Bohemian Mermaid Palace

The Ultimate Craft Fair Checklist As I finished up my last post about Your First Craft Show , I was looking around my fb groups for an opportunity to share it. I actually saw a lot of first timers asking for *specific* items they might need that maybe they hadn't thought of yet. I get it! I have said to put everything on your checklist. But of course you may want to know *exactly* what is on that list! So here I'll share my own checklist that I've used for years. As I've mentioned before, the checklist is maybe the most important thing you can use to prepare for your show. Because, if you're like me, you will be stressed and possibly overwhelmed by alllll the many details and items that you have to remember. Using a checklist will help you organize all those swirling thoughts and worries for you. At least mostly. And I'll bet you one crisp dollar bill that you will sleep a whole lot better when you have one.  I started using my own chec

Your First Craft Show! Everything You Need to Know I am in a lot of different facebook groups for artists and festival vendors. In fact I run 2 of my own: West Coast Artists & Artisans , and Artisan Vendors of Humboldt County . Since I am a total craft show nerd, I soak up all the information posted there. Just like when I attend shows with my booth, I observe and listen to everything. I'm into it! Some of the groups focus on tips for making your booth better, or specifically selling at shows. So I love to chime in, and also take stock of what newer sellers are thinking about. It interests me and I'm always thinking of how I can help.  Very often I see someone say "Help! It's my first show coming up! What do I need to know??" Kind of cracks me up, because that is a huge question! They will get all kinds of answers, long and short. It's always a little chaotic because like, where do you even start? So I thought I'd make a post tha

Best Practices for Your Craft Booth Display I visited a new local festival the other day, and it got me thinking. Who is teaching these vendors how to make an effective display? Nobody from what I saw. Lots of nice artwork and handmade goods there, nothing against their efforts. But walking around as a shopper (for once!! I never get to do that!), I was a little appalled by what I saw. And it hit me that maybe they just don't understand how bad that is for sales, to have such a dismal display for their wonderful products. I didn't visit many of those booths really, and not to be mean. There just didn't seem to be any reason to go in. I couldn't tell what was for sale, or they were staring at me behind a tiny table with nothing else around them. I don't know... some of them were pretty bad. It's so important to have a nice looking display. It really sets the tone and expectations for your customer. Think of it as your packaging, your store. What ki

Rain at one of my best shows. Sad face! What to Do When the Craft Shows are NOT Going Well Bad show. We have all been there! I don't think it matters how long you have been selling your handmade work, a bad show feels terrible. One slow day at a festival can sometimes have you rethinking your entire path in life! ha.  Especially when you have so much of your hard work, heart, and cash wrapped up in your inventory. It hurts. But, when you are brand new at doing craft shows, you should expect the first few to be not great. There are many different factors that make a show good or bad for you... and it's not always predictable even when you figure them all out. It will take time and experience to learn, just like any other job. So don't freak out! Here are a few things to think about when you are having low sales in your booth: Find the Right Shows This is actually an ongoing quest forever. But especially in the beginning, it takes some time to figure o

Craft Fair Tips - Post List Lately I've been trying to organize my craft show how-to posts, adding proper tags so people can find what they need. I seem to have a lot! So I thought it would help to have a page of links. I'll do my best to keep it updated.  5 Steps to Start Selling at Craft Fairs: Step 1:  Find Your Shows Step 2:  Booth Display Step 3:  Marketing Materials Step 4:  Money Talk Step 5:  Show Time  Craft Selling Tips: 5 Essential Tips for Craft Fair Selling Are Craft Shows for You?   Take Your Show on the Road Camping Out Mermaid Style Why I Love Facebook Ads Things I Learned Having My Own Studio Storefront Ma ke the Switch to a Business Mindset   How to Plan a Private Pop-Up "Home" Party  What to Do When the Craft Shows are NOT Going Well Best Practices for Your Craft Booth Display    

At last we come to the fifth of my 5 steps to Start Selling at Craft Fairs. Click the " Start Selling at Craft Fairs " tag at the end of this post to see the rest of the posts #1 - #4.  Show Time! Okay! After all of your making and planning, now it's time to do the actual work of selling things in your festival booth. My first big piece of advice overall, and my motto when getting ready for a show is...   Always be prepared to do well.    Even for the dinkiest of shows or the iffiest of circumstances, I will try to put my best foo t forward. M eaning, I've done everything I can do to s upport having a good show. I have the proper stock, m y packing is organized, my paperwork is in order, I 've packed a healthy lunch , and ha d a good night's sleep. Every show is an opportunity to put my self o ut there, and any thing can happen. I want to be ready! It's also much less stressful and more fun for me when I know all my ducks