Craft Fair Success!

Happy Sunday evening! I wanted to pop in earlier and tell you how my craft fair went yesterday but I had to get the house in order first. I vacuumed, mopped and scaled Mt. Washmore and I am pleased to report the place is clean and neat and I am relaxed and happy. Before I get to the nitty-gritty I want to remind you that you still have a few hours to sign up to win a stamp from about Art Accents, just leave a comment on last Monday’s post.

OK, folks, I luckily took some photos Friday night when I set up because I was way too busy on Saturday to take any. Here is a look at the front of my table:

I scored the same corner spot I got last year (and have requested for all future craft fairs) so I had a lot of display room! At the corner of my booth I put a rack of mounted/matted watercolors, all original, and they sold like freaking hotcakes! I priced them cheap, $15-$30 but I am a fast painter so it works for me:) I even got 3 commissions! BTW my hubby built me this print rack years ago when I used to do sidewalk art shows.

I was stressed all week that I did not have enough product for the fair, I crafted like a mad woman and I was still afraid I wouldn’t fill my table. 20 minutes into setting up I realized I had way too much to fit on my table and I had to run home and grab something else to put stuff on, I had this garden cart in my cellar and I hauled it to the fair. I like it!

You haven’t missed any tutorials, many of these projects I made this week and I will be sharing the tutorial later. Like the one for hand warmers. I sold the for $3 a pair of 4/$10 and they seemed to be a hit! I have so many baskets of finished cards that I rotate around to different shops and I grabbed them all for the sale. I scored this card rack for free because the cards were discontinued and the slots are 7″ wide and that accommodates all of my cards (although some might have to be sideways…LOL…oh well, beggars can’t be choosers!) I put small dumbbells in the bottom of the stand to weight it so it would not tip over and cold-cock any of my potential customers 🙂 Oh and the tall white spinner stand (also a freebie) holds my kids handmade jewelry 🙂

My earrings were a big hit, they were $5 and sold like the proverbial hotcakes I mentioned earlier.  People really liked the x-mas earrings too, I offered them at 3/$10 or $5 each…not each, a pair…who need 3 earrings?!?

I think $5 must be the “sweet spot” for craft fair sales, the juggling kits were $5 too and I sold all but one set!

But hey, I did give free lessons!

Who is that crazy girl? I juggled off and on (mostly on) the entire day between ringing up sales that were surprisingly brisk! I think I had a dumb grin on my face the entire day, “They like me, they really like me!”

Of course they might just be wondering “Who is that crazy juggler chick in the Santa hat?” but whatever, it brought them into the booth, now didn’t it. Another conversation starter was the wine bottle display…not sure how effective it was because I did not sell a single piece of jewelry displayed on said bottles but again it made people stop and take a closer look and then they noticed my wine bottle bottom candles. I sold most of them too and I considered not bringing them because I though people would think they were tacky (personally I think they are chic)…I am obviously very concerned with what people think of me…NOT!

Apparently people bought the candles for gifts. I brought tiny alpha stamps so I could personalize the wine labels…I did not thing to bring another table so I sat on the floor and stamped…not a new thing for me…people thought I was quirky and delightful…or maybe just weird…

The gift bags that I made in this post were surprise grab bags filled with jewelry I was too lazy to repackage with my snazzy new ATC card labels. I optimistically priced them at $10 but dropped the price to $5 a couple hours into the show when there were no takers. Again, $5 is the sweet spot I think. I sold all but 4 of the grab bags…I though more people would like a surprise…huh.

Oh, I made some goodies too and they sold out, I’ll be sharing the printable for the Santa S’mores later this week so you can make some too! I sold the S’mores for $1 and the pretzels for $2. The kids made the pretzels so they got to split the spoils 🙂 The lip balm purses were quick to make using my Nifty Gifty Template and I sold them for $1. All but 4 sold but I have an order to make more for a customer because I did not have the amount she needed. I made these for my daughters scout troop last year and they were a hit! Oh, in the upper right hand corner I have knot tying kits, they were a also hit and I sold almost all of them! I’ll have a video tutorial on that later this week.

OK, lets get down to brass tacks. Sales were great! I’m not comfortable telling people exactly how much I sold but it was a couple hundred dollars more than I sold last year and the only money I had to shell out was the $25 for the space rental and about $22 for the ingredients for food goodies and lip balm and a few beads that I used for the xmas earrings.  I think the increase in sales this year had to do with the fact that I had some paintings for sale and they were more expensive. Also this being the second year of the show we had more traffic. It also helped that I offered a variety of items at a variety of price points. I had a hope in my mind to make a certain amount but I did not know if it was possible with mainly $1-$5 items but I surpassed my “pie-in-the-sky hope” by $58! Wow!

I was surprised that my Christmas cards did not sell at all this year when I sold out last year but maybe because this years fair was a week later had an effect (too late to send x-mas cards?) but my blank and occasion cards sold very well.

I didn’t need half of the boxes I brought my wares to the show in to bring them home in and after I unpacked the van I sorted and organized everything and packed it away neatly for next year. What was left fit in 2 crates! Hooray to getting rid of stuff! I hope I don’t sound like I am bragging, but it was a great day, I am grateful that people liked my stuff, it can be a little nerve-wracking to put your creations out there for sale, there is the fear that no one will like them or buy them but the payoff is great when they do. I can’t wait til next year! Thanks for sharing this adventure with me and til next time happy crafting!