Start Selling at Craft Fairs #1: Find Your Shows [Updated!]
[*Updated* 2019]
Since I posted 5 Essential Tips for Craft Fair Selling, I've received some questions about how to get started... finding shows, figuring out a display, etc. Since I never get tired of these topics, I put together a list of 5 steps to get started selling at craft fairs. They got pretty long so I am splitting them into a series of posts. I hope they are helpful!
Start Your List
You probably already know of a few craft fairs that happen in your area. The first step is to start a list.
To organize my show list, I use my google calendar. I love Google calendar because there is room for notes, links, and you can color code different aspects (like my deadlines are code red, so I can see them easily).
When I find a potential show, I add it to my calendar along with the pertinent info including cost, type of show, web site, and whether the ap is online or has been requested. If I'm really interested, I enter the deadline on the calendar separately. If I decide not to do a show this year, I change the date to next year so I can find it when I need it next time.
Where to Look
Check your local arts and events publications, chamber of commerce, newspapers, and art groups for lists of local events. My area has multiple free publications listing events, and now have them also online.
Search online for your state, city or county's "festivals", "shows", and "fairs".
Talk to people. I find many of my shows by talking to other artists or customers at shows. Whenever I go to a new town and I'm doing well, I ask the customers what other shows they like to attend. Now we have many facebook groups for artists or vendors as well. You can find local groups by searching on fb. You can also look up other local artist's web sites to see what shows they have listed on their calendars.
There are some paid publications and web sites that list events as well. I can't speak to how good they are myself. But personally, with the web being so easy and free, I wouldn't pay much for a service like that. You may come across some of these lists while googling, and they give enough info for free to search for the shows yourself.
Big or Small - Where to Begin
For your first show, I would keep it small... as in costing under $100. You will not make millions at a dinky show, but you will have less invested to lose also. The smaller shows are a great way to get your feet wet, test your display, get feedback on your work, and network with other artists. Mostly, to just get out there and be seen.
Don't be discouraged if you don't make much money at your first few shows. The real money is at the larger shows, which will be much easier to do after you have a few smaller shows under your belt. But DO listen to feedback, take note of the clientele and how they respond to your work. Every show will not work for every seller, it's a constant learning process.
As for what types of bigger shows are the best, it totally depends on your craft and your type of customer. When you consider doing a new show, learn all you can about it. Go visit the show if you can. Check out their web site, google for photos of the event, check out the people and the layout if you can. Some questions to consider during your research:
- Will there be buy/sell or imports allowed, or is it a juried artists-only event?
- Is there a rodeo, race, pet parade, concert, or chili cook off?
- What is the area like in terms of demographics, income, types of businesses?
- What other artists are listed on the event's web site from previous years?
Now consider how all this info matches with what you know about your best customer and the style of your work. If you sell nature themed paintings, you might not sell much at a blues festival. Likewise, my tie-dye-ish clothing might not go over too well at an old timey street fair. If you have higher priced one-of-a-kind artwork, you might not do as well in a town with a lower median income and no art galleries. I would for sure stay away from flea market type events, as it lowers your buyer's expectations for price and quality.
I personally look for shows in a more liberal arts type town, with a college or lots of murals for example, because the people there are likely to appreciate art. I prefer juried shows with only handmade booths, because the audience will be ready to spend a little more for quality craft work. I avoid street fairs that include imports, because I know their clothing will be way cheaper, and the audience is probably just looking for entertainment and deals. However, I do some mixed shows like music festivals, because I have done well at them (not all of them!) when people want a new dancing skirt or the weather wasn't what they expected. Still I make sure the style of the music matches with my own clothing style.
But none of this is etched in stone, there are no hard rules here. The best you can do is make the most educated guess possible, and then go for it.
I love love love talking to new artists wanting to sell their work, it's so exciting! Getting out there and saying, "Here's me and what I do, love it or leave it." It's a little scary because it's different every time. It's a gamble. Even the same show can be drastically different from year to year. But every show is an opportunity to network with other artists and expose your work to a new set of customers. Learn and grow and then... find another show!
