Craft Shows, Art Markets, Fairs and Festivals

by James Dillehay, author of nine books, is a nationally recognized expert on how to sell crafts. Courtesy of craftmarketer.com

It doesn't matter if your crafts business is woodworking, jewelry, quilting, sewing, painting, pottery, or weaving. Craft shows provide the opportunities to show your craftwork to buyers seeking one-of-a-kind items. Craft shows can keep you very busy, but it is vital that you exhibit at shows that are right for your type of craft business.

For instance, country craft shows draw audiences expecting to pay between $5 and $50 for pieces. Juried arts and crafts shows attract customers who will pay hundreds of dollars for quality craftwork.

To know if a show is right for your craft business, ultimately you need to see it. If a local festival and events fair, definitely check it out before applying for a booth. Check out the busy booths and decide if your crafts look like they would sell. Are others selling similar items to yours? If so, that's a good indication the audience is right.

Some craft shows review show performance by reports from crafting artists actually exhibiting there. This is great because you get firsthand feedback. You can learn how crafts in your genre sells and how the craft shows compare to other fairs around the country.

The Basic Guide to Selling Crafts, written by James Dillehay, has everything you'll need to know to start your own business; sell at craft fairs and trade shows; sell crafts to stores, interior designers, and corporations; pricing crafts, extra income craft business ideas and more! James Dillehay is the author of nine books and advisory board member to the National Craft Association and ArtisanStreet.com.