New to the board, craft show

[primitive_crafter]

Hello,

I have a few questions to the people who have done craft shows before.

I'm selling at a fall festival on Saturday. They expect between 12-15,000 people. This is a very popular event and is packed every year. People have to park and walk almost a mile from the event. The town also provides shuttle service from a local high school. It's a one day show. From 8:00 to 7:00. It was $30 for a 10x10 space on pavement.

I don't think there will be any venders carrying the same items.

I've spent clost to $800.00 on my supplies. Not counting molds and things that are reusable.

I make fixin's:

Bags, 3 large jars to scoop from and mason jars with repo zinc lids.

Electric candles

$20-$25 each

Room Spray

4 oz. $6.00

Refresher oils

4 oz. $8.00

Soy tarts (clam shell)

$2.50 each

Faux pillar candles

$12.00

I'm also selling those pantry cakes shaped like sheep.

$18.00

And some antique/primitive items.

I'm hoping to make at least $2,500, do you think that is unreasonable ammount? Am I setting my self up for disapointment?

My mom is helping me sale. I have everything to make my booth beautiful. I've read over all the tips and suggestions about craft shows. I'm so nervous!

I guess the only thing I'm worried about is EVERYTHING! LOL.

This is getting my feet wet. I think next year I will start extra early and hit 3 or 4 shows.

Is it rude to ask what is the best you've ever done at a show?

Nancy

[Judy, USMC]

The craft fairs I've done are a different format than yours - so I'm hesitant to say how much I make.

I can speak to the clamshells. If you're satisfied at $2.50 each you may consider pricing them at $3 each or 4 for $10. It is very seldom I've ever sold just one pack at a time. And if 2 friends walk up I would suggest they split the 4 packs (2 each) for $5. each. Great PR - and you still get the price you initially were looking for.

[Ingrid]

Good luck to you. Hopefully it will be a little cooler where you are. I find that in the real hot weather people are just not that interested in candles. Once the fall arrives business picks up quite a bit. Again, good luck.

[Ring of Fire]

If indeed they expect 12-15,000 people you can be sure there will be others selling the same thing as you. I have no idea what you can expect to make and I expect no one else does either.

What are pantry cakes shaped like sheep, LMAO.

[Vicky_CO]

Well this is my experience first year sales at an event like that are never as good as you like. Festival like that take a couple years for people to get to know you before you start seeing the higher sales.

There is a reason that you space is only $30 for that size of event. The price of an event will tell you a lot.

People come to Fall festival for the music, food, and carnival if there is one, shopping is not the main reason they are there.

This is what I would consider a show to come back to if you make 5x booth, by the third year you should see 10x booth or it time to find a different show. Of course I don't normally do shows that cheap we only have a few here that are that cheap and most of those are schools or church shows.

You are just getting your feet wet so don't go in expecting to sell out but if you do pat yourself on the back, you did a good job.

[sockmonkey]

I don't know what universe you're living in, but in mine there is no such thing as a $30 booth rental fee for a craft show that attracts 12,000-15,000 people. Unless you've witnessed this event for yourself, I would question the accuracy of those numbers.

The only reason I say this is from personal experience. I know a lady who promotes a craft fair and advertises that "The streets will be filled with visitors from near and far and a free shuttle provides transportation from parking to the event. Estimated attendance is 5,000-6,000."

In actuality, the attendance is more like 500 and the free shuttle is a school bus that is necessary to haul people around because there is essentially no parking in the area, even on a normal working day. The best day they ever held this event, they would be lucky to have seen 2,000 people, max. Oh yeah, this event charges $50 per booth.

So, I guess I would say that anything is possible and you might earn $2,500 (I hope you do), but just starting out you should know that when people promote their events they tend to exaggerate the numbers.

The other thing to think about is that it is highly unlikely you will be the only crafter with such items. Unless the promoter specifically states that you will be the only one allowed to sell particular items, you are more than likely going to see multiple people selling some of the same items you are.

Have you sold your products anywhere else before, such as on-line, as fundraisers, or to friends or co-workers? I think any past success might be an indicator or how well you could do at a craft show.

[primitive_crafter]

It's hard to explain my "target market".

The booth fee is $30.

I know in the past years there have been so many people at the festival that it's unreal. Where do they all come from?

I really don't think there will be anyone with what I am selling. I've never seen them in the years past.

The known venders sell:

Glassware and the like (my aunt, she sells around $1,600 during that day)

Ladies that make cloth purses (they do really well)

Wood crafters

Someone selling jams, jellies and honey

non profit sellers (churches, school, etc)

Food venders

live music

and others selling stuff that I don't know how to explain.

This area is pretty much an untapped market. I've never seen a soaper, or good quality candler. You think the $30 is cheap, I do too. But alot of people in the area don't think that is so cheap. If they charged $150.00 or such. There would be NO SELLERS that would pay that price. Not in this area.

I know I'm going to do well. I fully expect to make around 1,500 to $2,000. scoff if you need to. There is money to be made in small towns.

If I don't or do sell well I'll take photo's and tell you the bottem line on Saturday night. If I don't make what I hope/expect to make I'll eat crow, I've been wrong before. Don't think that I'm going to inflate the money made, I'm an honest person.

Google pantry cake, you'll see a pick of the sheep. It's a hard dough recipie that gets baked in a 3D cake pan that is in the shape of a sheep.

[Alajane]

Good luck--it definitely sounds worth trying out, and we'll be interested to hear how it goes. You may have found a gold mine!!

