a couple of weeks ago and found out the following. As mentioned above, a table and chairs; the fair I was at was indoors so there was no need for a cover. Water to drink, something for lunch or know of a fast food restaurant or the phone number to a pizza delivery service. Small items sold best or anything cheap. Cell phone cases sold the most, but must have them in many different sizes. Billfolds did not sell, but a roper wallet did, go figure. Bolo ties were not even looked at. Refrigerator magnets also sold like hot cakes (they were in the shape of little owls). High end items like small pictures didn't go at all.

As this was my first time I made an inventory of things to have on hand next time. Something to display the bolo ties better, like a form in the shape of a neck and body. Something to stick the magnets to, like a steel plate that was upright. A form to fill out for taxes after the show was over and a short term tax license. This may depend on location, state, city, country, etc. These are just a few things I came up with and I'm sure there are many more I didn't list. Just my three cents worth.

[Stewart]

Thanks Joet, That's the way I see it. Small things then a few larger stuff to get the feel of what to take on the next one. Same local area should have the same results. The Craft show that was yesterday rained out .Never thought about the tax deal. Get a strfoam head for wigs. My wife has one. Thanks again. Joe.

[cdthayer]

I just finished my first craft fair a couple of weeks ago and ..... I made an inventory of things to have on hand next time.

My wife and I have been vendors at quilt and craft shows for the past 7 years. We attend about 6 events each year. After only the first few venues that we attended, it was apparent that we needed some method of deciding what we needed to take, without having to think of everything on the spot, so I made up a "Remote Sales Check-off List" in Microsoft Excel. The same thing could be handwritten and copied if you don't want to be as granulated as us. We have set our booth up outside at some venues and inside at others. We've used electricity at some and not at others. Each booth type requires some different items that we don't want to forget to load, but we can't take everything. We use a pickup with a topper on it, and no trailer.

I have 6 columns and 260 rows in my spreadsheet. The column headings are:

Check - a 1/4 inch checkbox space to mark by hand on the paper copy

Take - a 1/4 inch checkbox marked by computer when selecting what to take to each venue

Item - Description field

Storage - Indicates where the item is stored (home, shop, pickup, shed, etc)

Location - Specific room or location at our storage sites (pantry, toolbox, storeroom, POS counter, etc)

Type - Category entry (commerce, display, document, electrical, outdoor, product, supplies, etc)

We've put every item that we've ever used or thought about using at a remote sales venue on our list. It's especially handy in those cases when we have duplicates of items (tote tubs, extension cords, tables, chairs). We start with a new full list every time we prepare to gather things to go to a show, even if we've been to that show before. Our list changes as we acquire items, so last year's list is only good to see what we took last time. The Take checkbox allows us to go down the entire list of things that we want to take and make an x in the box with the computer. Then the list is sorted by computer to trim down the list to what we are taking this time. That usually pares it down to about 100 items. Those items are then sorted by Storage and then by Location. Once the list is sorted on the computer, one paper copy is printed to use when we're pulling items. We put an X in the Check checkbox with a pen or pencil when the item is loaded or staged ready to load.

We get really itemized on our list, and it may be over-kill to some. Some item examples are:

10 Tub entries, one for each tote tub that we have (different types, sizes)

19 Table entries, one for each table and tablecloth that we have (different types, sizes)

2 Tax Permit entries (different states)

Scotch Tape (not just tape)

Duct Tape

Masking Tape

Packing tape

Measuring Tape

Pens (with a write-in quantity)

Notepad

Post-it Note Pad

We only have 34 Product entries, one for each product type, not individual items. We take different kinds of things to sell at each different venue, and only a limited quantity of each type. The specific items are selected on the fly when we load. The specific item list is more for the tools, equipment, and supplies that we'll need.

Back home after the show, we always unload every item, empty every tub, and put everything back where it goes. We tried to keep a tub loaded with basic supplies setting ready to go, but then found that we didn't keep up with what we had used out of the tub well enough. It takes the two of us about an hour to go from empty pickup to hit-the-road, and about the same amount of time to unload and put away.

CD in Oklahoma

[joet]

CD; you have given this topic a lot of information that is helpful. The craft fair that I was at, my group was in charge of and it was a first time affair. We have a lot to learn and a long ways to go to get there. Any information for putting on a fair would be helpful for the next time. I received a letter from one of the vendors and he gave us a lot of encouragement for the next fair. The only reason I had a booth was to fill in the spaces as we could have used about three or four more vendors. The space for the fair had no fee attached to it and it was in a good location. We think the timing was off as we were competing with seven other fairs that same weekend and the advertising was not as good as it could have been. Any more information would be helpful.

I need to add that my booth was the only leather related craft at this fair. Others were crochet/knitting, pottery, photography, art, jewelry and several others I can't think of right off hand.

[cdthayer]

Our Check-off List has really helped us have what we need when we go to a show. We typically go through the list 2-3 days ahead of time to decide what to take. We've known what size and shape our booth will be since we signed up, but waiting until just before time to go allows us to be able to consider weather conditions that we'll face. Forecasts are better close to the event day. Even when it's an indoor booth, we still have to get us and our gear from the truck to the booth in a downpour of rain sometimes. That takes rain gear that we wouldn't normally take, like large plastic bags to put inventory and gear in, extra rags to wipe down tables, totes, and larger display stands, and personal rain gear to keep us from having to work the booth soaking wet for hours. And if it's an outside booth, the wind forecast is important for considering display stand types and display weights to help keep everything from blowing away. Nothing like spending the day chasing the stuff that blows away from your booth.

CD in Oklahoma

[bigorange]

Thanks very much to all who responded , I suspected it was a low dollar item market and I will stock accordingly,

[Fat Dog Leather]

My husband and I are planning our first show the end of March. We too really appreciate the list of supplies and suggestions to make ready for the sale. Also the goods to sell; we assumed smalls would be best but it sounds like we should really concentrate on the small items.... Say under $20 or $ 30 price point and have a few higher end items. But this will be a learning experience for the show itself and the sale.

Thanks again all for the insight and any other words of wisdom are welcome!!