Stuff For Crafts Fair

[Erystawi]

Soon there will be winters/christmas craft fair again, what do you sell the most? What is hot and what is not? Really good reading here!

I'm going to a craft fair in last of november, and are exited, and really would love to have some more ideas. At this moment I am making can covers and key rings.

Eva

[NVLeatherWorx]

It is indeed the market for the smaller, cheaper items which will basically walk out the door at any of these events. However, it does help to have examples of the bigger stuff or those special items that people always ask about so that you can get an opening for a custom order.

I always have key fobs/key rings on-hand, a couple of money clip wallets/magnetic money clips, a couple of biker style wallets with the chain, a couple of regular billfold wallets; all of this can walk out the door as cash and carry. I also have a range of belt sample ideas (the remnants of belts that I have done over the years), and a couple of handbags on display as well (these are actually my wife's but we put them on display as that is a commonly asked about item for custom orders). I also have some small home decor items on display as cash and carry such as coaster sets with a carrier.

I also always take a full work station with me everywhere I go and am actively working on a project during the event. This attracts attention and gets people into my little "leather zone" which then gets them watching how an item is stamped or tooled, or even when I am lacing or stitching, they are riveted to what they are seeing. I get about a 25% custom order response just because of this alone. I also get another 20% custom order response when I have spent time answering the clients questions about materials I use versus what are typically used in commercial production.

Off and on I include some wristband blanks that can be stamped out real quick and finished as a cash and carry item as well. I stay away from having high-end or labor intensive finished goods sitting out, that is what the custom order process is about and you have to be ready to take them when the client wants to place it.

And I too am always the only leather related vendor at these events and it doesn't matter where I go, even at the County Fair's where we have juried divisions.

[chrstn53]

From my experience selling at craft shows/art fairs, the question of what to bring and prices depends on the demographics of the area. I have done about 30 shows the past two years and participating in these shows is like riding a roller coaster with really high arches in sales and low dips. Most of my products are in the $20 to $250 range with products like wallets,journals,cigar cases, belts, leashes, flasks, bags and general accessories, but I also have a few lower cost things like key chains and card cases. Most of my shows are in southern Indiana with a few around Nashville, TN and Ohio. From experience I do not participate in any craft only shows in my area. My sales are always the lowest at craft specific only events which have as few as 100 people to 3,000-4,000 people. It seems that most of my products are purchased by consumers in the 20 to 50 year old range and for some reason I have never had one good show that was a craft only show, so I don't do them anymore. I do best at street fair type of events, juried art shows, and markets put on by fashion companies or "hipster markets". Most shows run from $20 to $75 for a weekend show but juried shows run from $150 to $1,000+. I have trouble knowing what to bring to a show even if I have been to the same show in the past because they are so sporadic. For example last month I introduced a journal cover for the moleskine notebooks and did not sell one in the first two shows I had them in, but at the third show I sold out of them with only 10 made and took three more orders for cases from patrons who did a walk through and came back after I sold out of them. It's like this at every show so I have a lot of extra inventory for every item I make on hand under the table. When I do my southern Indiana shows I only have a few of the higher dollar items on display, but when I do my two juried shows in Nashville, TN my setup is completely opposite with the majority of my tables filled with my mid to high dollar items with only a few lower dollar items. I have only been getting serious with the shows this year and have put a lot of money into displays and tents, but to show the difference from normal shows and juried shows: Best Normal show $876 profit after $70 fee for two day show (street fair event 3-4,000 people); Worst normal show $85 profit after $40 fee for two day show (craft show 2-3,000 people). Best Juried show $3,235 after $485 fee for two day show (40,000 people); Worst juried show $740 after $260 fee for one day show (5-6,000 people). Once you have done a few shows in your area you will get a feel for what people have to spend and what type of products they are looking for.

Helpful hints.

Fold in half tables with handles

Storage tubs

Sturdy Tent for outdoor shows

Display your items well

I'm always saddle stitching something when not talking to customers, it draws them in and gets them asking questions which has led to many custom orders. ( I still get at least 10 or more people a show ask me if I make any of the items i'm selling while I am stitching)

Make sure you have plenty of cash on hand for change. ( I normally have $200 in 1,5,10's at local shows and $600 at juried events).

Business cards and either a social media site or web site for custom orders and a place to show off your work

Cooler with some food and drinks. ( If i'm doing a show by myself without help from my wife or bother, I eat and drink before the show and nurse one bottle of water during the show with some beef jerky, so you don't have to leave your booth to use the restroom)

Always be friendly with other exhibitors and find out what shows they do best at. ( I have found out about my best shows from other vendors)

Sorry for the rambling,, hope this helps.

[Stewart]

Chrstn53, Thanks

After a year I am doing my first at the end of the month. see what happens.

