Craft Shows - Should You?

When I first decided to sell my jewelry I had no idea where to start. I didn't consider a website at the time because I didn't have the skills or knowledge to even know how or where to start a site. So I decided to start showing my work at craft shows and bazaars. I'm not a veteran at shows or anything...I've only been doing them for three years now and there are folks out there who've been doing this for 20 years! I know that I found it a huge undertaking to start out.

Finding shows to enter was a challenge since I was starting fairly late in the season (I didn't start looking for shows until August). The bigger shows were all booked so the shows I ended up in that first year were fairly small. A couple high school and middle school shows. I found them in the newspaper because that's the only place I knew to look. Now I check on Event Lister and search online for shows in my area (I'm not big on traveling out of state).

My first show ever I had no idea what to expect. It was at a local high school and cost me $25 to enter. I took three folding tables and some fabric. I had a few display items but nothing fancy. My work was very basic since I had just started making jewelry a few months earlier. I sold $85 worth of jewelry and was on top of the world. If I did a show now and only sold that much I'd cry, but what did I know?

Now I've invested a lot more money, time, and effort into my shows and setups. The bigger and better the show, the more expensive it is to enter. The most I've paid so far in entry fees was $500 though this year I'm jurying in one that will cost me $700 if I'm accepted. Just last year I started doing outdoor shows, which meant investing in a canopy. I found one at Costco for $300 that included a really nice rolling case for travel. Although after only 3 outdoor shows the seams started to leak. During my last outdoor show for the season I got a little wet, but I'm not getting a new one...we'll just have to seal the seams.

I bought two 4 foot folding tables and a 5 foot table and raised them using PVC pipes by about a foot to have a better viewing area. I found these great table clothes on sale at Target. It's a lot of work to put together a good display. I am always tweaking my layout...every show turns out a little bit different.

Before starting shows you have to ask yourself if you're up for it. It takes a lot of energy and organization. [And a handcart. Having a handcart is an absolute must.] A show's open hours aren't the only hours you need to account for in your schedule. You have to set up and break down and travel. I have a local show that's about 5 minutes from my house and I still have to get there two hours early in order to get everything set up. I am always, always, always exhausted after a show. If it's a two day show over a weekend I almost always take that next Monday off of my 'real' job to recover.

Once the show starts it's a lot of waiting...a hurry up and wait situation. Rush, rush, rush to get everything set up and then sit (or stand) for 6 to 8 to 10 hours while the show is open and potential customers walk in and out of your booth. A great show has lots of sales and activity and makes the day go by quickly. A slow show makes time trickle on like a leaky faucet.

Can you handle all that? There's so much more to shows ... this is just a superficial overview. I'll definitely cover this again in greater detail. Any questions are welcome!