Monday, April 11, 2011

My first craft show...not quite success

So this past weekend I had a booth in a craft show for the first time.  I was scared, very scared...and well, I'm still scared.  I wouldn't exactly call it a roaring success.  I'm trying to take it in stride.  There was very little foot traffic going through the 2 day show and I didn't hear from any crafters that did really well.  I heard more than a couple say that they hadn't yet made enough to cover what they paid for their booth.  I made money, it just wasn't what I had hoped for. 

So, I'll take it as a learning experience.  I learned that I made way, WAY too much stuff.  I learned that Spring shows aren't as good as Fall shows and I learned that there are some very nice and supportive fellow crafters out there.  Now that it's over, I'm happy that I did it.  I went ahead and committed myself to doing the Fall show so that I'll have a base for comparison.  I'm cautiously hopeful that the Fall show will be better.  Although, craft shows just might not be the right venue for my stuff.  So, we'll see.

In the mean time I'll be busy at working listing all of my items on Etsy.

Here are the pictures of my booth. 







Thank you Dad for letting me use your wooden crates, they worked great!

18 comments:

  1. Way to venture out! Trying new things like that is terrifying for me. Good job!

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  2. Aaron, your setup was beautiful! Don't give up on the shows. You never know who is looking for what & no two shows are the same as far as buyers. Saturday was real good for me, sale wise. But not as many people and more lookers on Sunday (that's normal). I too, will be back for the fall show. Take care, Carol :>

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  3. Congratulations on your first craft show. I'm glad you did it. Sometimes the shows don't have the foot traffic, but I have to say your booth looked absolutely wonderful~! Have a wonderful day ;-)

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  4. Aaron your booth couldn't be more beautiful. I am doing my first "sale" at a yard sale/craft fair at our library in May. I am so scared to do it too. I'm not expecting to do well only because I think people will be there for the yard sale, but I'm sticking my neck out and trying it anyway so I can get the experience... Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated! Your booth would have made me buy lots of stuff, it's beautiful!
    Susan

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  5. Your booth looks great, Aaron! I know it wasn't what you'd hoped, but I think you're wise to chalk it up to experience. It's hard to go out on a limb and try something different, so kudos! Baby steps to bigger things. Have a blessed day!

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  6. Everything looks great! I would have loved your booth. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right audience and get everything to click. Hang in there. You are on the right track.

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  7. Your booth looks great Aaron! I can't wait to see what made it to your Etsy shop!!!

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  8. Congratulations on your first show. Your booth looked beautiful and you had some gorgeous things. I'm glad you made money and I'm sure things will only get better.

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  9. I agree - your booth looks great. I have been doing a craft show for 3 years now (fall), and I never really do as well as I would like. Still trying to decide if I will do it again. But it is kind of fun and I like the other crafters.

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  10. Wow, your stuff is gorgeous! I didn't know you had an Etsy shop, I'm a huge Etsy addict so I just added yours to my faves:)

    I'm sure the fall show will be better. For some reason, I always associate going to those shows with the fall months!

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  11. Aaron, your space was perfect and very up to date with what is "in" now. I would blame the outcome on the foot traffic. I too did an art show this weekend and didn't do as much as I hoped. There were a lot of people but it didn't seem like any were buying much. I think gas prices are really affecting people's "play" money. Don't give up! I think the same setup will work again in the fall. Look at the bright side! You already have most of your stock made. :-) I wish you the best of luck!

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  12. don't be down on yourself! it's just the state of the economy - people aren't buying in general like they were a few years ago. your stuff is all just precious and i can tell you right now if i lived in your area and had been at that craft show, i would have bee lined straight to your booth! all of your things look wonderful and the presentation is great!

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  13. Well, it's all a learning experience. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'm ready for you over at my place though, any time you want to come on over.
    Brenda

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  14. Your booth is lovely. I love your stuff. I wonder if it is the midwest. I just live three hrs from you and there isn't a lot of shabby chic here.:( I love it though. Good luck in the fall!
    Sherry

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  15. Aaron, I can relate. I did a show at our local high school and it just wasn't the place for my things. I seem to have better luck at outdoor markets or antique/vintage type fairs. Don't be discouraged, you just need the right people to see your beautiful things!
    Jodie

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  16. Your booth was beautiful.I agree with Jodie.You just need to find a different venue than typical craft shows.I've done the craft show thing before and usually end up disappointed.Don't give up,you just need to find the right place to sell.

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  17. Aaron your booth is beautiful but maybe a little crowded. Sometimes when you give people too much choice they feel overwhelmed and walk away instead of trying to sort it out.

    Try displaying less items while keeping extras in bins under the tables so if a customer asks for something you can get it for them.

    For lots of articles on doing well at craft shows, or selling more at Etsy read the blog at http://www.extravaganzacrafts.net/blog.

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  18. so glad I came across this on Pinterest, I am having my first one day show, in Sept! I am so nervous, I have never done any type of booth. Love your set up and would love any additional advice you have. Pricing is giving me fits! Just not sure how to price either....stress, good exciting stress but still stress! ;)

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