So my sister and I have finally branched out, stepped away from our safety zone behind the computer keyboard and have began selling our products in person, very scary. Over the last two weeks we have attended a total of four craft fairs, and what an ordeal they have been! Let me first start off by saying that I am still very new to the Bay Area of California and because of this sometimes I do not understand exactly how far away certain areas are in regards to my home. This geographical misunderstanding is how Rag Bag Artistry found itself in the social room of a Methodist Church in the out of the way city of Salinas. Now Salinas is a farming town, a small little home town (much like Milledgeville Georgia, where our family is currently living) and Salinas is a good hour and a half away from Fremont, when the traffic is good. Thus Ali and I set out for Salinas at five in the morning on November 5 to reach the Methodist Church by seven. For those of you interested in one day spreading your business from Etsy to Craft Fairs and such one suggestion, unless your product sells directly to older women, do not sell at church charity events, it’s just not worth it. Thankfully we were able to make our money back and pay for gas but altogether the experience was lacking.

Along with our trip to the Methodist Church we returned  Saturday for another event in Salinas which was very well advertised and was supposed to be very active, or not. Another tip for those interested in selling in person, just because an event is heavily advertised does not mean that there will be lots of people attending. This second event in the local Salinas’ Salvation Army community center was a complete bust, most of our business came from other vendors bored and walking around buying from each other. In situations like this the best thing a seller can do is stay put or they will find themselves spending money instead of earning it. Thankfully we were able to keep put and left not too depleted.,

Later Saturday evening Ali and I found ourselves in a sports bar on a golf course, about an hour away from home selling our crafts in their back room. Ali is an avid snowboarder (she just went this past weekend!) and was a member of “Rusty Bindings” an online meetup group for snow board and ski lovers. They host an event every few weeks at this bar and we just happened to stumble upon their holiday craft show meetup, and got a chance to sell at an event FOR FREE!

So the moral of this post is don’t give up selling at craft fairs, you will get some stinkers, you might get a good sell or you might find something unexpected.

We have each hosted at craft fairs in the past. On our own. But this was our first together and we wanted to make sure this baby was as smooth as a baby’s rump! But not as messy. So we wanted to share a few tips we picked up here and there.

Make It Flowww

We have a variety of items from clockwork and steampunk jewelry to little girl’s hairbows to women’s fashion scarves. We created a sort of sweep across the table and put like with like, keeping the different types closely displayed together. Within the different types of items we then put them by color for an aesthetic appeal.

It Is All In The Show

We wanted a display that stands out as CLEAN with a little mess so people are inclined to touch, BEAUTIFUL to look at but not crowded or cluttered, and FUN to draw someone in and bring us a smile. What do you want yours to do for you?

How Many Clams?

Price your pieces because people want to look at something and know the worth, its the first question so don’t make them ask! We used these lil tags and choked up on the slack for smaller items, so they all came out clean looking. We also used the same color marker so they matched!

Preview

Set up your table and decor including all items. Try it out for size, make sure it all fits and fills. Ensure displays are steady and will not topple. Put your items in bags and label each so you know how they will travel to and from the fair.  We even took a photo with our phone in advance just so we would not forget.

You don’t want to be tweaking and preening as the show starts: you want to be done and ready to make new friends and sales!

Plan, Plan, Plan

Pack the night before at the latest. This means everything from supply tools (something will break at some point) to water bottles need to be ready to go when you awaken all bright eyed and bushy tailed. Make a list and check it twice.

GO!

Be early, not when they open for set up, but before they open for set up.  Often you can sneak in a few minutes early and work at a more relaxed pace. Be sure to introduce yourself to your neighbors and create a friendly bond: you are about to spend several hours next door to one another.

Money, Money, Money

Have change ready, most people bring cash to craft fairs. There is little reason you cannot take CC and Debit these days. Square is an amazing addition to our tech suave lifestyle and you can add it for FREE

More Than Anything

Have fun, enjoy and don’t sweat the small stuff.  Laugh outloud, engage your customers and those that seem unsure about stepping up to your table.  In all honesty, we walked away lack luster about our first show.  But we were totally thrilled and tickled that we set up and broke down in record time with precision and knowing we were already ready for the next one!!  We will be able to fill gaps and add product as we unpack.