it seems people do not appreciate handmade anymore I hate it when they say oh I can make that my feelings are well if you can make it stay home and make it lol so sorry your first time was so disappointing just keep on trying

So glad someone else gets it! And yes, I suppose if I told them how to do it and where to get the supplies, then they could do it themselves. But would they? lol

At a craft fair years ago, a woman was looking over my wares, and confided to me, "I like to buy original handcrafts, then take them apart to make my own to sell."

Gee, I was so hurt she bought nothing from me. D'ya think it was the nasty look I gave her?

Oh my steiconi, that is awful! Can you even imagine saying something like that to someone? The worst part is, she said make my own to SELL! Good grief!

My experience with selling crafts was that I did great the first year. My items were unique. The second year, I didn't do as well. Seems everyone took notice of what I did the first year and copied my items. Those were the only two events where I sold crafts. I moved and haven't tried again. Dh and I joke that I should go back so the others can get some new ideas.

I sometimes do use other people's basic ideas as a way to get started. I change it up so my product is unique.

It sounds like a typical experience at a craft sale to me sameboat. It is amazing what people feel free to share with strangers.

Sameboat,

I am a professional full time crafter. I do craft fairs for a living and have done so for over 30 years now.

We all start somewhere. And yes, we all had the same comments you got.
You're at the level of show where the main exhibitor is the hobbyist. He/she is doing this for fun or just for some extra spending money. That's why they will charge so little for their work. And of course the people who want to know how you did this, or where you get your supplies, etc. That's when you just smile and say nothing. See? You just learned something about doing shows.

As you gain confidence, you move up to actual craft fairs. Ones where everybody makes their own work. Well, for the most part, anyway. Your display improves, and so do your sales. Then the day comes when you realize you're making more money in one day than you made all last year on Etsy!
Each fair you do you realize your work is getting better too. Your prices go up, not down. People start coming to the fairs looking for you in particular, just to see if you have anything new.

That's when it hits you that by actually putting in time and energy, the sky's the limit.

I'll give you an example of why I do this. I'm doing a 2 weekend craft fair in upstate New York at a cider mill. The space fee is $270 for both weekends. The first weekend is over and I walked out with over $2,500. The woman next to me whom I have known for over 20 years, does florals and did over $5,000 in sales. In just two days.

Now this is our full time job, so we "go to work" in the shop during the week, and go sell on weekends. Right now this is our busiest season as we're booked for a multi day show every weekend from Labor Day until the second weekend in December. But it's worth it!

I'm not kidding when I say the sky's the limit. It just depends on how much you want it.

Well, THAT was an uplifting pep talk! Thank you! :)

I was in boutiques years ago & I think it also depends on where you live & economy there. When they want to know where you got supplies, smile & say oh, all over, craft stores, Home Depot ,you know & mention how beautiful this or that piece is & that this piece looks lovely on a turquoise sweater. You are there to sell, don't push & don't let them get in involved in long conversations with you. We had lady that had beautiful pic frames hand made by her son & she actually grabbed a couple of people & I talked to her & told her to be friendly but not pushy but she wouldn't listen & couple of our biggest customers told us that they would not be back so we ended having them. People want to feel comfortable looking & not rushed into anything & if they do feel rushed they will not be looking for you next year because they are upset that they were a pushover. 1 thing I just did for friend that sells at swapmeet was bought her a large thick navy blue piece of cloth to cover her long table & hang over the front almost to the floor. That way she could store extra items handy & the customers couldn't see them but she would not have to be digging around in back of her car where she couldn't watch customers(some steal) If your jewelry is very nice would be wise to invest in couple of pieces of velvet in black, dark blue, forest green or wine colors, they show off pieces beautifully. Develop a system so it is easy to put items out for display, maybe thin plywood covered with velvet with pieces attached with fishing line & don't detach piece until you have the money could have something so covered board is raised in back to make it easy to see pieces ,at some school fairs the thing is half over before the person has their stuff out as they have it in a large tote & have to drag it out & untangle it & figure out where to put it. Organize yourself so it's simple to put large cloth on table, 3-4 covered boards at various heights maybe 2in rise on 1 up to 6 in on 1. So it is interesting display. Maybe have a sandwichboard type sign thing with velvet on it & hinge so closes to put it away. If your prices are over $10 it is worth getting some velvet pieces, thrift shop might have dress you can cut apart for cheap price or end cuts at craft store where you can get 1/2 yd pieces etc Use a 40% off coupon at Michaels or Joanns if you have 1 & get reduction on the velvet or get it on sale. You want kind of a jewelry store look to your displays if you have quality jewelry. Have fun! Jan