Since I posted 5 Essential Tips for Craft Fair Selling, I've received some questions about how to get started... finding shows, figuring out a display, etc. Since I never get tired of these topics, I put together a list of 5 steps to get started selling at craft fairs. They got pretty long so I am splitting them into a series of posts. I hope they are helpful!
Start Selling at Craft Fairs #1: Find Your Shows
Start Your List
You probably already know of a few craft fairs that happen in your area. The first step is to start a list.
To organize my show list, I use my google calendar. I love Google calendar because there is room for notes, links, and you can color code different aspects (like my deadlines are code red, so I can see them easily).
When I find a potential show, I add it to my calendar along with the pertinent info including cost, type of show, web site, and whether the ap is online or has been requested. If I'm really interested, I enter the deadline on the calendar separately. If I decide not to do a show this year, I change the date to next year so I can find it when I need it next time.
Where to Look
Check your local arts and events publications, chamber of commerce, newspapers, and art groups for lists of local events. My area has multiple free publications listing events, and now have them also online.
Search online for your state, city or county's "festivals", "shows", and "fairs".
Talk to people. I find many of my shows by talking to other artists or customers at shows. Whenever I go to a new town and I'm doing well, I ask the customers what other shows they like to attend. Now we have many facebook groups for artists or vendors as well. You can find local groups by searching on fb. You can also look up other local artist's web sites to see what shows they have listed on their calendars.
There are some paid publications and web sites that list events as well. I can't speak to how good they are myself. But personally, with the web being so easy and free, I wouldn't pay much for a service like that. You may come across some of these lists while googling, and they give enough info for free to search for the shows yourself.
Big or Small - Where to Begin
For your first show, I would keep it small... as in costing under $100. You will not make millions at a dinky show, but you will have less invested to lose also. The smaller shows are a great way to get your feet wet, test your display, get feedback on your work, and network with other artists. Mostly, to just get out there and be seen.
Don't be discouraged if you don't make much money at your first few shows. The real money is at the larger shows, which will be much easier to do after you have a few smaller shows under your belt. But DO listen to feedback, take note of the clientele and how they respond to your work. Every show will not work for every seller, it's a constant learning process.
As for what types of bigger shows are the best, it totally depends on your craft and your type of customer. When you consider doing a new show, learn all you can about it. Go visit the show if you can. Check out their web site, google for photos of the event, check out the people and the layout if you can. Some questions to consider during your research:
- Will there be buy/sell or imports allowed, or is it a juried artists-only event?
- Is there a rodeo, race, pet parade, concert, or chili cook off?
- What is the area like in terms of demographics, income, types of businesses?
- What other artists are listed on the event's web site from previous years?
Now consider how all this info matches with what you know about your best customer and the style of your work. If you sell nature themed paintings, you might not sell much at a blues festival. Likewise, my tie-dye-ish clothing might not go over too well at an old timey street fair. If you have higher priced one-of-a-kind artwork, you might not do as well in a town with a lower median income and no art galleries. I would for sure stay away from flea market type events, as it lowers your buyer's expectations for price and quality.
I personally look for shows in a more liberal arts type town, with a college or lots of murals for example, because the people there are likely to appreciate art. I prefer juried shows with only handmade booths, because the audience will be ready to spend a little more for quality craft work. I avoid street fairs that include imports, because I know their clothing will be way cheaper, and the audience is probably just looking for entertainment and deals. However, I do some mixed shows like music festivals, because I have done well at them (not all of them!) when people want a new dancing skirt or the weather wasn't what they expected. Still I make sure the style of the music matches with my own clothing style.
But none of this is etched in stone, there are no hard rules here. The best you can do is make the most educated guess possible, and then go for it.
I love love love talking to new artists wanting to sell their work, it's so exciting! Getting out there and saying, "Here's me and what I do, love it or leave it." It's a little scary because it's different every time. It's a gamble. Even the same show can be drastically different from year to year. But every show is an opportunity to network with other artists and expose your work to a new set of customers. Learn and grow and then... find another show!
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