Have you been considering selling your handmade wares at a craft fair? Are you overwhelmed with trying to decide what will sell or searching for unique patterns and display ideas that will set your booth apart? After years of successfully selling my finished pieces both in person at major handmade markets like the
There is so much to think about when it comes to getting everything ready for a show. What to make, what to bring, how to display it … there’s a lot of info out there and it can be confusing and overwhelming to navigate and know what works best. I’m sharing what has been consistently successful for me and ways you can tailor it all to your own brand. Wishing you all tons of success at the markets this year!
AND NOW FOR MY TOP 7 MARKET TIPS:
(1) Make more than you think you’ll need (but don’t display it all at once).
I always like to start my planning by categorizing everything I want to include at my booth – hats, cowls, scarves, gloves, wraps, etc. Then I price everything out and look at what will likely be the most popular price point (which is usually the lowest price point, let’s be honest). I make the most of those items, often in all of the colors I’m using, often in several of each color. Then I move to the next price point and make at least a couple of each color of those pieces as well. For the higher ticket items, which are usually the more time intensive pieces, I will typically only make a few total, and not in every color. Having too much in a booth or on a table can be overwhelming for customers, so I recommend having some boxes under the table (hidden behind a table cloth) where you can keep excess inventory.
Even if you don’t sell everything you’ve made, it’s not a bad thing. This will give you inventory that’s ready to ship, which is a life saver during the holidays. You can run sales (hello Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday!) on your website or Etsy without the headache of having to make each piece as orders come in. Being able to just grab a piece off a shelf, package it up, and ship it off is the most wonderful feeling. Holidays are the busiest time of the year for makers, so stocking up beforehand will save a ton of stress. And even if you don’t sell everything before the holidays, January is a great time for post-season sales that will help you clear out the shelves.
(2) Choose a color scheme.
Like I said in tip #1, overwhelming your customers with too much to look at is not good. People think they like lots of choices, but studies have shown that too many choices actually prevents you from making a decision (which means no sale). That being said, having a few options in terms of price point and color can be really helpful because it will allow for different types of customers. When I’m prepping for a market, I like to choose only one or two types of yarn to work with, in 5-10 colors that all look good together (this is key so your set up is visually pleasing). You’ll notice that almost all of the patterns in this month’s
This also allows me to purchase my yarn in bulk at wholesale prices. Did you know anyone can purchase wholesale yarn through
Once you’ve chosen your yarn type, selecting a limited amount of colors that you think speak to your brand will set you apart, draw attention, and encourage customers to purchase more than one item because everything will “match.” It’s so much more pleasing to the eye to walk into a booth or up to a table where there’s some kind of theme going on. People want to buy into a lifestyle, not clutter, and having a color scheme is the easiest way to build your brand identity. I even offer a little color swatch “file” on a key ring that includes swatches of all the colors I work with in case someone wants to see them in person and place a custom order.
(3) Sell a variety of items at different price points.
Have you ever walked into a store where you literally wanted everything but couldn’t afford the big stuff, so you purchased a small memento that allowed you to feel connected to the brand without having to shell out big bucks? Without the small affordable stuff, most wouldn’t be able to make a purchase at all. But without the big aspirational stuff, the smaller items would have less meaning. Having expensive items in your booth doesn’t mean you’re not reaching your target customer (it also doesn’t mean you won’t sell those items either, you’d be surprised!), it just means you’re giving them options and creating a full lifestyle with your brand. Giving them something to strive for will also make them return customers who continue to support your business over time. There’s a reason the Chanels of the world sell mostly small leather goods rather than large bags and clothing even though they offer a full wardrobe of options – it’s the less expensive, more attainable items (if you call a small $2000 attainable … you get my point) that add up to keeping a business running, but the more luxurious items that create the mood that keep the customers coming back.
In addition to giving your shoppers a reason to take your business card for future purchases, different price points draw more customers because you’ll “have something for everyone.” It also incentivizes multiple item purchases, because if someone is already going to spend $100 on a scarf, they won’t think too much about adding on a $20 headband. Keep bigger ticket items displayed on stands and higher up, and smaller more affordable pieces on the table near their hands and next to the checkout area for impulse purchases.
