How To Tell If A Craft Fair Is Right For You As A Vendor
So, you have decided to sell your crafts at craft fairs. You have made your crafts and have a sufficient amount to sell them at a craft fair. How do you know which craft fair is right for you? There are many different types of craft fairs to choose from. There are different seasons for craft fairs. There are large and small events. There are craft fairs that have vendors that really didn’t make anything, they are there reselling massed produced items. There is nothing wrong with this, but just be aware that you will be competing against mass produced items verses hand crafted items. Here are some things to think about when deciding to participate in a craft fair. This is my own personal opinions and may not apply to your particular situation but perhaps you may gain new perspectives from this article.
Consider the vendor fee for the event. Is it way over your budget? Is it a reasonable amount so that you can make your fee back in sales and then make a sufficient profit? Choose a craft fair with a fee that you can afford and be able to recoup through your sales.
Some events require a COI, or certificate of insurance. If you do not have one, then you will not be able to participate in this event. However, if you are a serious crafter and will be participating in a lot of craft fairs, then you might consider getting one.
Does the craft fair require setting up a tent? If it does, then you will need to have a tent, weights, tables, displays, and more. You will also need help to set up the tent. So you will need to bring someone with you to help you. If you don’t have a tent with weights, or help, then you probably not be able to participate in this event. Some fairs do allow you to rent a tent with weights for an extra fee so this is something you may investigate if you can afford the higher fee.
Does the craft fair clientele match the items you are selling. It is a good idea to visit the craft fair before signing up to see what types of customers shop there. If you are unable to visit the fair in advance, then you might be able to ask vendors who previously participated the the fair to find out about the types of people who shopped there previously. This will give you a good idea if your crafts will sell well there or not.
Find out if possible what kind of other vendors will be there. Are there a lot of vendors selling the same type of crafts as you? If so, there might be a lot of competition there and you might not be able to sell as much.
Find out how much space you will be allotted for your booth space. Is it a sufficient amount of space for your set up? Is it too large a space where you might not have enough inventory to fill it?
Does the event have vendor parking? This is very important. I participated in an event where there was only street parking for the vendors. I had to drop off my supplies and equipment and inventory, leave it there and then go to find parking. It was such a congested area that I had to park over 4 blocks away. It was a night event and after the event was over I had to walk to my car alone. It was pretty deserted on the streets except for all of the homeless camps and people lurking in the doorways of deserted buildings. That was the last time I ever participated in that event. Parking is very important.
Another thing to consider is this—is the event well attended? Is there good advertising and signage by the event coordinator? No one likes to participate in a craft fair that is poorly attended. Low attendance equals poor sales. A poorly attended craft fair is not the best craft fair to be at for anyone.
The craft fair physical site itself is another thing to consider when choosing an event. Is it clean with spaces well marked ahead of time? Is there sufficient light there? Will you be on cement, asphalt, grass, gravel, dirt? What’s the weather going to be like at that time of the year? I attended an event that was covered with very little to no lighting there. It felt like being in a cave and customers could not see the products they were buying let alone see you there as a vendor. In this case, it might be a good idea to see the physical location for yourself. I was at another event on grass. There were red ants there biting my feet all day. This is another example of why it is a good idea to check out the venue in advance. Sometimes being on cement or asphalt can make things get really hot. If you do not like the heat, then this is something to consider. It is a good idea to find out if there are restrooms available on the site. I was at an event that had no bathrooms on site and the nearest bathroom was over 30 minutes away by car. This is another pint to consider.
There are various times of the year that may be busier than others for craft fairs. The Christmas season is usually a busy time of the year for craft fairs here in Hawaii. Craft fairs scheduled around key holidays such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day may also be well-attended events. Considering the time of the year that the craft fair will be held is a major consideration for deciding whether or not a craft fair is right for you.
Your personal schedule is also a very important thing to consider. What else is going on in your life at the time of the prospective craft fair? Are there family birthdays, events, parties, etc. Will you be able to attend the craft fair?
Some craft fairs have rules that you can only sell certain items. They are non-compete events where only one vendor can sell a particular item and no one else. Attend these events only if you are fine with it being that way and if you will have a sufficient amount of things to sell if some of your items are not able to be sold.
There are many things to consider when trying to decide if a craft fair is right for you. You can consider the above points but ultimately, you will probably discover what is best through trial and error. Hopefully there are more great craft fairs that you participate in than the not-so-great ones.
Best wishes and be successful!