Quick poll: raise your hand if you’re doing (or have done) a craft show, farmers market, or other retail sale in 2010.
Since you can’t see me, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I didn’t raise my hand. 2010 marks the first year since I’ve started running my business that I won’t be doing a single craft show.
In 2007 and 2008, I did a pretty full season of craft shows. But the end of that year, I’d had enough. I only did one craft show in 2009, and I won’t be doing any in 2010.
Since this could be viewed as a pretty strange decision for a crafter, I thought I’d share why I no longer do shows. But (because I can hear the dissenters in the comments now) I’ll follow that up with why I think it’s important to do shows. (Especially if you’re in the early stages of your business.)
Why I gave up shows:
Reason #1: I started my own business to have control of my life.
When I first started doing shows, I built the bulk of my business around that revenue stream. Which meant every other weekend, I was loading the car and heading to a show. It didn’t take me long to realize that wasn’t really the life I wanted. As much as I love traveling to exotic locations like Cleveland Heights, I really wanted to be out home with my husband and our dog. I didn’t like working my butt off all week, just to sit in a tent all weekend. (Don’t get me wrong, I still work those kinds of hours. Now I just get to spend them all in the comfort of my office.) I got tired of sitting out in the wind or rain waiting for the few customers willing to brave the elements.
Not that there aren’t fun parts to doing a show. (And some people thrive in the show environment.) But I knew it wasn’t the life I wanted, so I started thinking about how to build my business differently.
Reason #2: I saw more revenue potential in other income streams.
2008, my last full year of shows, was also my first full year doing wholesale. And my wholesale business brought in 4 times more revenue in that year than my retail shows did. That made the decision a no brainer.
Reason #3: Most of the shows really just weren’t a good fit for my work.
When it came down to, a lot of the shows I was doing really weren’t a great fit for my work. My price point was always at the high end. My aesthetic doesn’t really gel with my local markets. (Meaning I had to travel a lot further to find shows that fit.) Even at shows where I was selling a lot, I would still get frustrated by the comments about price or people just not getting it.
When I first started my business, I thought I would use retail craft shows as the mainstay of my business for many years. But once the initial sparkle wore off, I realized that I wanted to build my business differently. But I only made this decision AFTER consistently exhibiting at shows. And I didn’t swear them off completely after one or two bad shows. (Quite the opposite – the last two shows I did were actually pretty good.)
Which is why if you’ve never done a craft show (or farmer’s market, or some other retail venue where you do the selling) I would highly recommend that you commit to a few.
A few reasons you might want to do a show:
- Brand building. There is nothing that contributed to the early growth of my business as much as my participation in craft shows. Yes, I was on Etsy. And yes, I had a blog. But the Internet is a great big place, and it requires a lot of marketing to get yourself and your products out there. And doing craft shows was a great form of marketing. It allowed me to build a fan base – many of whom later purchased from my Etsy shop.
- Market research. There’s nothing like seeing people interact with your products in real life to get a better idea of what is and isn’t working. Craft shows allow you to see what types of people do and don’t buy your product. (Helping you refine you target market.) They let you see which products are your best sellers. (Something that wholesale buyers always want to know.) And they let you see if people perceive your products in the same way you do. (Nothing like watching people be confused about how to work your product to help you refine your display and marketing copy. Or the product itself.)
- Quick cash. And sometimes, you just can’t beat the feel of walking away from a show with a pocket full of cash. (Or a stack of credit card slips.) When money is tight, it can often really help to have a few shows lined up to help you bring in some cash. Doing a craft show can also be a great way to help you offload some excess inventory.
So if you’ve never done a craft show, I’d recommend trying a few, because they can be a great way to build the business. But if, like me, you don’t really like craft shows, but are there because you think you should, I’d urge you to reconsider. It is possible to build a craft business without them.
Megan, I can totally relate to you here. I’ve done only one show ever. Mostly this has been due to circumstances, and that I haven’t been able to commit to any this year.
But my business model is different. My designs are reproduce-able – I don’t have stock on hand. I make to order, and this means my overhead and money tied up in inventory is really low.
