Belmont Craft Fair-what I learned

I participated in my very first craft fair on Saturday, November 18. I was very nervous but excited as well.  I participated with a friend who was selling earrings and having a friend there was a great help. Another friend came to help with our table and that added support helped quite a bit.

The craft fair is an annual event that occurs every November the Saturday before Thanksgiving.  It is a very local affair and everything is supposed to be handmade.  It was clear that the overwhelming majority of items were definitely handmade but some especially some to the jewelry was purchased.

(I really wish I would remember to take more photos)!!

There were over 70 vendors in 4 different spaces selling all sorts of items including pottery, scarves, repurposed items, jewelry, paper ornaments, quilts, aprons, guitar pick necklaces, and holiday scenes in different sized tins.  I was actually the only vendor selling handmade cards which surprised me. In fact, paper crafting was not well represented at all and I was a bit surprised.

Because this was my first craft fair experience, I decided to keep my selections small. I sold holiday cards, a Hanukkah card, and a thank you card.

This what I learned and what I will do differently next time:

• Presentation matters-I knew going in that I didn’t have a great display. My cards were laying flat on the table but the presentation did not draw folks to the table. In the future, I will figure out a standard way to display my cards using different heights and textures. 
• People like options-I think my cards were priced well and offering sets that are already put together would be good, too. People seem to  like having card sets already figured out for them. 
• You never know what folks will want to purchase. My hottest seller were my Hanukkah cards! Beyond my own items, I was really surprised by the other items folks were buying.  People (at least people who attend craft fairs) like things that are truly handmade and unique in some way. Items that may be considered tacky elsewhere can really sell well at a craft fair. There is nothing that is too gaudy or “too” anything.  This was a really good lesson for me.  Knowing who your audience is and what they like is essential. A mass producer of a product has to live up to a different standard than those that hand make items.
• Other sellers can be very nice & helpful. The ladies at the table next to mine were very generous in offering critique and support
• Having my friend, Robin, there who was selling earrings was really beneficial.  She’s had some experience so that was nice but also just having someone there to pass the time with and bounce ideas off well was helpful as well.

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  Robin

  

  Our table

  

  Me and my card display

  
  

Overall, I had a really good experience and look forward to doing more fairs in the future!