sunny ca you bring up a very important point - a display that sets up easily. I searched and searched for ideas online for an easy display and found something really cool (I thought) but would not do again. I placed branches in a pot and hung my necklaces on them under a tent in an outdoor market. I had about 100 necklaces hanging and when the guy who owned the tent decided he was done for the day and ready to pack up, I found myself scrambling to take all my necklaces off quickly while the tent was coming down around me.

I had painstakingly packed the necklaces getting there, taking care not to snarl the cords,etc. and figured I'd do the same when I packed up for the day. I ended up having to just throw them all together in a basket quickly to dismantle at the end of the day. It was a whole two weeks later that I had the energy to tackle the blob of chains that were all mixed up. Whew. Talk about learning the hard way! From now on no more sharing booth space. I will be in control of my own space next time.

Do you have any suggestions for the black or dark colored velvet that would make use of height in the booth? I've read not to just lay everything flat, but to have some items at eye level so people 1) can see at a distance and 2) don't have to bend over your table to see everything. I'd love to come up with a novel, simple way to do this.

What is your take on people being able to touch your pieces vs. having them under glass or plexiglass? I thought that I would like people to touch them and hold them up and look in the mirror, but my experience was the only ones who touched anything were the 7-14 year olds , Ugh!

I think you could take piece of 1/4 in plywood & add a hinge with 3 in wide second piece of plywood(look at how a standing picture frame works- same idea) but might need thin chain hooked on big board near bottom & on bottom of 3 in board so it doesn't open too far & get pushed over. I would put narrow seam on sides of velvet & do bottom before attaching velvet going over top of the large board stapling it to the back( or thumb tacks so could be removed to wash. Then I would attach each necklace with a piece of 25 lb.fishing line knotted so it can't be removed until you cut it for a sale. The velvet shows off silver or gold chains beautifully. I do it when I've been given a lot of jewelry by a friend & didn't want it stolen at yard sale as selling other things also. You could have 3-4 heights of these picture frame look velvet boards. If they have stones or colors in them you would do well to have wine colored velvet & deep green or navy as that would look good with pinks, opal etc Wine might be best for black settings, green stones etc, would have to try out different colors of velvet for the necklaces you have. If you've seen rings you will see them in black, deep green, light gray, or wine colored velvet boxes as they show off the rings to their best advantage. If you have earrings or bracelets you could use smaller display the same way or have sets of earrings & necklaces on same board, You will have to decide placement. You could get maybe 3 boards on a table 1- 24 in tall, 1 20 in. tall etc. Have to be sturdy as wind could knock them over if not well built. Chain on back toward bottom would keep them from falling backward I think. The velvet will just be on front of boards being attached on back at top only so that you can cut the fishing line by lifting velvet up some, if it is glued down or attached all around you couldn't run needle through the velvet to reattach necklaces for next sale day. I finished my velvet piece at bottom by turning under about 1/2 inch & stitching close to top of the 1/2 inch. That way you could put a wooden dowel in it for extra weight but still easily move the velvet to cut necklace off, I cut it from the top but don't want to snip through necklace. I knotted the fishing line & sometimes I could unknot it but I had small scissors handy in my pocket so I could snip so didn't keep people waiting. They can handle the pieces to some extent but not walk off with them. If you have more room on table than you can have other stuff laying on the table in front of your display boards. Sand edges of boards so you don't get slivers . At end of day lay 1 on top of the next & put them all in car at once.If your dowels come out of bottom might cut them little shorter & but a couple of stitches to hold them in. Wind will be biggest problem if you are outside. Doubt you will do it if raining. If things are too slow at end of day you may have to use some baking pans with velvet glued on to put loose bracelets so just pick them up & no putting them in another container. I kept my money in a 3 pocket apron I made that tie around my waist coins in 1 section, bills in 2nd
& cough drops, pen, scissors & tissues etc in 3rd section. I keep hand sanitizer handy when I have yard sale & clean hands often so I don't end up sick & also you want to keep your jewelry from getting dirty(money is dirty) have small towel hidden so you can wipe your hands on it to dry them of the sanitizer. I try to eat something that doesn't have a smell. Cheese sandwich etc, Pizza smell at booth turns me off. I have iced tea in small cooler & grapes or something like that that is easy to grab a couple. Nothing turns me off like people at 2 booths talking up a storm with each other & looks like they ignore the customers, I just walk on by. I don't like 2 people in the same booth talking like crazy & ignoring customers. Talk all you want when no one is around but when they are getting close to your booth, they are a potential customer treat them with respect! Hope I've helped!