If I had to make up the amount of stock I’d need for a craft show – not only would I be bored to tears making all of that stuff so quickly, I’d tie up a a heck of a lot of capital in those pieces.
I think I might do one or two shows a year in future as brand-building exercises in my local community, but that’s where it will stay for me.
I really understand where you are coming from here! I do about 9-10 shows every summer and I have been slowly decreasing the number of shows I do. I have two more this weekend and next and I am not really feeling it at this point in my show season… I should brainstorm ways to maybe not do so many shows. For me, the shows are a big percentage of my income… What ways did you replace the show income when you decided to stop doing shows?
Beth – I replaced my show income with wholesale, but there are lots of other options.
You could work to beef up your online sales (what if you took the money you spent on show fees and used it for advertising, marketing, and web design?)
I can totally relate. In 2007-2008 I did just about every local craft show I could do. After looking at the bottom line, I realized it was definitely not the most productive activity I could be doing to improve my business. On top of that, it wasn’t my target market. so in 2009 and this year, I stuck to really large shows that I knew would generate a lot of return. I wasn’t burned out from lugging my inventory, and standing outside all day in the elements, or stuffed in a corner shoulder-to-shoulder with another booth. And I am a lot happier, and a lot less stressed. More importantly, by focusing on key areas, I was able to attract the type of customers I wanted, and received the type of business I was looking for.
I do about 20 shows each year. I love doing the shows but it is hard to find the right fit. Although I would love to do some wholesaling, my pieces are 1 of a kind or in limited # since I do all the work myself. I live in fear that if I did a wholesale sho someone would want 500 of one item which I would not like doing. I like the artsy end of the business – each one is a little different.
Diane – if it makes you feel better, I’ve been doing wholesale for several years and have yet to get an order for 500 of one item. (I think I once got an order for 300, but that is rare.)
Most wholesale buyers only want a few pieces, and if someone would want that much, you could always explain that your pieces are limited edition.
Thanks, Megan, I feel the same way. This is my second year of doing shows. I stay local, doing shows starting in the fall and going through Christmas at a local arts district. I have one strong retail outlet locally but my plan is to move to mostly wholesale and local retail. Is there a good place to get guidance on getting into the wholesale market – how to prepare a marketing package, etc? Thanks for all of you help.
My business is both wholesale and retail. This year I have been analyzing which one is really more profitable. So far, it turns out that wholesale is steady and predictable, but not as profitable as retail. I should clarify, a GOOD QUALITY retail art festival is a lot more profitable. Of course there are lots of low quality shows out there. With retail, you have to be the salesperson, which takes a skill set that is just as complicated as making your craft (including a strong stomach lining for dealing with the public). But if you can master that, instead of relying on a middleperson to do that for you, then you will keep more of your money. The other problem I’ve noticed with wholesale, I think the potters who have fared the worse during the recession are the ones who were entirely wholesale. Those who are comfortable with selling can still find ways to sell. I know there are lots of benefits to wholesale too, and I don’t plan to stop wholesaling, but I’m always going to balance that with retail.
I agree wholeheartedly! Doing shows is so important early on.
My wholesale business has grown to the point that the retail shows are becoming a hassle. I’m going to keep them up, but my intentions are to bring a family member into the business. The retail shows will become less my responsibility and more his, though we’ll likely attend many of them together.
But I wonder, would his extra effort be better put to use supporting the wholesale side of the business? Hmm…..
My business is still in it’s early stages, so I’m still in craft show mode, but after a year I’ve already decided to cut down on the number of shows I do. I figured out pretty quickly that my jewelry sells great at fall craft shows, where people are looking for Christmas gifts, but at spring/summer shows, not so much.
My goal is to eventually focus more on doing parties, custom orders and internet sales, but right now it’s just about getting my stuff out there and hopefully building some sort of a following. So brand building is my main focus as far as craft shows go. Not to mention, I want to get a feel for which craft shows will be worth my while. If I find any craft show where I regularly sell a ton of jewelry, then of course I’ll stick with them for as long as that trend continues!
