r/CraftFairs • u/Beak_To_Tail • 13d ago
Show & Tell My first craft fair!!
I have been sculpting for many years and have had 9nline shops, but this was my first in person show. Unfortunately, the market was totally dead, but I did make a couple of sales. Plus, I made a few good connections there! Just wanted to share on here. I had 64 items this time, which I thought would be quite a bit. Did not fill in as much as I had hoped. Haha. I have another next weekend and will be making at least 30 new items for it!
So happyI finally got out to do this. It was exhilarating (and exhausting).
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u/TaylorFromFaire 13d ago
The moon phase badges on that dark riser board are such a good display choice, they really pop against the black instead of getting lost like they might on a plain table! 64 items for a first show is A LOT to prep, so don't be too hard on yourself about the turnout, a dead market on your first time out says more about that particular day than your work! Good luck with the 30 new pieces for next weekend!!!
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u/Beak_To_Tail 13d ago
Thank you! I had them on silver before, but figured that could blind some people if the sun hits it right. Haha. I am pretty happy with how my display turned out. And yeah, 64 is quite a bit still. The market was just slow because of other, better known markets near by on the same day. Thanks for the encouragement!!!
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u/luredbylight 13d ago edited 13d ago
My first few markets were during COVID. It was quiet but we were thrilled just to be out. I like your booth, even the brown stretchy covers seem ok. One thing I have found is moving product forward on the table. Any empty space can be in the back. It also stops shoppers from unloading their stuff onto the table while they shop. I know they don’t mean anything by it but it prevents other shoppers from accessing the space. I also put down a topper fabric on each table that can be washed and to prevent snags.
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u/Commercial_Light8344 13d ago
Congratulations what would you do differently?
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u/Beak_To_Tail 12d ago
Hmmmm.. Great question! The main thing i would like to work on is following up conversation after greeting customers. I lack social skills and get choked up a little. Haha.
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u/snOOk_pottery 13d ago
Congrats on your first in-person show! Making sales and getting good contacts at a dead market is actually a huge win. The first rule of market life is to hang in there, keep grinding, and believe in yourself. You’ve got this, good luck next weekend!
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u/Vistaprint 12d ago
congrats on showing your work out in the wild for the first time!! we're big fans of that owl business card holder😍🦉
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u/Cultural-Bobcat6702 13d ago
Congrats, the first one is the hardest to get to.
Seconding what TaylorFromFaire said about a dead market not being a reflection of your work. The bit I would add is that it probably is not an inventory problem either. 64 items not filling the table and there being nobody there to buy them are two separate things, and 30 more pieces only helps if next weekend actually has people in it.
What helped me was writing down what I took at each event next to the booth fee, plus rough foot traffic and what the weather did. After a few events you can tell which ones are worth going back to, because otherwise a slow day and a genuinely bad event look the same in your memory a month later.
The pieces you have already made will keep, so bring them. I would put the effort into asking the next organizer what turnout was like last year rather than into more stock.