I know people on here have Etsy shops. I had one almost 6 years and am tired of it especially after losing my store in a fire. But I was wondering if any nomads followed craft shows and sold there for extra income. There’s a woman with a YouTube channel who does that. I knit and I’m a metalsmith but since I don’t have a workshop I make things that don’t require fire (and are therefore much cheaper) I have never done craft shows but been to many plus farmers’ markets and I notice the low priced items sell better. Seems like the fees are high though for a booth.
Craft shows on the road
- Thread starter LERCA
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travelaround
Well-known member
I've thought about doing it and found a site that lists the shows.
https://www.fairsandfestivals.net/
Do you know of any other resources?
I create art, I sew... I crochet... thought I could do all that, if I ever get myself organized enough to do it.
https://www.fairsandfestivals.net/
Do you know of any other resources?
I create art, I sew... I crochet... thought I could do all that, if I ever get myself organized enough to do it.
I have done craft shows. It is like rolling dice, sometimes you go bust and are way out of pocket, other times you make just enough to cover your expenses. Sometimes you can make enough to make minimum wage for your time. The persons who do well are regulars, they build a following who show up every year to buy from them.
The trick to craft shows is to have some WOW factor items on display to draw people in and then the primary quantity of things you make need to be selling for under $35.00 because that is the impulse buy cut-off for the majority of buyers. Those items are what covers your booth rental expenses so that you while you might not have a really good profit making day you have not gone completely bust. Because those items tend to be quite small take some high res photos and have them blown up to put on a display banner for a big graphic to draw people in. You can get durable graphics printed onto material that is weather resistant and can be stored rolled up to a compact size. A graphic sign shop business either local or internet based can produce that for you.
Remember that van dweller theory, that you should make the things you carry have multiple uses?
I will be doing some silver soldering and metal annealing of small objects while on the road using a small, refillable, butane torch. You can take a camp stove that has side shields, disconnect the gas supply, open the lid, set one of the lightweight solder blocks over the burner area such as the one in this link. https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-x-12-No...144346?hash=item4b4b7ebd1a:g:RyUAAOSwfopbbJlW
That way you have metal shielding on three sides as well as the metal box underneath. That makes it a low risk situation to do some annealing and silver soldering with a small, refillable, butane torch. Just don't aim the torch up at the ceiling! Leave the door and windows open to remove fumes if you have to work inside due to burn bans. Helps if you have one of the ceiling fans that move a lot of air such as a Fantastic Fan.
The trick to craft shows is to have some WOW factor items on display to draw people in and then the primary quantity of things you make need to be selling for under $35.00 because that is the impulse buy cut-off for the majority of buyers. Those items are what covers your booth rental expenses so that you while you might not have a really good profit making day you have not gone completely bust. Because those items tend to be quite small take some high res photos and have them blown up to put on a display banner for a big graphic to draw people in. You can get durable graphics printed onto material that is weather resistant and can be stored rolled up to a compact size. A graphic sign shop business either local or internet based can produce that for you.
Remember that van dweller theory, that you should make the things you carry have multiple uses?
I will be doing some silver soldering and metal annealing of small objects while on the road using a small, refillable, butane torch. You can take a camp stove that has side shields, disconnect the gas supply, open the lid, set one of the lightweight solder blocks over the burner area such as the one in this link. https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-x-12-No...144346?hash=item4b4b7ebd1a:g:RyUAAOSwfopbbJlW
That way you have metal shielding on three sides as well as the metal box underneath. That makes it a low risk situation to do some annealing and silver soldering with a small, refillable, butane torch. Just don't aim the torch up at the ceiling! Leave the door and windows open to remove fumes if you have to work inside due to burn bans. Helps if you have one of the ceiling fans that move a lot of air such as a Fantastic Fan.
Travel around: thanks for the link. I have to do more research. It might be fun (if I’m not losing money, just to meet people) and maybe make a little extra money. I will share what I find here.
Maki: thanks for all the great advice. I agree with everything watching as a buyer at craft shows but being on the other side is much different so your information is super helpful in actually getting started. I never considered I could bring my tools on the road but I think I can. $35.? I was thinking of much less. So maybe there’s more money in it than I thought. I’m kind of curious to see how it is in different parts of the country. It would also give me a way to travel besides just wandering. Gotta go price things now. Thank you!
Maki: thanks for all the great advice. I agree with everything watching as a buyer at craft shows but being on the other side is much different so your information is super helpful in actually getting started. I never considered I could bring my tools on the road but I think I can. $35.? I was thinking of much less. So maybe there’s more money in it than I thought. I’m kind of curious to see how it is in different parts of the country. It would also give me a way to travel besides just wandering. Gotta go price things now. Thank you!
Don't just look at doing "crafts fairs". There are other types of events that have an area with tables for vendors. For instance popular annual garden tours happen in the summer up north in the cooler areas of the country. People who attend garden tours often have more spendable income. So if you were to make a line of pieces with a botanical theme you could do quite well at such a show.
