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Selling arts and crafts is a time-honored tradition in the fall. With popup markets popping up all over most towns and cities, there are tons of opportunities to showcase your very best. But, if you’ve never taken your goods on the road, there are a few things you can do now to ensure that you’ll never miss a chance to impress a potential customer. Here are the basics of getting ready for an event, trade show, or craft fair.
Amazon Discount Codes Should be Part of Your Setup Plan
No matter what you sell, you’ll need a surface to showcase your wares. This starts with one or more folding tables, and you should plan to spend between $40 and $100 for a six-foot table. And because you only have so much space, you will also need other ways to display your wares. This might come in the form of clothing racks, jewelry stands, or table-top shelving units for smaller items. Consider Amazon a primary resource to find the best price on folding tables and retail display products, plus you’ll get free shipping if you already have a Prime account. Often, you can find cashback offers (like this one) for buying certain items from Amazon, which can help you save even more.
Now that you know where your products will be displayed, you’ll need to get to work ensuring your booth stands out. This is where your printed marketing and branding materials come into play. This should include, at a minimum, a large display banner, business cards, and brochures. Most of these items can also be ordered online or at your local print-marketing company.
Storage And Inventory
Plan to invest in several sturdy plastic storage totes, which you can pick up for $20 or less at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Clear totes are best because they allow you to see what’s inside. Newspaper, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap are essential when you are transporting fragile goods, such as blown glass or clay pottery.
Before each show, add an inventory sheet for each box so that you know what you start with and what is still left at the end of the day. If you have a point of sale system, you can usually keep track of your inventory from the processing software and print reports.
Pricing
There are significant differences between selling products online or in an art gallery. At these temporary venues, you are most likely wanting to move as many pieces as possible to turn a profit. But how do you put a price on a piece that you poured your heart and soul into? A lot of it comes down to location. You can command a higher price at an upscale event such as an artisan craft fair, but you may only be able to get half as much at a church bazaar. Plan to visit a few similar events before you sign up as a vendor. This can give you a better idea of what similar artists are making.
Seamless Setup
You have your display, you know how much you want to charge, and you know how many pieces you have to move. Unfortunately, failure to utilize these tools correctly can result in you losing money. Shopify suggests setting up your items in the most visually pleasing way possible. Start with your largest items and fill in the blanks from there. If you have time, you can put your booth together in your driveway before the show to ensure you have enough display and that you don’t have too much or too little inventory.
Something else to consider if you want to attract the most customers is that you have to smile. Offering a free cookie or glass of lemonade won’t hurt either.
Padding your pockets at fall fairs and events isn’t always easy. And you might find that your first season is more trial and error than making a profit. But, if you are persistent, and don’t mind a little hard work, these community showcases are a great way to get your name out there and to get to know your hometown.
"Abby Holt created Craftability to inspire you to put your own crafting abilities to good use, whether it’s painting, jewelry-making, quilting, or calligraphy."
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