Well, all done with the craft show...
Here is my display.... I have magnets on cookie sheets which are tucked behind my cards all displayed in a vintage suitcase. I have M&M Sticks and Magic Reindeer Food both displayed in tin buckets...
My necklaces & hair clips are displayed on the cool free-standing display that my dad made for when he was doing craft shows (his was for wood crafts he made).
better pic of the vintage suitcase...
paint chip note pads, M&M Sticks, antique foldable ruler stars....
My mice & owl candy cane holders ~ I'm going to be sharing patterns & directions for those soon :)
My post-it note/gel pen holders..
I'm thinkin' craft shows are like garage sales...lots of work ahead of time, sitting around all day and making a bit of money. I'd rather spend my time making things to give away than to try and sell like this. I have a chance to do another this weekend but I may beg off...I'm not so sure that Black Friday/Saturday is such a good time to have a craft show ~ everyone is going to be at the stores hitting the sales.
I guess I'm spoiled by Etsy...I like posting my pics and if someone is interested they buy...if not it's o.k. too because I'm not sitting around waiting for people to show up. I'm not a good sales person, I don't like pushing "stuff" on people which is what it feels like when I'm trying to hawk my wares.
So, if anyone was interested in a necklace, note pad or magnets, stay tuned, I've got a deal for you :) I think I'm going to post them later this week. Maybe you'll find a nice Christmas gift for a friend that you won't have to find the time to make.
Your craft table was beautiful and well stocked, which is extremely important to sales. Beautiful tables with less merchandise don't seem to do as well. To me so much depends on how well the show is publicized and administered That's as important as what you have to sell. Your comparison to yard sales is well taken. It's a lot of effort for not much money.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous craft display you had and such a shame that the visitors were not spending much but just looking. I have been following your posts and everything you made is just stunning and by the look of your prices they were almost 'giveaway'.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the fact that money is tight these days that folks just look and think twice about parting with their money.
Don't be too downhearted, I am sure that they'll sell on etsyeipagee B
Hi Roni, maybe not much of a return on the day but you made a profit so that's a thumbs up. You compare it to a garage sale but it wasn't, it was a craft sale and you need to price accordingly otherwise you are underselling yourself! These were handmade items made specifically to sell. Not some junk you had rooted out of the attic you wanted to get rid of. The price is important but too little can be as bad as too much! People are strange. If you don't value it why should they!! I think your prices were give away but I live in Norway and things are very expensive here. If you feel like giving it another go then I would charge a little more for the cheaper things, are you even covering your material costs? Drop the buy # get one free thing off the signs. That's something you can offer as an incentive if you have a serious customer who asks for a price break. Don't forget to smile and say hi to everyone who looks your way and remember if you can get them to touch it you are halfway to a sale. Hope you don't mind the advice. I am not an expert but I have done a few sales. It all depends on the type of venue. Local church type sales people expect things cheep, bigger shows people respect the fact that it's not 'made in China' and the prices are higher than the dollar store. Last weekend cakes and candles, maybe next weekend cards and domino necklaces. Here's hoping. Let us know if you are going to give it another go.
ReplyDeleteOh, forgot to say your table looked lovely and very interesting
ReplyDeleteI have to agree your prices look like a steal it shows you just do this for the love of crafting try raising the prices a little people are strange that way.
ReplyDeleteYour craft table looked great! I do agree with you about garage sales and craft shows. Too much work!
ReplyDeleteI did a craft show last year with a bunch of cards by me and my sister-in-law. We did not have a good turn-out (not well advertised) and there were a lot of looky-lous. So sorry your experience was not much better. It looks like you had a nice variety.
ReplyDeleteYour display was beautiful! Thanks for sharing the pics! I'm sorry people didnt buy everything! I went to a craft show as a shopper a few weeks back and I heard a lot of the 'vendors' saying no one was buying. It may be a sign of the times. Free entertainment to walk around and look. I've not ventured into Etsy yet... I've looked at few things to get ideas.
ReplyDeleteWell done for trying. I have done a few tables at events,some more successful than others. You had a great variety which is good. There is only one market that I will go back to every year because I know the customers and what they want and they have spending power...most other markets are "public entertainment" with them walking around getting ideas of what they could possibly make themselves...
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely display! And such neat items to sell! I, too, had a table at a craft fair at a local church this weekend and I did pretty well. One of the good things about this sale was that it was well advertised--road signage up the week before within 10 miles of the venue; advertising in all of the newspapers and free press within a 20 mile radius; and there were three other stores in town having open houses and one person made up a flyer with the listings and a map and that was available at all the fairs/shops. That really increased the number of people through the door. I sold greeting cards and felt package tie-ons as well as my dad's license plate dustpans. Before you do the next sale, check to see what their advertising has been. But I also can't wait for you to put some of your items up for sale so I can buy some! Anne, yourmainestamper
ReplyDeleteI think you do terrific collages. Maybe you should spend your time on doing some art that could be framed and hung on the wall, major artwork rather than lots of inexpensive things. Maybe shoot for a juried show and sell one of a kind collages. You do lots of quirky, interesting things; maybe you need a new venue for your art. Sit down in your studio and make things that please you as an artist, and don't worry about what will sell. I'll bet you can find your customers. And, as others have said, raise your prices.
ReplyDeleteWonderful display of all your lovely items! Our church's Holiday Fair was last Saturday and the things that did the best were all food related - the Cookie Walk, the baked goods table and the fudge table. Very few crafts and knitted items sold. This has been the trend here in Maine for the last three years. I hope you do share your owl candy cane holder as I would love to make some for my grandson's class. I have done the mice already.
ReplyDeleteAh well, Roni, at least you can say you've done it and maybe now you're done with it!!! I feel that "Lookie-Lou's" (the ones that just walk around looking!) are usually the ones that love to look but really didn't intend to buy. It's their loss! Your items are beautiful and we know it!
ReplyDeleteIf you do put it on Etsy...let us know! WE know quality when we see it! :)