Exactly. Everything you said is exactly what has been the backbone of my transition away from retail craft shows (and why I still am doing a few more this holiday season for market research about the new items in my line). I love the quick cash part, too, but a lot of the time it is a “one step forward, two steps back” kind of thing. it takes a long time to prepare for a show and it takes away from inventory building and from all the other aspects of my business which need attention that bring in long-term money (like wholesale accounts).
I feel the same way about craft shows. We don’t enjoy them, the customers at most shows are not our market, we make way more money online for less expense and less work.
We recently decided to start doing 1-2/year but primarily as a measure of getting out there with our fans. We pretty much never see them face to face or give them a chance to meet us, so we decided once or twice a year it would be nice to get some face time. We only plan to do this in cities where we sell a ton of product, so we can be sure a lot of our customers can attend if they want.
Great advice, thanks Megan! I haven’t done any shows, but have two lined up for the fall/winter.
I cannot see myself as the type to do one every weekend, but I want to try a few and see what happens. I think the market I will be selling in is right for my products, so I am confident that I will do well and that it will be good experience/exposure.
I am interested in breaking into the wholesale market in 2011. Do you have any tips on how you did this? What did you do right or wrong in the beginning? I would love to learn from your experiences!
Megan,
Thank you for sharing this bit of info! I’ve been feeling a little guilty in the craft world because I’ve only tried one local craft show. I’ve always known it wasn’t my dream to do craft shows. Like you, I feel that my products don’t fit in crafty markets in the area and are so light weight that they would fly away in the breeze and rain. This week I did sign up for my first bridal show event to test out that scene.
The NSS was a huge hit for me this year so I’ve been focusing on growing the wholesale side of the business while still trying to market to brides.
Thanks again!
This was really interesting, as I have recently moved and markets have helped me to build my business and land a few new wholesale accounts along the way. But, at the same time, my online presence has also increased. So, I am at the point where making some decisions on these markets is coming up for 2011. I think that the holiday season of 2010 will help me make that decision.
Megan, you know how to hit the target!
I have always known that I would not be cut out for shows. I used to run a holiday craft show and actually get asked to come do them, and set up at one day home party events (ugh) and all I can say about that is that you need to know your market. Maybe a show is how you conduct market research, but I seem to instinctively know what my audience is. Early on I was invited to show my work at a new fine jeweler’s gallery to help him fill his space. That really set the tone for my designs. When that was about to end, I was invited to join the local fine artist cooperative. This summer I mounted my first ever gallery exhibit of my work (that you can read about on my blog, I won’t bore you with the details). That has been a HUGE boost to my sales, confidence and brand awareness. I have toyed with the idea of home parties, but they would not be often and they would have to be select. The bulk of my business is in custom work. I enjoy it the most, and I get the biggest bang for the buck from it. My pieces cost more, but they are worth it when they are one-of-a-kind made just for the client. I do one show a year in October that is a high end art fundraiser for the local women’s fund. I reach my target audience and I am helping a great cause at the same time. I have created a following and have a certain reputation with that crowd. And looking back it was the series of choices I made early on about what I do, why I do it, and where that made the difference. Shows are an incredible amount of work for me, with one of a kinds, but I also feel that it is worthwhile for the exposure in the right venue and I don’t think I need to overwhelm the booth space but show a representation of what I do. I am considering adding one more show to my list at the local university that is heavily art collector based, but it would be something that I would have to plan a long time for. I am considering it as it will expose me to a huge market for my work.
Thank you for your insightful post. You have given me a lot of inspiration today!
Enjoy the day!
Erin
I have my first craft show coming up in November, so this article was very helpful to me. Thank you!
I always love seeing realistic posts about selling crafts. Too much of the stuff out there glosses over the fact that craft shows are WORK. I have never hauled more gear in my life with the exception of teaching an art methods class and camping/reenacting. There is often minimal sales returns on most of the craft shows that are affordable. But as the article mentions, craft shows build important awareness for your items.
