Craft Marketplaces – The Ins and Outs

Have you ever considered becoming involved in a craft fair or other local show, but aren’t sure of the ins and outs?

Renaissance Austin of Raghouse International, found on both Etsy and MySpace, shared informative and insider tips with HandmadeMarketing.org.

“There are a few things you have to remember first,” she writes.  “If you are looking to sell at marketplaces, you are a business, you don’t just make crafts and give them away for fun.  You also don’t just want to sell for fun.”

Second, Renaissance says packaging and set up is everything.  “Get an E-Z Up that works well for you and that is reasonabley priced,” she suggests.  “I purchased mine from Loews in Los Angeles and it is great.”

“I would say always physically buy a tent,” Renaissance suggests.  “I made the mistake of buying my first canopy online and it was not the greatest quality at all!  It actually came to me broken. There were shattered pieces of plastic that I took photos of and emailed to them.  They took forever to rectify the situation.  I paid way too much for it and found out that I was buying through a third party anyway. The customer service was terrible. I learned my lesson in that ordeal.”

Next, she suggests than a handmade seller would want to visualize the marketplace space.

As a fabulous tip, Renaissance suggests turning to Google Images for ideas. “Using Google Images of wedding, event, or backyard decorations allow you to get color and design ideas for your space,” she suggests. Our HandmadeMarketing.org team loved this idea!

She advises to plan the entire setting down to the details.  “If you have tables, what fabric would you like to use to cover your tables?”  Renaissance says since a lot of vending happens on in the spring and summer seasons, handmade sellers should consider bright, rustic, or earthy colors.

The idea behind a marketplace is that sellers are creating an “outside the shop” experience for your potential client.  “Bring theme into play for your space,” Renaissance recommends.  “Would you like to bring a lightweight artificial plant for added greenery?”

“It’s like a mobile boutique,” Renaissance told HandmadeMarketing.org.  What type of boutique do you want a potential customer visit?  “If you have garment racks for clothing, think about a nice inexpensive rug to center your space. That way customers can come off the hard concrete path onto a nice decorative rug.” Asking these types of questions before the event will help you arrive prepared.

“Once you’ve nailed how you want your space to look, think of this,” Renaissance said.  “WIND!”

Renaissance said many people are not prepared for the wind, or even the cold, that sneaks up on cool spring and summer nights.  “It all depends on where you are located in the layout of the marketplace. Bring masking tape just in case you need to hold things down from the bottom. Consider tying bows with your table cloth at each end of the table to keep them from flapping up if a wind current comes.”

She suggests bringing along bricks or sandbags to the event.  “I use the gray bricks that have an opening where I slide each leg of my canopy into it,” Renaissance told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “This will keep your canopy from flying away if the wind really starts to blow. The sand bags are good for garment racks so they don’t tip over. So overall be prepared for mother nature.”

Below are some other miscellaneous tips from Renaissance for your next craft fair or local marketplace event:

1. Bring Friends Along. “Always bring 2 or 3 people with you! Major brands and chains know that a crowd is very important!” Renaissance tells us.  “Keep in mind that some potential customers are shy or less confident.  They will not just step into your booth even though they may like what they see.  If they don’t see anyone there, or you are sitting in a chair smiling, often times they do not come in,” she said. 
   Renaissance says that when potential customers see a crowd, and the seller is already talking to a few customers and showing them a items, she’s found that they come right in.
   “Having people with you allows you to chat and be breezy and it is also support and comfort,” she said.  “Train the people you bring to be sales reps just in case your booth gets a little busy. It’s just like in a retail shop. I’ve had people walk away because I was trying to serve everyone myself and drew attention away from one person to the next. That’s when I realized I needed to have a few people be sales reps for the busy moments.”
2. Give Buyers Time. “Let them look around for a minute before going to them,” she said.  “You can tell the ones that have questions and are too shy to ask.  Then, there are those potential buyers that will just ask.”  Giving a buyer time will allow them the space they need to make a decision they are comfortable with.
3. Create a Workspace. Renaissance had a great idea for making your booth stand out.  “If you can, create at your booth!” she suggested.  “Often times it keeps you focused and busy, and not nervous.  For me, because I was only 22 when I first started vending, I realized very early on that I had to crochet at my booth.  It helped people actually believe I made everything I was selling!”
   Renaissance said this actually turned out to be one of her greatest marketing tools! “I know for a fact that many of my sales were a result of people really seeing me do it right in from of their eyes. They love watching the creative process.”

Thank you for the great advice and tips Renaissance!

Unsure of how to get involved with a local craft show or handmade event?  Renaissance shares tips for how to connect with other local artists and venues.