Hi! I'm usually on the cooking and different edible gardening forums, but sometimes stray to other forums as a lurker. That's how I got here. I saw your post, sameboat. Years ago I used my Native American talents to make items my people made for years and bought booth space at several specialty shows, art fairs and regular fairs. I also had a very small shop in a very small suburb of Indianapolis. I had the same problems you had, sameboat. Oh, at a very, very large county fair, I came back to my booth to hear some jerk telling my husband that it wasn't real Indian stuff, probably all from Taiwan. I said, "I beg your pardon" he turned around and saw me with my waist length black hair, in full brain tanned deer hide reqalia that I had made my self in the tradition manner, with all my glass bead, feather and bone jewelry. Needless to say, I got a ton of apologies and a lot of chuckles everytime I thought of it through the years. It would have really screwed his head around if he had known that my blue eyed, light brown almost blond haired husband had one grandmother that was Sioux and the other was Cherokee.

I also had a jerk of a woman come into my shop one day and asked me who my sources were. Of course, she said she was going to open a N.A. shop, but nowhere any place near me. I told her that my sources were Native and I would not share them. Stupid, well, I won't say what, opened a shop not two miles from mine and she carried a lot of Taiwan stuff.

Then again, when I'd go back to the shows I'd participated in the previous year, most of the booths would have introduced dream catchers, etc. into a corner of their booths.

I made decent monehy for a while, then sales started to drop because all the other craft people started copying mine in cheap plastic materials in small sections of their booths. They saw someone else making more money so they started copycatting by buying from Asian sources and ruined the profits of all. I quit shows. I kept my shop for a while, then I closed that. I've thought about doing hide dresses, mocs, dance shawls, etc. and selling them online instead of the cutthroat shows, but if I did start up again, I'd probably only sell at PowWows.

I see where you're coming from and wish people would be original and not be down on other people's talents or steal them. Booths with crochet top towels and such just are demeaning their own items by mixing in something totally different and taking an earning away from others.

Sameboat, I support your rant!

The shows/fairs we do are juried. That means we must submit photos/slides of our work for review before we are accepted. Imported items are forbidden.

I was doing a show when a number of jewelers who know each other went to the promoter about one booth selling all imported work. They had the website where the offender gets his work and showed it to the promoter who promptly went over and told him he had "30 minutes to leave the property". He also forfeited his $385 booth fee.

Once you jury in, you cannot add something else. For example, the crafter with the crocheted top towels cannot place a display of dream catchers in the corner of the booth. She would be told in no uncertain terms to put them away.

I just pulled out of a Christmas event. This is to benefit Handicapped children and a playground for them to play in. First year event. When I was contacted, I was told it was handcrafted only. Things change - there is skin care, jewelry, Kitchen items (read that Pampered Chef) , Avon(??) - I paid for my space over a month ago and told them to consider it a donation, but I would NOT be there... I am tired of being in shows with re-sellers and clerks... PLUS I am tired... I do all of my crafts, setting up, selling, EVERYTHING by myself and it is becoming harder for me to do... I'm not in it for the money - I love people and this gets me out there, but I'm tired... I'm trying to hang on 'till my autistic grandson can help me - he is autistic and it would be good for him. He is learning to make change - I told him he had to learn that before I would consider his helping me (BTY - he's 8)

I think its true that its good to make totally new things every few years or less depending on how complicated the product is because of the copying factor. I know lots of crafters who have been copied and undercut with cheap materials. It is odd to me that buyers don't seem to be able to tell the difference.
I've had some small successes, but am definitely in the extra money for fun category. I think you've got an uphill battle with jewelry because so many people make it. I love necklaces, but I tend to hardly look at craft fairs because the number of jewelry booths is overwhelming in number and underwhelming in design talent.

