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Hurdling my first Craft Fair!

So, if there are any others out there like me, timid and anxious about doing your first Craft Fair, you can visualize me in your corner cheering you on!
Definitely go for it! Even if you aren't sure of the venue that you are selecting, I guarantee your first one will be an valuable learning experience.
First, just some general advice coming from a newbie......I would pick an indoor venue for your first go, and select something that has a low entry price for your spot.
Second, set up your table(s) in your home or garage before you go to give you a map for how you will set up at the show. I did this, and it was a life-saver!!!
Peruse the internet for "check-lists" and "how-to's". I did this and got some great ideas from surfing the web. It was helpful to me to hear other's perspective on display and preparation.
Third, start accepting credit cards if you don't already. I would have walked 3/4 of my sales if I hadn't brought my "knuckle-buster". ProPay is the way to go for this by the way. You collect the credit card info at the show and then enter it into the ProPay account later. Very easy, and not expensive to use. Make sure you put up a sign that says you accept the cards as payment. I didn't do this and everyone was asking. I will definitely put up a sign next time.
Fourth, BE FLEXIBLE TO CHANGE! Once you get to the venue, things could change. I found this out at my first show. I started out with one layout in mind, but once the vendors around me set up, my husband and I ended up reversing the booth layout which made all the difference.
Lastly, DON"T take it personal and just have FUN!! You will get lots of people that walk into your booth and smile and say, "Thank you" and walk out, and those who will come in and say "you have beautiful things" and not buy anything. Don't take it personally and don't get discouraged. Learn from the experience and take notes on the things you want to do next time to enhance the shopping experience for your customers.

For me, the experience was great. I did an Irish Festival at a local college that was held in their gymnasium. The fee was a little high and the live music they had was very loud. Although I am a huge fan of Irish music, it was very difficult to talk to customers that came into the booth. I only sold a few things, enough to cover the cost of the booth and my gas.
You are probably thinking, well that doesn't really sound 'great' to me??
Well, from a sales perspective I could have done a lot better.....but that isn't what I gleaned from the experience. I will feel so much more prepared and confident at my next show because of this one.

I posted some pictures of my little booth for those who would like to see, in my photo area.
Also, these are some of the resources I used to help me gather the materials that I needed:
Tent for Outdoor Show- www.elitedeals.com
CC Machine and invoices- Paymentstuff.com
CC Account- www.ProPay.com
Table Covering-www.Displays2go.com
Jewelry Displays- www.GemsonDisplay.com

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Tags: advice, craft, crafter, fairs, jewelry, making, pointers, resources, set, tips, More…up

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Comment by Leigh on March 23, 2010 at 2:02am
I looked at your booth pictures and thought your setup was fantastic. Thanks for sharing all of the links on sites you found useful. I have not taken the craft fair plunge and this is mostly because of the time element AND good ole fear of failure. This definately gives me some food for thought! Thanks again -- Leigh

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