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Upcoming Craft Show Dilemma


cadams74

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There is a craft show coming up in the town that I live in and I was wondering if anyone had any advice on whether I should participate in it or not. The craft show would cost me $55 to get to sell my stuff there, I sell Christmas ornaments, necklaces and a few framed things. I sell my necklaces for $12 a piece, Christmas ornaments range from $3-$4 a piece and any framed thing is $20. I live in a small town and I haven't ever really done a show like this so I don't know how much of a crowd it will draw or how much I might sell so I'm just searching for some advice on what to do, if anyone has any please post.

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Hi. I feel i could write a book on craft shows. I can understand how you feel, I was just the same when I did my first one. I learnt a lot from the first two I did and I made some big mistakes from the first one. First of all you really need six of everything you make as a bare minimum. Imagine a 6ft table with all your things on it, could you fill the table and still have things in reserve to replace the things that sell. I feel the most important thing is display. A stand is essential. I have two, a big one and a small one, both have three shelves. On the big shelf unit I have added additions like poles and on these I hang my Christmas decorations. On the under side of the shelves I have hooks to hang things on. Most of the things I make on the lathe and the scroll saw are made from light wood so i have a black table cloth to show off the beauty of the wood. When someone stops by your booth and they look at something strike up a conversation like, "thats made from so and so wood," this breaks the ice and the customer is then more relaxed. I like to wrap things up for the customer so i bought some tissue paper in light green, it is so much better than news paper.

 

Don't be disappointed if you only break even, you are on a learning curve, while you are at the craft show look at what other people have on display and see that they are selling. At my first craft show a guy near me was selling door stops by the dozen but to my mind they were not very well made and the guy knew that and was selling them real cheap. I had never thought of door stops so a day or two later I made 50 door stops over a few days but I put a little wooden mouse on each one with a leather tail and little leather ears and cute black eyes. I sold them all and at a much higher price than the other guy was selling his for, people just fell in love with them and now I am in the middle of making another 50 as I have another craft show in three weeks.

 

Spread your things over the table and don't have to many of the same item on display, if you have two of something on the table people will think thats all you have and it will prompt them to buy but if you have six of everything people may not look at them in the same light. I really hope you do well and if I can help you further just ask.

 

Geoff.

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This is a difficult one. Over here in the Uk we normally only get one 6ft table so I have to make the most of the space available and the only way to do isis to go up. Like you the tables are provided. I am disabled and cannot lift much but the other crafts people at the craft shows are a really nice bunch of people and I have plenty of help. Back to you question. You have three 8ft Tables, that is a lot of display area and I feel I would be hard pushed to fill all the tables. You will find that the people that go on a regular basis have quite a range of items. If I were in your shoes I feel I would have something on the middle table that would be a focal point, like a Christmas tree and you could hand a few things on it and maybe even have some lights, this would be sure to attract people and then around the base of the tree you could have a few Christmas items. You will then have two tables to put your other things on but I have a feeling you need to come up with more ideas and make some other things to compliment what you already have. Christmas decorations will be a best seller at this time of year and at the moment I am stack cutting to get the numbers. I am also doing children's names, house numbers,Merry Christmas signs. If you do some children's names i would do three girls and three boys and then take orders for them, the price should include shipping and you can tell the people you can send it in a week, this gives you time to make them. These are a good seller for me and one guy I know makes a living just by making name signs.

 

Geoff.

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Go ahead and take the plunge. Figure this one will be a "learning tool" and don't expect to make any money. Then if you do make money, figure its a nice surprise. But I think it'll take one or two before you get a good handle on it. Be sure to talk to other booth owners and ask for their advice. They'll also give you good information on which craft shows are worth the trouble and which ones to avoid.

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