I like to have an idea of how necklaces will look on and how low they will hang so how about neck shapes cut out of colored card stock or old maps or book pages or what ever (choose your theme) and mounted on a board? You'd have to adjust how you hung the necklace to how long it would be on a real neck. If you have the talent or a friend who can make a few heads with faces out of cardboard , colorful and interesting to draw people in and they could wear earrings too. Could be two sided also Just brainstorming what might grab my interest. Good Luck!
Kathy

Hi Kathy that's a great idea. That way people can see how different lengths fall on the neckline. I am certainly not opposed to letting people try them on as well. My pieces are handpainted originals, so it's not like someone could duplicate them by purchasing the same beads. I paint each pendant, earring and ring myself!

Those are lovely!
~diane

Beautiful! I love the coloring! Looks like metal is copper. I have the friend going to swapmeet & she has gotten some of the cutest "heads" I'll have to ask her what they cost & check more on how they are made. Also if she painted the eyes & mouth. She is selling crocheted hats & scarfs & puts them on these heads, They are adorable so would work I think for necklaces. I want to see if earrings could be put on. They are covered with something almost looks like skin. Don't know if it's beige cloth or what. Didn't check them out closely. Will if she is there at club mon. Mannequin heads maybe what they are called, or display heads. Jan

I have seen the styrofoam heads at the craft stores. Maybe I could find a way to secure them to the top of boxes at various heights. That would be cool. I found some hand displays for the rings.

YOur pieces are beautiful!
Good luck.
Kathy

Years ago when I first started making jewelry I took it to a flea market where I had sold handmade dolls and other things for a year or two. As we all know our talents do improve with experience. One day two older ladies approached my table, stood there looking, and one says loudly to the other..."This stuff doesn't sell" I wanted to say..."Lady, you should have kept on walking" Where you sell and who you sell to makes a world of difference. I try not to give my work away but I do try to keep my prices within reasonable reach to most people. For this same reason I choose materials that can reflect that. Much of my work is valuable because of the talent and time I have invested in them. Iif you want sterling expect to pay for sterling. A co-worker once said..."You are making a killing on this stuff" This was after I had sold her a necklace and earrings set for $8.00!!! We just have to understand that you cannot please everyone. My theory is..."If you like it....buy it......if not keep walking. I love my crafts or else I would not do them.

So true, Liddy. I still have some people telling me to raise my prices, that they are worth more, then there are others who say lower them and get those pieces out there. It's so aggravating. Some say you need long necklaces and others say you need to make them shorter, that girls like chokers, etc. LOL So I'm trying to have a bit of everything (within reason) and also to have different price levels so even younger girls could afford something. And then I'll just see what happens.

One thing I have tried that worked well for me is to have a home jewelry party. The girls looked at it like a great get-together and I made it fun and sold my jewelry. The best part of it is that you are only out a little gas and your time. (Unlike having to pay a large sum for a booth or space at a show. ) We played a few games and I gave away some inexpensive earrings. I also printed out some "jewelry coupons" for each to use. Of course the only way to use the coupon is to buy something, right? I just asked the hostess to provide some light refreshments and invite her friends. Right now I am even considering having a party at my own house. (This was for a lady who thought she didn't have room at her house. I am including a picture of one of my medallion necklaces to show you some of my work.

Oh that is beautiful! I think a home party is a great idea - or a trunk show at a store (if you can get a store owner to agree to it!).

I have found a terrific way of transporting and storing my pieces that may help you out, too. At Marshall's, HomeGoods or TJMaxx in the very back of the store in with the closet hooks and hangers are jewelry hangers. It's a hanger with what looks like a garment bag around it. But there are about 30 pouches on both sides! At first I used the ones with only the pouches but then found ones with zippered pouches! The pouches are clear, so you can view them and store them neatly by color, style, etc. They go for $7.99 - $9.99.

I know you have to be really careful about how you store your jewelry. It can become tangled, kinked or misshaped if you aren't careful. A friend of mine had a great idea for bracelets or earrings or other small pins etc. She uses plastic needlepoint canvas inside a picture frame and hangs the jewelry from the canvas. (remove the glass) You do have to leave some room behind the canvas for the earring hooks. These frames can then be stacked up for storage or stood upon a table or even hung on a wall.