Every market or festival you attend is a learning experience. Vendors learn new ways to decorate their displays, faster ways to assemble them, and what products people want to buy.
We went to the Holiday Festival of the Arts here in Bellingham, WA and asked makers to pass along that knowledge in this video. They share their tips for making your products stand out and decorating your display. They also talk about the advantages of selling at festivals versus online or in stores. It’s a great resource for first-time sellers or those considering whether to give markets a try.
Special thanks to:
Robert with Keene’s Jewelry
Cat with Sea Witch Botanicals
Karma with Karmela Botanica
Sheila with SheRa Creations
Susan with Ebb and Flow Knitwear
I was wondering when you first start how many products should you start with at fairs? There are so many things you can make, it is overwhelming.
A good place to start is about 5-10 of your most popular items. Researching the event beforehand can help you decide what to bring. As you build up your customer base, you can adjust and expand your product line to suit their needs. This post on setting up your display has more tips: https://soapqueen.com/business/how-to-set-up-your-market-display/
I love this. I’ve been doing festivals/events for a year. I’ve learned something new each time from assembling & rearranging my display faster & more. I enjoy interacting w/ the people, even if they are just looking (they always leave w/ info about our products & where to find us). I only have an online shop & use social media as a tool. I haven’t ventured into videos completely just yet….time & shyness is getting the best of me ???? .
One thing I found to be interesting is that each crowd is different. I was hoping it would help me narrow down my items but at each event, some things that I wouldn’t expect to be a hit are selling like hotcakes. This is where it becomes tricky.
It also gives me ideas about anything from packaging to interacting w/ potential customers.
Thanks for sharing as always! I enjoy this kind of material!
You’re welcome Tonya, glad you found the video helpful. 🙂
I find all your ideas tips and trickshelpful and I keep trying to improve my products
Glad to hear that June, thanks for saying so. If you ever have any questions let us know. We’re happy to help.