Another instance in my region is a Wooden Boat festival, it has lots of artist crafts booths at it. The daughter of one of my friends had a booth there, she would gather up certain types of rocks at the beach, then she drilled a hole through them, put a cord through the hole and she sold them like crazy and she always had a crowd around the booth. Now why would anyone be gaga over that booth? Because she was sitting there drilling the holes with a special little lathe that her father who was a machinist made for her. You see it is a craft fair and people just love to see an artisan at work creating the very objects they will then snap up because they were participants in the live "theater" event. You could sell little bottles of colored sand if people get to watch you put sand in a bottle, not saying you should sell sand, just saying it is not so much just about what you make as it is about engaging the audience. It is such a simple sales technique and one that is underused. So do travel with your tools and not just travel with them, use them as your marketing tools in a very literal sense.
One other tip try to find another compatible person to caravan travel with you. Someone that is also wanting to do craft shows with their own booth that can set up right next door to you or someone who does not mind helping out now and again by watching your booth so you can get a potty break.
Another instance in my region is a Wooden Boat festival, it has lots of artist crafts booths at it. The daughter of one of my friends had a booth there, she would gather up certain types of rocks at the beach, then she drilled a hole through them, put a cord through the hole and she sold them like crazy and she always had a crowd around the booth. Now why would anyone be gaga over that booth? Because she was sitting there drilling the holes with a special little lathe that her father who was a machinist made for her. You see it is a craft fair and people just love to see an artisan at work creating the very objects they will then snap up because they were participants in the live "theater" event. You could sell little bottles of colored sand if people get to watch you put sand in a bottle, not saying you should sell sand, just saying it is not so much just about what you make as it is about engaging the audience. It is such a simple sales technique and one that is underused. So do travel with your tools and not just travel with them, use them as your marketing tools in a very literal sense.
One other tip try to find another compatible person to caravan travel with you. Someone that is also wanting to do craft shows with their own booth that can set up right next door to you or someone who does not mind helping out now and again by watching your booth so you can get a potty break.
Consider keeping your Etsy shop going, and advertise it at these shows, and perhaps on your van. Even if they don't buy now, they may later. And happy customers are often repeat customers! Being a good communicator/salesperson, your customers might tell their friends (many shoppers like to show off their "finds"). So long as it doesn't eat into your budget to keep it open, there's really no reason to close up your Etsy shop!
eDJ_
Well-known member
When you see arts & crafts fairs at different Cities "Summer Fest" types of celebrations you may wonder how these people selling there knew HOW to contact the fair before hand to get a booth/permit. And then move to another town to do the same thru the nicer months of the year.
I asked one once and she showed me a magazine titled, "Sunshine Artist". The magazine listed states, cities, and fairs and contact info. She explained that they would want descriptions of what you do (so that there aren't too many like you doing the same things). They will list the cost of a booth space, percentage the fair will want of your total sales, and all of the standard things. Today you could set up a website with photos of works you have created and send a link to that site to the application board and just email. Then it would be a matter of setting up a group of fairs to build an itinerary of fairs to travel to and sell your products.
I would also suggest you set up a small business & license it. In this way you will have many tax benefits and be making tax reports every three months instead of once a year. There is also free help with a National Organization called "Score org". They have been at it 50 years. See link below.
Sunshine Artist
SCORE
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
I asked one once and she showed me a magazine titled, "Sunshine Artist". The magazine listed states, cities, and fairs and contact info. She explained that they would want descriptions of what you do (so that there aren't too many like you doing the same things). They will list the cost of a booth space, percentage the fair will want of your total sales, and all of the standard things. Today you could set up a website with photos of works you have created and send a link to that site to the application board and just email. Then it would be a matter of setting up a group of fairs to build an itinerary of fairs to travel to and sell your products.
I would also suggest you set up a small business & license it. In this way you will have many tax benefits and be making tax reports every three months instead of once a year. There is also free help with a National Organization called "Score org". They have been at it 50 years. See link below.
Sunshine Artist
SCORE
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
https://www.magazine-agent.com-sub....ign=6074 - Sunshine Artist - Jones Publishing
I used to rely on craft shows for years and sunshine artist was one of the only ways to find out about shows, then it got to the point that every show you went to there were people that went around to find crafters for there shows.
and like most business models the only ones that made money were the promoters high booth fees would kill most artist and craftsmen I could normally hold my own but when it got to the point that all you did was make enough to get to the next one it was time for a change thank god for the internet.
the most I ever paid was 1,500.00 for the weekend that is alot of sales if it wasn't for the fact I sold wholesale to dealers I would have lost big time.
because I was selling jewelry it was small and most trade shows provided a table and chairs I started flying to some of the bigger shows. I could take thousands of dollars of product in a briefcase and just enough clothes and normally bought or traded for cloths from vendors, it took some planning but most of the convention centers had hotels and shuttles to the airport.
I still set up at shooting events and I have nice motorhome to travel in but I don't have to like I did before, i do it now more for fun.
and like most business models the only ones that made money were the promoters high booth fees would kill most artist and craftsmen I could normally hold my own but when it got to the point that all you did was make enough to get to the next one it was time for a change thank god for the internet.
the most I ever paid was 1,500.00 for the weekend that is alot of sales if it wasn't for the fact I sold wholesale to dealers I would have lost big time.
because I was selling jewelry it was small and most trade shows provided a table and chairs I started flying to some of the bigger shows. I could take thousands of dollars of product in a briefcase and just enough clothes and normally bought or traded for cloths from vendors, it took some planning but most of the convention centers had hotels and shuttles to the airport.
I still set up at shooting events and I have nice motorhome to travel in but I don't have to like I did before, i do it now more for fun.
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