It sure seems like the “tent life” as I like to call it is only for certain people. I find that they are ridiculously expensive and time consuming with little results. Really everyone has said it already. I am sure there are holiday shows in bigger cities where people are ready to spend money and pay the prices that our handmade/art items is worth.
I prefer wholesale with people that I can have great relationships with and online sales. I love packaging single items for people. That’s one of the really fun parts of having your own business, I think.
So Amen, Megan, Amen! 🙂
that we’ll be together again one day beusace we’re soul mates but I feel like she just won’t break up with him cause she’s scared to hurt anyone. What should I do to win her back? I’m in a drought.Thank you for your response. Usually when I try to go no contact I end up breaking it but I am gonna stop. Lately I feel like she’s just been texting me just to have me answer her, and then she doesn’t say anything back, it’s like she wants me on the hook or something. I already started tryin to buy new clothes and hang out with old friends etc, it makes me feel better, but when she texts me instead, should I even answer or ignore her?
Completely agree here. I did a ton of shows in 2005 and 2006, did tons of travelling and had a lot of fun. But they’re also lots and lots of work. If you have to travel way out of town to get to a market that would buy your work (as in my case) there’s also a lot of overhead with gas, hotel, food, wear and tear on your vehicle, along with your show fees. So while you could make quite a bit of money, you also may need to lay out quite a bit up front. Plus there’s no guarantee that you’ll actually make any money. There were a few shows where I made only a few sales in three days. Those were major heartbreakers!
I mainly sell to galleries and online now and that cuts down on the overhead A LOT. I may plan to do a couple of shows next year precisely for the reasons you stated…mainly for market research and to get direct feedback from customers. And of course because they still can be fun.
Are there beer tents nearby?
Hi! Megan, your posts is really i want to know. Thanks! I am a new comer in the craft community. I don’t want to travel to do craft show, it should be engaging too much time on it. When you are going to work on your show, you don’t have a time to work on your project. You know, one men bank is pretty hard to do too much things. So, first i would like to really apporach the retail shop to see a chance rather to travle a lot.
Thanks for your article..
I’m in Australia and things are a bit different.
Online sales are still small here with a high percentage of my target market not even online, or if they are, certainly not confident about buying anything that way! It plods along with a couple of sales each week but this isn’t enough to sustain the passion!
We also don’t have typical craft shows like you do. There are ‘markets’ which tend to be a lot of imported cheap stuff and where I don’t even attempt to go as my product is too high-end. There is a trend slowly taking hold for handmade markets, but they’re few and far between.
Wholesale seems to be difficult too, but perhaps that is my rural situation and unwillingness to go to the city!?
So, I guess I’ll just plod along – I’m pretty selective with my shows – they’re usually annual events so I give them a couple of tries before writing them off, plus I minimise outdoor events so that at least I don’t have to contend with nature as well as customers!
Thank you Megan, this is extremely helpful for me to read. Back in spring I got inspired by a friend who is living the tent life successfully and thought it was the only way I could get started. I was pretty excited about it until I started to realistically look at how much time and overhead I was going to need to get going. I don’t do anything half ass so to put together a professional booth and showcase for my work, and adequate stock added up to quite a bit. Then there are show fees and travel expenses. I am now only printing to order so my cash out is minimal. I have not given up on the idea of shows, but am now trying to build myself online, and find local outlets to show my work. You give me hope!
I’m a firm believer that you should not put all your eggs in one basket.
I have been doing retail shows since 1994 and wholesale since 1997. Over the years, I grew the wholesale portion of my business and cut back on the amount of retail shows. I did this for the same reasons Megan described—the retail craft show lifestyle was not for me— especially after I had children. But I never cut out retail 100%, I continued to do 1-2 shows. But after the recession, my wholesale business was hit HARD and I have had to start to add more retail shows once again.
I’m so glad I found your post! I have never done a craft show and I have no desire to do one what so ever 🙂 and all for the same reason that Jess stated! It is just too boring to make that amount of my products in stock and probably too expensive for my little business as well! and I definitely agree with you that one can spend the time it takes to drive and sell at the show, for much better things 🙂 Thank you so much for your advices, Megan!
