Nov 23, 2009

My First Craft Show

Saturday, as some of you know, I sold some of my hand-made crafts for the first time. It was a dreary rainy day, so the turn out wasn't as good as last year. Even with the weather, it turned out to be a great day for me. I had a lot of interest in my products. I was selling produce bags, fabric gift wrap, and linen tote bags. The produce bags ended up being the star of my table. Everyone seemed to love the idea and the bags sold quickly. I ended up selling out of the produce bags and taking orders for more; sold half of the gift wrap with orders for more in different patterns/sizes; and I sold two tote bags which were my high ticket item. My table looked pretty pathetic around 1 o'clock because it was so barren, but what a great problem to have! So my Etsy shop will have to wait a little longer, as I don't have anything to sell yet. I probably will not be able to post anything there until after the new year considering the custom orders I need to fill. I'll keep you posted on my progress!



My table all set-up and ready for customers!

I have learned a lot from this experience, and I want to share some of it with you - just in case the crafting bug bites you too! (I'm including some observations for setting up a table as well)

  1. You'll probably be surprised by what your most popular product will be.
  2. Make sure you label the price of the item (or a have a price list on the table). Some people, like me, don't like to have to ask for a price - they'll just leave!
  3. Make sure your table covering doesn't compete with your product. Example: I saw a table covered with black & white polka dots, and a hot pink print, I think the product was kids pillows & blankets but I was so overwhelmed by all the patterns and colors that I really didn't pay any attention to what they were selling.
  4. Be creative with your display, and don't forget your vertical space. Try garage sales and discount stores for unique display items. Don't be afraid to re-purpose an item like a door or window to add to your display.
  5. If your interested in taking custom orders, let people know with a sign. A customer might like a product but want it in a different color, and they probably will not think to ask if you can make it for them!
  6. Be prepared for little sleep the night before the show. I was up until 1 am putting the finishing touches on items, packing things up, getting everything together. Then when I was in bed I was mentally running over everything to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything.
  7. Have fun and talk to lots of people! This is when you need to put on a smiling face and say "Hello" to anyone who looks your way. Being personable could help you make a sale - just don't go overboard!

Do you have any tips for selling at craft fairs? If so, I would love to hear them as I plan to do more in the future!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hey!! Your craft show is really adorable. Really liked all your efforts. Couple of days back I attended a craft event at one of local Los Angeles event venues. Many people showed their creativity there. Loved to attend this event!