CHECK OUT MY TOP 2 KNIT AND CROCHET SELLERS:
(4) Keep your booth or table visually interesting with different levels of sight
There’s nothing more boring than a market display with flat stuff on a flat table. Different lines of sight create visual interest and more of a “store” atmosphere that will instantly bring more value to your items. Creating as much of an enclosed, curated space as possible will make your booth or table stand out from all the rest. You want the customer to feel as if they are stepping into your world.
If you’re displaying in a booth you will likely already have “walls” of a tent or divider provided by the show, but if you’re stuck in a long aisle of tables, I highly recommend investing in
The tallest part of your display is the backdrop. If you’re using the grid walls, I like to attach
While I love the crates for stacking scarves and cowls, I prefer to display hats on head forms or stands to give a nice representation of the level of “slouch” and more of a 360 degree perspective. Years ago I made head forms out of
Smaller items can be displayed directly on the table or in
Now that you have all of your levels for display, the last thing to think about is signage. As I mentioned above, you can paint or hang a sign or banner with your logo from the backdrop, but I also love
Lastly, it’s a good idea to have some other small signs with prices, social media handles and website address, etc. I like
(5) Make a lookbook.
Probably my biggest pro-tip (because I rarely see this done and it’s so valuable!) is to make a lookbook. This is a “book” containing images and prices of all of the items you have on offer. It can also include a color or swatch card showcasing all of the colors you’re able to create an item in (which is great if you’ve had to narrow it down for your display but want to offer more colors for custom pieces). This way, if you sell out of something, or if you have more items that you didn’t bring to sell in person, you have a visual representation of everything you sell that customers can browse (and you should encourage them to). Some shoppers are often shy to ask about prices, which you can avoid by
If you know your way around a graphic design program, you can create something fancy and have it printed through
If your booth gets swarmed, this is a great way to grab a customer’s attention so they can peruse your items in the lookbook while waiting to get a closer look at the items. It also encourages custom orders because shoppers can customize something they might not see in on display. Have some order forms (and
(6) Use the experience as a market research tool.
Selling in person is one of the best ways to get customer insight. Craft fairs offer a direct relationship with your customers, and engaging with them to learn about their shopping habits is so important. You can use this information for your next show, when revamping your online shops, and even as a guide for what to post on social media to attract them. When a customer comes to your booth or table, ask them questions! For whom are you shopping (men, women, children, friends, family, themselves, etc), what kinds of items do you buy again and again, what other shows are you going to this season, and so on.
One thing I always like to point out though, is that sometimes customers think they know what they want but they actually want something else. Listen to their words, but watch what they pick up, what they try on, what colors they are drawn to, etc. This is where you can really get information about what is attracting them to your booth visually. Lastly, pay attention to the questions they ask you. Are you getting repeat requests for an item you don’t carry? Are people asking for a color you don’t have? Let this inform the decisions you make about your business going forward.
7. Create return shoppers.
Chances are that even though you’re selling in person at a show, you have some form of an online presence via a website, Etsy shop, or even just social media that drives sales outside of the show. This gives people the opportunity to shop with you throughout the year and become return customers. Following all of the tips above will ensure you have a strong brand identity that will draw customers in, but you want to take it a little further to keep your shop in their minds.
First, you should always have a newsletter sign up prominently displayed for you to collect your customers’ info so you can grow your audience. You want to make sure that your website and social media handles are on display at your table. This can be in the form of a little “follow us!” frame, and you should also have business cards out for people to grab. Point both of these out to customers and encourage them to follow you. Maybe they are just browsing today but will purchase online at a later date. My favorite thing to do is create postcards that have a photo that represents my brand, my online shop info, social media handles, and discount code valid until the end of the month so they feel like they’re getting a special deal for coming to this show. This will incentivize them to shop with you later on (and even purchase something at a higher price point), and it’s a great takeaway that will keep your shop top of mind. I even include the postcards in the shopping bags when a customer makes a purchase, because they may decide to buy more using the discount code. Here’s an example of one of my postcards:
I hope these tips will inspire you to take your craft market sales to the next level this season! It’s all a learning process, and making mistakes means you get to fix them and grow, which is always a good thing! Remember if this is your first in-person selling experience that we have all been there, and you’ll be able to continue to refine your style and system with each show that you do.
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