I couldn’t agree more. The profitability is just not as good as my online business, and on top of that, I have two small kids so I really can’t do a lot of shows without it messing up family time and kids’ activities. On the other hand, i completely agree that doing a few shows every once in a while is a good thing. I find that especially for online only businesses, there is no substitute for getting in front of the consumer with your products. I always get tons of valuable feedback or “market research” when I do a show. Items that do well online maynot do as well in a show and vice versa. They key is definitely to know your target audience and pick shows based on them. As a children’s clothing designer, I do a lot of trunk shows and high end mom’s night out shows and find I do much better at those shows than your typical craft fair.
Love your blog by the way–you are always so spot on!
Great post. It’s been in the back of my mind to do craft shows, but like you I am not sure my designs would fit with most crafty markets.
I’m pretty luckily though… in Melbourne, Australia, design is very strong, so we have a lot of shows, markets for higher end design.
But I too really don’t want to be loading a car each weekend, but you’re right…it would be good for market research etc.
I actually just submitted an app for (**potentially, fingers crossed**) my first show of 2010. I particularly like trunk shows/jewelry parties, I feel that they are not as drawn out as many shows and are targeted there’s less competition. However, I completely agree with you on the 3 tips. I think what it all comes down to is balance and making sure you’re finding some time for yourself not forfeiting every weekend to shows! 🙂
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I agree. I did 4 craft shows last year but was very disappointed. Like you, my price point was kind of high for that crowd. What I did sell were small pieces that I put together just for the show but wasn’t passionate about. I don’t like working that way. I’m glad I did it but won’t do it again.
This was really clarifying, for me. I’ve been doing this silent debate in my head… Thank-You!
I spent the 1970s and 1980s doing craft shows and got really burned out after a while. You spend all your time on the road and the food is really bad. When I decided to take up crafts again, I wanted a venue that let me have more control over my life and not live in a van. So I’m committed to marketing through the internet and I have a lot to learn.
The last thing I’ve learned, or rather the most recent, is to particpate in the blogs that I read by commenting and leaving my mark. You never know when someone will like what you’v said and want to see what you do.
Thanks for an informative article.
I am so glad I read this post now as I am planning for my 2011 year. I have been doing craft shows for 3 years now but was feeling like I wanted to move away from them in 2011.
I definitely agree with the benefits in building your business and brand through them, but I believe wholesale is a much better fit for me, and more profitable.
I am thinking of keeping one show that’s twice a year but that’s it.
But I definitely think my business would not be where it is today without doing the show at the beginning.
My retail customers gave me valuable feedback, product confidence, revenue, and helped me build my brand.
So I am thankful but will be following along the same road as you.
I gave up doing outdoor shows because the weather is so unpredictable here in Texas; I tried to do one last year but it was canceled, and there were no refunds. there aren’t many local ones that I know of, and I don’t have a good enough car to travel more than half an hour or so. I have a yearly indoor one in October, but this last one I had no sales, what people said was either “I already spent my money for today”, or “that stuff’s for teenagers”. if the economy is making people not spend money on jewelry at craft fairs then I shouldn’t spend money on booth fees; and if people think that adults don’t wear my jewelry (which isn’t true, since I’m 26 and my mom and aunt and friend wear it), that’s probably because everyone thinks I’m a teenager when they see me. which means that I should be selling online where people can’t see me more than in person where they assume I’m a teenager. in theory people are more likely to buy jewelry if they can try it on, but in reality it doesn’t always go that way.
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Thanks for putting in the time to write such a helpful post. I do have a couple questions though if you wouldn’t mind?:
Does it have to be a main thing in your life to really sell anything ~ the marketing (I’m only 17)? I was thinking maybe an hour a day (2 pieces per hour) and two seconds to take the pictures and post them on my website;
How much do the materials cost ~ just the ones you have to keep buying? Say, for 60 pieces a month?;
and,
What is an average price per piece?
Thanks!