Craft Fair Tips

Go vertical in your displays as much as possible. All flat and horizontal is NOT GOOD. People will stay at your space longer if there are more levels for their vision to go to rather than a quick sweep of the eye along a long flat table neatly stacked with the items. Angle things. Add dimension. Accessorize your display. If you have all Baby items, get a baby doll and a small cradle and play up on that baby theme.

I generally do juried shows now - they can cost a bit more, but why waste my $$ on competing with the mass-merchandise crowd?

Or, I'll sign up for organizations doing fund-raisers. Schools, Non-Profits, that sort of thing. Their space fees are usually very low, we have a lot of fun and they have a huge database of folks who support their causes, so it's usually a good turn out.

At those ones, I always have lots of little things that are for sale for anywhere from $.50cents - $3. Those non-profit fund raisers usually want donations for raffle items. I always give them at least 2 items, one in the $25-$50 range and one in the $10-$15 range. That donation is tax deductible for promotional purposes.

These raffles lead to additional sales for me since I attach/include a percent-off gift certificate to the donated items for additional purchases at my booth and my mini-flyer is also included with those raffle items with ALL my contact information.

Let them see you actively involved in your craft. They will often stop and make comments on something they are currently working on if they also do a similar craft, or they will ask you questions which can lead to sales. When you’re working on bits of your craft, it can help relax customers.

[Excerpts are from my eBook: Craft Fair Survival Guide]

~ Marge ~