5 things I learned from my first year of craft fairs, and how I'm changing this year

Hello, my Cozy Crafters! 

As I'm gearing up for my local fall craft fair circuit I thought I'd share with you some things that I learned last year doing only half a dozen craft fairs, that I am implementing this year for myself. 

I have to admit that taking the plunge into selling your wares at a craft or vendor fair can be nerve-wracking and terrifying but, in my experience, it has been beyond rewarding. And I do not, by any means, think this is a complete list, or that this list is final. Everyone has different needs, organizational styles, and reminders because everyone is different, and the craft you sell may require more or less from you. 

Regardless, here are a few things that I learned last year and how I am working them into this year's plan.

1. Doing craft and vendor fairs solo SUCKS!

Last year I had just moved to the Lehigh Valley, and I had not built a good following or support system, but I knew that I had too many crochet items to share with the world to just keep them cooped up in my tiny one-bedroom apartment. As such, I pack them all up and started selling them at local craft fairs. It was fun...until it wasn't. 

I was a one-woman show which meant that if I wanted a bathroom break, I had to either ask a neighboring vendor to look after my table (just make sure no one stole anything) or I had to abandon it entirely. If I wanted to go find the food stand and grab a coffee or a snack, I had to do the same thing. I started planning better by bringing my own snacks, water bottle, and lunch but I couldn't help but feel that I had been left out of the networking and community building that happens when crafters get together. 

I was also responsible for hauling everything into the space and out of the space. It took me a lot longer to get set up because of this, and felt that my displays lacked that fun punch I was hoping to have. Also, I was a bit worn out before the show even started. 

This year... 

I am lucky enough to have a friend that also crochets and has volunteered to assist me by being my craft fair buddy! This way set up and breakdown will take less time, and we'll both get to enjoy bathroom breaks and meeting our fellow crafters! (I'm a bit of an extrovert so not being able to meet my fellow crafters really bummed me out). 

2. Your setup will not be perfect.

At my first fair, I had two 4' tables, no table coverings, a tiny sign, and as many items as I could possibly fit-out on display. This bothered me because I saw across the way vendors/crafters with tents, and tables, large vinyl signs, and perfect setups for their wares. I felt defeated. But I went over to them during a lull in the fair and asked about their setup. She told me that it took her about 3 years to perfect her setup for fairs.

PHEW! I thought I was lost. She was encouraging and kind and told me about a couple of other fairs coming up and that she hoped that she'd see me at them. She showed me photos of her original setup and was open and honest about how had it was to figure out her style/brand and how her setup reflected that. She told me that it is a trial and error thing and to just go with what I have available to me, try things that I see that I like, and discard them if they don't work. It wasn't going to be perfect to start but I was going to eventually find the perfect setup. 

This is a hard thing for me because I am a perfectionist! But it is something that I learned really quickly and once I accepted it, I was able to focus on making connections with my customers and inviting them in to see my items.

This year...

I am still figuring out my own brand and style but I believe after a year of working on it, I have started to understand what I want my customers to feel when they come by my stand, but I will say that from the first fair that I did last year to the most recent fair that I did, my set up evolved so much you wouldn't believe that they were the same company, and I'm sure that I will continue to hone my style and set up until it's perfect. We're all a work in progress, allow room for the progress part. 

3. Cash is still King, but it has a solid Queen in digital payments.

This may divide people. But I only had purchases available for cash at my first show, and by the last, I had a Venmo scan card. This is the new world we live in. Most people these days don't keep cash on hand when they go shopping because, well, the convenience of debit, credit, and contact pay (Apple, Google, etc.) is just so much easier.

I found setting up the business one (that is linked to my personal one) very easy to set up. PLUS! They ran a special where they sent the starter pack of the QR code signage and stickers for free! If you don't mind holding out for that special, it really is worth the lack of hassle. 

This year...

I keep about $40 in small bills on hand to make a change, and I opened my business Venmo account. There are some drawbacks (like the fee per transaction they charge) but overall it does make things easier and encourages larger purchases. 

Also, if you're worried about the money you're losing to fees, I would suggest offering a discount to anyone who pays in cash. This will encourage cash sales, and minimize the fees. You could also use your personal Venmo account if you're comfortable with it. 

4. Being organized is important, but it's not everything

I thought that right off the bat that if I was super organized that I would be an amazing success at the fairs. And part of that is true. The other part of that is that a lot can happen and all of a sudden, you're not as organized as you thought. 

I thought that if I had everything perfectly organized I would be a success, and while good organization is one of the keys, it is not the only key. Yes, you should have a display or setup that is generally organized. For me, I have my items organized by type: hats, scarves, shawls, blankets. But I also have a bit of a grab bag of kitchen and household items that don't really fit anywhere and it threw me off, not only that, things got a bit out of whack when I started selling items, and the other ones that I had to replace them didn't fit as well. 

This year...

Again, back to not knocking the organization, but going with the flow is actually worth the hype. I would recommend having your stock organized when you arrive at your fair so you know where it all goes when you pack it all back up, but only having hats in one area, or scarves in another don't be worried about things not being perfect. Having things a little out of whack encourages play and creativity and may open someone up to trying or buying something they normally wouldn't have. I'll be organized when I arrive and unpack and I'll organize as I re-pack. the middle bit will definitely be like a goose - it'll be loose!

5. Bring a craft to work on (if your craft allows it).

I crochet and I love it, and as such, it's a pretty easy craft to do anywhere. I've crocheted on subways, in libraries, at the office, in the park, and the list goes on and on. It's a very portable craft and very easy to take everywhere. I didn't bring any WIP with me to craft fairs last year because I was worried that I'd get distracted and not pay attention to my customers. Obviously, this is valid, but don't you just love getting to see someone create something that you can't? It's a peek behind the curtain. 

This year...

As I mentioned before, I will have a craft fair buddy this year and as such, I believe that having a WIP on me while working the craft fairs will encourage conversation and sales. Getting to show off the skill that created all of the items that I'm selling not only encourages customers that I know what I'm doing, but that I made all of the items myself. I could be wrong about this, but I am willing to give it a go. It may be a happy medium that I find but I'm excited to give it a go!