Jane

[Ring of Fire]

It's hard to explain my "target market".

Google pantry cake, you'll see a pick of the sheep. It's a hard dough recipie that gets baked in a 3D cake pan that is in the shape of a sheep.

Now that's fittin, just plain fittin. I googled pantry cake and saw some things that look like hockey pucks. No sheep.

[primitive_crafter]

http://www.primitivecandlecupboard.com/cupboardcakes.html

This is not my site, I only pulled it up to show you guys.

Her's is made from wax. Mine is made from dough and grubbied to look like rusty iron.

I sell these as fast as I can make them in the shop I sell in. I charge $22.50.

Seams high, but they are so perfectly primitive. They will last forever unless you get them wet.

Jennifer

[Tereasa]

I am really not scoffing... but you can sell a cake for $22.50, but booth rental at $30 is exorbitant?

It's none of my business and I wish you the best of luck!! It's not often that an untapped market is found, and I hope you count yourself lucky!

[chiptooth]

Good Luck. I hope you do well. Sometimes those little markets are the best. I did a 2 day fall festival type thing last year first weekend of Oct. just on a whim and ended up selling out of almost everything. I was scrambling Sat. night to find tart warmers and such just to put out on my table. I paid $50.00 for the 10x10 space for 2 days. I hope to do better this year as I will be more prepared but it is a Heritage Days festival celebrating the town and primitive/country type things go over well. I'd love to know more about the sheep cakes.

[primitive_crafter]

I am really not scoffing... but you can sell a cake for $22.50, but booth rental at $30 is exorbitant?

It's none of my business and I wish you the best of luck!! It's not often that an untapped market is found, and I hope you count yourself lucky!

As I said, I don't think $30 is high. But alot of people wouldn't pay much more to sell in this area. It's held by the town in a historic part of town. There will be live bluegrass music. I learned today that someone will be there making soap. I think it's more like an open pit lye soap. Not a gourmet soap.

My living room looks like a crafty tornado came through it. I'm up to my ears in fixin's and room sprays.

Here's some pics of my stuff:

Tell me what you think of the "LOOK" or what you would change.

The candles will be packaged in cello with a raffia tie and hang tag. Sorry I don't know how to edit the photo. It's large.

[sharyl55]

Good luck at your show. Your stuff looks great. I've never seen sheep cakes before. That's what I love about CT. Always something new to look at.

[Wendy Shoofitz]

Interesting. What are those things front left, and back right?

[kinipela]

So "fixings" are potpourri kind of? I've no experience with the prim stuff, so no clue

[SherriLynn]

We vend at about 35 shows a year. Some of them with big booth prices, some with small. You'll never know what type of market is in a $30 booth, until you try it.

There is a women's of today show, about 40 minutes from my house. We do this show every year, $35 a booth, we spend $70 for a double and bring in somewhere around the $1300. - $1700.00 mark in sales.

Then again, I've spent $250 for a booth, found very little traffic, and made about $700.00. Ya just dont' know what's out there.

For sure I'd give it a try,,, Good luck and have fun... chachingggg!!!

[primitive_crafter]

Interesting. What are those things front left, and back right?

Those are my electric candle cakes. Looks good enough to eat.

The front one is raspberrys (scented: black raspberry vanilla) and the one in the back is a Fall themed cake with maple leaves, acorns and real cinni sticks. (scented: Pumpkin spice)

And fixin's is potpourri/. They have rosehips, cinni stick and pudka pods (mini pumpkin looking things).

[asheebeans]

Those are my electric candle cakes. Looks good enough to eat.

The front one is raspberrys (scented: black raspberry vanilla) and the one in the back is a Fall themed cake with maple leaves, acorns and real cinni sticks. (scented: Pumpkin spice)

And fixin's is potpourri/. They have rosehips, cinni stick and pudka pods (mini pumpkin looking things).

Well I, for one, think everything looks great and wish you the best of luck!

[primitive_crafter]

Hello all!

I'm so tired! How do you girls do it all?

I had a good day, not as good as I had hoped. It rained that morning and it kept alot of people away until around noon.

I made $1,400 and most of that came from my primitive fixin's that I sold by the scoop. I sold around 30 electric candles and a bunch of room spray and refreshener oil.

I have about 35 electric candles to put in the store I sale in and about 2 cases of fixin's jars.

All in all I did good for a rookie. Everyone said that I had the best looking a smelling booth in the show. There were a ton more venders then I had expected, 160.

They had live singing, a machinal (spelling) bull mini bungee jumping, a huge slide. I'm sure there were more activities but I didn't get to look.

I have a few offers of whosale, but it's too time consuming to do "full time".

I forgot my camera and should have gone home to get it. The local paper was taking picture and mybe I made the paper.

It's been a long 2 days and I'm off to bed.

[sharyl55]

Congratulations on a successful 1st show.

[candlesbyMe]

CONGRATS! You done awesome! .. I just got around to seeing this thread and I must say.. I hope if I ever get to do a craft show or something along those lines (there aren't not many here in my area) I hope I do as good as you did~lol..

You should be very very proud of your self and your work!!

Jenni

[Everito Bandito]

Congrats on a job well done! I'll bet you're already thinking about next year.

[stephnms]

Congratulations!!! I have a craft show coming up next weekend so this is encouraging to read.

[primitive_crafter]

Yes! I'm going to do it next year as well. I'm going this week to reserve my space. They raised the rates to $50.00 but that is still a great price.

:-)