This is my second year selling at craft fairs. I have learned quite a few things over the past year in order to have a good show. Here are my tips.

10 Tips for Surviving A Craft Fair

1. Have a range of prices – I have sold a lot of my $1 shaped crayons the past couple weeks, many of those were to grandmas who were going to put them in Christmas stockings.
2. Bring a good amount of change – most people will come with $20s so you need smaller bills to get you through the day (especially the first couple hours).
3. Include tax in your prices if possible – this will limit the type of change that you need; if all of your products end in a quarter dollar amount then you don’t need pennies/dimes/nickles.
4. Take credit cards – I have a square and it works great. It surprises me how many vendors don’t take credit cards and the sales that they miss out on because of it. The percentage that it costs to run credit cards is very low compared to the missed sales opportunities. The device itself is free and all items can be put into the “register” so it is easy to come up with the sale totals.
5. Maximize your vertical space – I have a lot of little products, so they would quickly fill the table. Some ways I have added some vertical storage is by putting scarves on a coat rack, tutus on a portable wardrobe, and Brad built some awesome “shelves” for my hair ties.
6. Bring along some “just in case” supplies – For me these include: scissors, zipties, needle/thread, extra paper, and sharpies.
7. Don’t forget the water bottle – you will be thankful for some water after talking with customers.
8. Make friends with your neighbors so you can take some bathroom breaks.
9. Keep Inventory throughout the sale. When you get home, the last thing you want to do is count items so it is easy to just check off an item as it sells. This holiday season I have 7 craft fairs in 7 weeks so I need to know what to make more of during the week.
10. Bring a phone with strong cell quality, long battery life and a large screen. Many times these fairs are hosted at schools or buildings that might not have the best signal quality, so having a phone that can find a signal and have the battery last through the day is a must. My Moto X has fit the bill perfectly for this year. The screen is crisp and big which works well for people to sign for their purchases.

One of my favorite features of the Moto X during craft fairs is that I can just wave my hand over the screen and it will show me the time and if I have any notifications. It doesn’t light up the entire screen, just a few of the pixels. This also helps the battery stay strong throughout the day.

Have you ever sold at craft fairs? What tips do you have to get the most out of them?

I am a part of the Verizon Wireless #MoreSeattle Influencer Team. I received a cell phone and possibly other items from Verizon in exchange for evaluating Verizon Products and services. As always, all opinions are 100% mine.