Craft Fairs – Find a Local Marketplace

Renaissance M. Austin, an artist found on both Etsy and MySpace, recently walked our team at HandmadeMarketing.org through craft fair tips.  Now, Renaissance tells us about another obstacle facing handmade sellers – finding a marketplace in their local community.

“So now how do I find a marketplace?” Renaissance asks.  “There are tons of marketplaces, festivals, and events that are taking place all throughout the year, but how do you find what’s right for you?”

She says to start locally first.  ”Consider your area, where you live, the demographic there, if there are weekly marketplaces in your area,” Renaissance suggests.  “Think about if your area is the right place for you to sell.”

Because Renaissance lives in Los Angeles, California, she tells us how she finds craft fairs in her community.  “Here in Los Angeles, it’s not much of a problem because of the melting pot of artisans.  However, I’ve met other artisans across the United States just by selling on Etsy.com.  Many of them have to travel far to a more metropolitan area to sell simply because they live outside of city limits,” she says.

Renaissance suggests connecting with local artists to try to find out where a marketplace is in your area.  “If you have a local marketplace that is right for you, attend it first, find out who to talk to, who to call, get contact information, go to the chamber of commerce for your city and find out how to get involved with the marketplace,” she suggest.

Another important tip is to make sure the marketplace or craft fair fits you as a seller.  Renaissance suggest to attend the event to scope out the crowd.  Does this fit your craft?

“See what other sellers are selling and what their space looks like. Take note of how you will stand out from the rest,” she says.

“My first time selling at the 2nd Street Marketplace in Upland, California was in the summer of 2007,” Renaissance said.  She said she found many people at the shows are scouting out vendors for their own private events.

“I would get flyers from different organizations that invited me to sell at their events. I became open to many vending opportunities just by selling at the first one. It’s really like a domino effect,” she explains.

Want more ideas for how to get involved with local marketplaces in your community?  Here are more tips from Renaissance for finding a craft fair that works for your handmade items:

1. Seek Out Vending Opportunities.  Go to your local churches, schools, libraries, and community centers to find out if they need vendors for their fairs.  Renaissance says colleges are especially great for finding vendor opportunities for your handmade items.  “Often times they do,” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “Sometimes when driving down the street, I would just run across a church with a sign looking for vendors for their fair. With schools they are often looking to raise money for different programs for the kids.”
2. Look Beyond Your Block.  “Search the surrounding cities in your area,” Renaissance suggest. “Traveling to Upland, California for me was an hour drive from where I lived, but it was one of the marketplaces that had space available for me.”  She says that just because a fair is close does not mean that there is space available. If faced with a waiting list, or other opposition, Renaissance suggests looking beyond your local community.
3. Go Online.  Renaissance suggest searching Google for keywords like “farmer’s market in (your city)”, “craft fairs”, “arts and crafts fair”. “You should have tons of choices that come up in your search engine,” she says.
   Renaissance suggest to start your online search by visiting Craftmaster News.  “It is a really great site. I actually subscribed to this publication a few years ago and the site has definitely changed for the better,” she says.  “It is worth the subscription. You’ll get the publication with all the contact numbers. Call, call, call, and find out what they require and how you can get in!”
4. Remember Costs.  Renaissance tells handmade sellers to remember that, at the end of the day, you are a business. “Consider your booth rent, cost of gas, and other expenses in scale to the amount of products you have to sell,” she says.
   “In retail, there is the 3 to 1 principle,” Renaissance explains.  “For example, if you want to make $3,000, you should have $9,000 worth of product on hand.  To make $300, have $900 worth of product. For me I’ve keep my booth cost low $65 and under.”
5. Get Personal. “I also believe that reoccurring events, like weekly markets are best, because it allows you to build relationship with clients,” she tells HandmadeMarketing.org.  “Buyers can order from you and pick it up the next week or two weeks, whatever the time frame.”
6. Forget The Size. One of the simplest tips from Renaissance come in regards to the craft fair or marketplace crowd size.  “Never look at the size of the crowd!! Sometimes you make nothing in the largest crowds and sell more in smaller crowds that are more concentrated on the product you have!“

Thank you for the great tips Renaissance!

Do any of the tips Renaissance shared shed some light on your struggle with breaking into the local craft scene?  Have you had experience at marketplaces or fairs locally?  Was the event beneficial for your shop?

Share your experiences with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Click the “Join” tab and tell us your ideas for how to get involved with local craft fairs.  If our editors feature your tips, we’ll link back to your website, blog, or online shop as the source!