Craft Retailing in the Traditional Way

Selling to Friends, At Craft Shows, In Shops

Getting Started

Most crafters use traditional craft retailing methods to get started selling their crafts. They're the easiest way, especially if you don't know if anyone will buy what you make.

I believe that there is a market for any well-made craft, whether decorative or useful. Many crafters face the problem of how exactly to go about selling them, or more accurately, finding paying customers. The fact is that there is an awful lot of competition out there.

My business got jump-started by my "circle of friends". My friends noticed and liked my calling cards and began to ask me to design and make cards for them.

Starting with just Print Shop program, I was soon earning a nice supplemental income in just a few hours a week. It probably helped that I was retired and live in an area dominated by retirees.

But I think that everyone has a "circle of friends" either socially or at work.

Of course you don’t want to impose on their friendship by making a hard sell, so use or display your crafts in front of your friends to see if they draw any interest. If they do and if they’re priced right, you’re on your way to craft retailing for profit.

If your "circle of friends" market starts extending to friends of friends, you’re probably ready to tap the general marketplace of craft retailing.

To learn more about moving from hobby to craft retailing, consider The Complete Guide to Starting & Running a Successful Home Craft Business .

This book, written by a craft shop owner, covers the transition from crafting for fun to craft retailing for profit and gives helpful advice on how to get started.

Craft Show Retailing

Most crafters are aware of the periodic craft shows put on by local groups or even by the local Parks Departments. These usually cost little or nothing to join and should give you a fair idea of whether there is any broader interest in your craft. What better way to jump into craft retailing.

There are also organized craft shows that tour the country, most of which charge an entrance fee for participants. Check your local papers, especially the free shoppers, for information about upcoming shows.

ArtsandCraftsShows provides a searchable database of upcoming shows throughout the country with little icons that give you an idea of what the theme of the show is. Try it, its free.

The local flea markets that spring up in every community just about every weekend are another venue for craft retailing. Again the entrance cost is usually minimal. The only other thing you need is a little craft retailing savvy.

Since bargain hunters flocks to these markets, they aren’t the best place to try to sell high end products. Read Flea Markets Are for the Birds for more on this subject.

These types of shows require that you display your crafts attractively, even if it must be on a card table. Use tablecloths or pieces of fabric draped over the table and over an arrangement of empty boxes to provide various levels of display.

With most of your craft items placed on the horizontal surfaces and smaller items hanging from the vertical surfaces, you can maximize your display space in a very eye-appealing fashion.

I also bring along a folding wicker screen to which I attach hooks and hangers. It makes for an effective portable display for larger lightweight items like tote bags.

Craft retailing at shows may seem easy but actually requires quite a bit of physical labor - lugging your crafts and display items, setting up, rearranging your display throughout the day as things sell, just being on your feet for several hours, and then disassembling your display and lugging the remnants back home.

I say "on your feet" deliberately. If you are seated behind your display waiting for customers to search you out, forget it. Most will walk past quickly with only a cursory glance.

Craft retailing at shows also requires a good bit of psychic energy. You want to greet all passers-by cheerily and try to engage them long enough that you can hold up or point to your various items and describe their uniqueness and why they are "just perfect for ... your coloring, your style, etc..

Detailing the quality or source of your raw materials often makes the item more appealing and interesting. If you don’t consider yourself a "natural salesperson", take heart - neither do I! You’ll be surprised at how adept you become telling your crafting story.

No one knows your crafts like you do. Customers who frequent craft fairs and shows generally appreciate the charm and quality of handmade items. They often can’t imagine making anything so "beautiful, imaginative, complicated ..." themselves. And they’re interested in how you do it, how you got started, etc.

The book, Crafts and Craft Shows: How to Make Money, delves into craft retailing at craft shows more fully.

It describes how to market and price your crafts, select the right shows and create effective displays.

Also read the related article Craft Shows, Fairs & Events for more information on finding good venues to sell your crafts.

There is a new book out for craft show beginners, Craft Show Success. If you're just starting out selling at shows, this e-book contains a lot of invaluable information.

Craft Retailing at "Brick and Mortar" Stores

Serious crafters can also approach consignment stores, craft stores, galleries or other shops where their products would fit in. This, of course, requires some effort pounding the pavement and developing relationships with merchants. It also requires a different sort of craft retailing on your part.

You have to make it attractive for a craft retailer or gallery to exhibit your craft. First it has to look good and, if applicable, function well. Also consider your packaging. Add hang tags with your logo or with an explanation of how the product works or how you made it.

You have to compete with other goods on display, so make sure there's something that will draw the interest of a browsing shopper. The packaging will also draw the interest of the shop or gallery owner.

Unless you’ve been significantly under-pricing your work, you will likely have to accept less for it; in other words create a wholesale price, in order to allow the store to add a mark up. The usual retail mark-up is 100%.

Galleries take a commission of anywhere from 15% to 50% and may require you to share in paying rent and utilities. So ask yourself, "How much less am I willing to accept for my work so that the shop/gallery owner can mark it up and still find buyers?".

If you're shocked by the 100% retail mark-up, keep in mind the time and effort you will save since you won't need to hawk your wares as much at craft shows. In return for cutting your price, the store or gallery owner gives you a regular venue open many hours every week and does the craft retailing for you!

I think it’s a fair trade. Your time is valuable and might be better spent doing the crafting which you love.

If you didn’t do broad market research when you sold to your friends or at craft fairs, be sure to do so now.

I’ve seen many, many crafters under-pricing their wares at the shows because they do it for the love of art or even just to pay for their supplies. Go back to your circle of friends and ask, "How much would you expect to pay for this in a store?"

Go window-shopping yourself for similar items. Look in catalogs. Buy Make Your Price Sell. Read the book, do the survey and automatically arrive at your maximal-the greatest or highest possible - price.

As an aside: I not only get a good feel for market level prices from catalogs but new product ideas as well.

Also consider whether you will need to be prepared to fill special orders quickly, which means having a larger inventory of raw materials or partially assembled items.

If you’re ready to expand beyond the traditional craft retail market or want to skip all that manual labor, you may be ready for the Internet craft retail market..

The Internet allows crafters to gain international, instead of local, exposure for their goods. It will allow any crafter with a good product the ability to market it at relatively little expense. And that takes us to the new world of craft retailing and .

Recommended Sites

Craft Show Success
Make money at craft shows. Finally, specific advice to make money by selling your crafts at craft shows. Instant download. Craft Shows