Selling Work at a Craft Fair | Craft Guide

This site has been designed with the exhibitor in mind. You can find the craft fairs you need to attend and the craft suppliers you require. It is a good idea to sign up as a member to make sure you have access to contact details. Make sure you add an exhibitor listing to the site before contacting organisers. This gives you a better chance of being accepted as an exhibitor.

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Before trying to sell your own work at a craft fair, visit a few shows. This will enable you to see the quality and range of the work being sold by others.

Use the craft fair Search page on this site to find a suitable fair. Event organisers may have a strict policy of handmade goods only. If this is the case, you may need to supply an example of your work and or photographs of what you are intending to sell.

Think of your craft table as a small retail business. You will need to look into your legal requirements, like insurance for your products, to cover your liabilities and perhaps staff (paid or volunteers).

You will also be able to speak to exhibitors and decide the type of fairs which might be the best place for you to market and sell your products. Consideration should be given to the number of visitors to each fair, the costs involved in exhibiting your work there and the quantity of goods that you will have to sell in order to make a profit.

Whilst building up your business and developing your customer base, you should consider selling at a small number of fairs. By having a range of goods at various prices, you could sell larger numbers of less expensive items and a few more expensive items. Many people prefer to purchase goods using credit cards rather than cash or checks. Having a merchant account that enables you to take credit card payments will reduce the chance of you missing out on potential sales.

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Maximise your potential for sales

Setting up your stall at a craft fair can involve a lot of work and during a busy day you will probably want to take refreshment breaks. Consequently you should consider going with a friend or relative who can help you. Useful things to take with you include a calculator, stands on which to present your work, chairs to sit on and bags that your products can be carried home in. You should also take a sufficient quantity of your craft products with you for expected sales.

Make sure that you have clear signs that say what you sell, how much things cost and your contact details.

Make sure that you display your products in a way that can be seen from a distance. Rather than having your work laying flat on a table, stand it up so that people do not need to walk right up to your table to see what you do.

If you do not price your work clearly, people may walk away rather than asking the price.

Selling is a skill and you can get carried away. If someone is interested in a product, sell that rather than giving them lots of other choices. They will just get confused.

Smile, look happy, engage with people as they go past. If you have not done well in the morning, do not look unhappy in the afternoon, that may be when you make the most money.

If you can work on your craft at your table, people will be interested and ask you questions. Starting a dialogue with a potential customer, will lead to more sales. You will also be able to any quiet time to help build up your stock

Keep your area looking as good as you can. Clean up after people, rearrange your display once you make a sale. Think about what people will see first when they walk past your table.

If you are booking a table that is 6ft by 2ft/3ft then you will need a base white tablecloth of approximately 70/108 inches which will give you about an 18inch drop all round. You can then get a second smaller long rectangle cloth to go in the middle of table 70/70 perhaps. This second cloth could be a colour compliments your overall look.

Attend a fair more than once. People will get to know and trust you.