[NVLeatherWorx]

Christian tagged it. You are always having to change the content of your larger items and try to target the demographic makeup of event attendees and that can sometimes be a huge task all on its own. The smaller things like key fobs and other such items are really more your impulse buy items so having an assortment of styles is not an issue, just don't have a million of them on display.

The supplies list as far as tables, etc. is bang on and will make your load out so much easier if you have these items set aside just for this purpose. I average about 25 shows per year and they are a split between all inclusive vendor types and craft only and my results are about equal for both. The trick to a craft only event is the location where it is held. If it is a craft only event but it is held at a Church (or any other Community type building) then you will most likely only see the actual "community" to which that venue typically sees as your customer base so your sales will be most likely very limited. This also hold true to any events that are held at shopping venues such as Outlet Malls; the target audience here is just looking for that cheap deal or just window shopping so you will see light sales there as well.

The best way to find out which events are successful is to "meet and greet" with other vendors and pick their brains for information; it helps if you have a list of events that you are interested in and then just ask others, point blank, if they participate and if so, how well do they do or what their impression of the event is.

A major issue in my area right now is there are several events that go on through the year where the promoters require a full story about your works, a list of your suppliers, photos of your works and you actually making them, and all of this other stuff that is fine for a Juried event but to participate in a traditional craft only event is about as bright as a 1 watt bulb. I tend to stay clear of shows that require more work just to submit your application than I would typically put into a full custom made saddle (including the tree); just doesn't make sense to me on that.

[irishsuperfly]

This is a great topic! Thanks for sharing experience.

A friend of mine is doing a charity show in two weekends and it dawned on me that I should be busy making key fobs and bracelets to sell there. Of course, it means I'll be on the hook to help her but it wouldn't be the first time so I might as well get some compensation for it! She started out around this time last year, just going to any local craft show she could find. The people who attend those things are so fickle. Since most of the shows were holiday related, she and her mom were doing really fancy ornaments and cute quilts with very little selling.

She's settled into a better niche now (that she's also passionate about so that helps), doing paracord braiding for horse and other pet gear, chooses her shows a little more carefully, and tries to stick with horse-related functions. Her sales are at least enough to break even at most shows but still not great. I keep telling her she needs to either pre-make or take some cord along to make bracelets on demand but she doesn't bother. I really think those type of small, impulse buys are what people will spend money on at shows. She's gotten custom orders but the people who come to her with specific needs are the minority. After the last show I helped her with, I suggested she make business cards that have a specific discount code on them so she can track how many sales she got from the show after-the-fact. I'm not convinced that many of the people who took a card with an "oh, I'll definitely check out your website and place an order" actually follow through with it.

So, shamelessly, part of my interest in making up some little odds n ends stuff to sell is to see if my theory is right. I'd love to see her get some profit at these things and maybe I can convince her that having more of the smaller, ready made things are worth having at her booth. It's not often I get to say "I told you so" either, so here's hoping.

Edit: I'll pass on the other idea mentioned here about actually working on an item during the show. Maybe people seeing her braiding a halter will prompt some more sales, so thanks for that suggestion! If I end up going with her I'll take along some things to work on. Better than sitting around doing nothing between potential customers.

Edited October 15, 2014 by irishsuperfly

[Stewart]

Well I went and committed to a booth. If I can sell Truck parts to truckers than I should also see there, less the cussing!

Have a Flyer,it's required to show your Name.

So who knows

[irishsuperfly]

We made it through the show yesterday. I didn't get to say "I told you so" regarding my own sales (but I did sell two key fobs! ) although most of my friend's sales were things she premade and only one custom order on the spot. I still think having more inventory on-hand and ready to go is the best strategy for sales, she just didn't have much time before the show to stock up. Hopefully she'll get some business afterward from people she talked with about custom orders. I wish there was a way to track those sales, but I can't think of anything other than offering a discount code related to the event for people to enter into her website when they purchase.

I didn't get any bracelets made in advance, which might have gotten me more sales. I got lazy and sat around twiddling my thumbs the whole time instead of working on making bracelets. I need a good, sturdy work surface for setting snaps, etc next time.

I think we did alright with the prep but a checklist would help things go more smoothly. Seems there's one thing that always gets forgotten!

[biglew]

i like many others are trying to find a local market to make a few dollars,, just curios what you typically charge for key fobs and assorted other Items. I don't want to be too cheap

[irishsuperfly]

I'm probably not the right person to offer advice on pricing. Others with more experience would be better. That said, I sold my fobs for $8 - a lot of people looked at them and had positive comments but not one person seemed turned off by that price. My friend and my dad said I was underselling myself but they're my first pieces and I really couldn't bring myself to mark them up any higher. I tried to do a little pricing research before the show but didn't spend enough time on it to get a good feel for what I should be pricing them.