Craft show question

[mrpotter]

I am planning on having a table at a local craft show in december. I am mostly going to be selling cutting boards, and am wondering what else I should sell. Is their anything that goes along well with cutting boards? Or anything else that is generally a good craft show seller?
Thanks!

[ndtroll]

I have found that you never know what will sell.... I do well with clocks in addition to my wildlife and seasonal items....
However, as it has been said...
What you think will sell .... won't
What you don't think will sell ... will
What you least like to make ... will sell the best

Find out what sells in your area... check out other shows, look in gift shops, etc

[pops-shop]

Mr. Potter

Take a little of everything. As Dave said, ya just never know. Being close to Christmas, folks will probably be looking for last minute stuff.

[OPA1]

Mr. Potter

Take a little of everything. As Dave said, ya just never know. Being close to Christmas, folks will probably be looking for last minute stuff.



A big ditto on that Fred. You don't know the stuff I have in the corner of my shop. I know that the day after I throw it out it'll be the new craft craze. If you know what's always selling then go pick out the winner of the Derby instead. :D :D

ED :cool:

[pops-shop]

An update from Fred

Helped support a Boy Scout troop yesterday and was a vender at their Festival. There were only a couple of real crafters there. Cost me $35 for the show - made $700 - ratio looks kinda good to me.

Anyhow, back to the question at hand - yep, cleaned out my shop, sold a few items that had been in inventory for 3 years - only sold one map -

Yep, take it all I say.

[Gunny]

Did a small show Sunday for the Sheriff's Department Triad Program. (Whatever that might be...) Two tables cost $25.
I was the only woodworker there and I made $112 in the first 25 minutes.
Over the next 5 hours I sold one crochet hook for $7... You never know...
But it wasn't a bust by any means... I spent about two hours talking to an eighty-something retired cabinet maker (still had all ten fingers incidentally), who came here from Poland by way of Germany in 1953. The insight I gained in that conversation was worth much more than I ever could have hoped to make in sales. He told me about a local Woodturner's group and later on he returned with a box of some of his segmented turnings... Incredible stuff.
It's great to have a successful selling day (at least that's what they tell me) but I can't think of too many things more enjoyable than meeting that new friend and having him share his craft with me. Sometimes the show experience itself is the most valuable thing you take away...

[ndtroll]

I agree with .... "You never Know....
Two years ago at one of the craft shows, I had some of my granddaughter's items mixed in with my items... they had Tiaras, refridgerator magnets and a few other items.... They sold more than I did on the second day...
I did 90% of my sales on the 1st day.... It was a good show overall...

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Gunny

Good for you. It always is amazing how no matter where you go or what you are doing when you meet another woodworker the storys we can tell. We just love to share info and experiences. Kind of like we do here. You probably made that guy's day also. I bet he seen a whole lot of change in the world of woodworking tools. :)

[Woodbutcher68]

I did two shows over the weekend, both at high schools, one Catholic and one Christian. The Christian school on Saturday was $20.00 for a space and was my best selling show ever. It never seemed crowded, but the sales were steady. On Sunday, there were 170 booths at the Catholic school, cost $60.00 for a 10'X6' space and was my second best show ever. I also got a couple of special orders and a commission to do a wood border a statue area for the Catholic school. Those two shows are now on my to do list for next year.

[K&MScrollworks]

Woodbutcher you have good news for me, its my plans to do a high school show in March. Am scrolling away to get a better and larger inventory. What type of items sold the best.

Kris

[Woodbutcher68]

Ornaments have been my best selling item, followed by crosses and bottlestoppers. I have about 65% scrolled and 35% turned in my inventory. I don't stain or paint anything.
You never know what's going to sell. I did a Gospel Fest fundraiser for a veteran's memorial and geared up with religious themed items. Got a lot of lookers and heard "I'll be back", but sales were poor. I seem to do better at church and school sponsored sales.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Hey Woodbutcher, you make bottle stoppers and did not answer my post in the turning section :( I want to get into them and would like to gather as much info as I can. Can you post some photos??? What type stoppers do you use what finish do you use are all questions I asked in the turning section. Do not want to hijack this post so if you could come to the turning forum and report back to me. :)

[Woodbutcher68]

Ooooops! Sorry JT, I haven't looked at the turning forum in a while.

[pops-shop]

Did my Boy Scout show on Saturday. $35 for a 10x10, show hours 10-4, took a little of everything, sold about $500 (with only one map sold). Not bad for a non-juried very small town show.

Now getting ready for the big one next week.

[wisconsinwoodch]

I did a show this last weekend, I did it last year, and did realy good,this year I did about the same as last year, but the fealings I got from the custumers that they could care less about the crafters, They wouldnt even say nice work or great job I had one custumer spend 400.00 , he was the only one that saidgreat work, He was a big custumer last year too. i have one more to go , It was my second biggest show last year, I hope that continues,One tip , take every thing that didnt sell last year , I sold just about all of that stuff this year Good Luck to all , Im burnet out after 22 shows. time for a break.now I have to hope my on line store picks up. You can see my toys at www.wisconsinwoodchuck.com :) :) :) :)

[TimD]

I reserved a booth spacve the other day, $60.00 for a 10x12 coming up in Nov.. Then when I got home I plugged my lathe in to make some pens for an a state /national event before that. Imagine my surprise when the lathe blew the fuse and then blew the next one that I tried. My brother had used my bench grinder to grind some lawn mower blades recently and the metal dust had got into the bearings and everywhere else that they could, rusted over and locked the whole thing up. Stipped teeth on the drive belt, ruined motor, shorted out speed controller and the electronic control board. For everything that would need replacing the differnce between the parts and a new one was under $100 plus I would have to tear the old one apart and then rebuild it.
Now I'm waiting on a new lathe to arrive. Hopefully it will be here by the end of this week. That would give me the weekend and Monday afternoon to turn pens for the event on Tues. which is the most pressing. Needless to say my brother and I have had a talk about grinding around my lathe!.
I've done pretty good this year with pens and pencils. Then I guess the next best seller has been my turned deer grunt calls. Key chains, the needle cases that I turn and the little vases have sold some at different places. Now I'm going to add more calls such as duck, coyote and soon crow. I have enough chains and balls to make up quite a few fan/light pulls when I get a lathe.
For the thing in Nov. I also plan to have a couple of the log cabin lamps that I make, also a big turned baseball bat lamp. I may bring them back home but I will see what sells close to Christmas. I don't need to buy lottery tickets as every place has been different and from one event to the next has been different as to when to expect the buyers. At one it will be all buyers as soon I open and then a day of talking to people. The next one may be just the opposite, a day of talking and then sell out while I'm preparing to leave. Then you've always got the know it alls who like to stand their and try to brag to their friends about how they could do that.

[wisconsinwoodch]

I had that happen once, I use to sell folding tables, all hard wood, I got the oak and maple from a cabnet shop that gave me the wood that made the legs and arms, all I had to buy was the pine boards that I used for the top COST 7.00dollars.I sold them for 40 .00 dollars,This guy said to his wife, 40.00 dollars, I can make that.he must have not bought any oak or maple lately,any way his wife said yes you can but WHEN, GET OUT THE 40.00 dollars. Iam getting it NOW!! I laughed out load. Made my day. wisconsinwoodchuck :) :) :) :)

[Gunny]

Tim,
I think I'd have become an only child when the second fuse blew. Fortunately my brother leaves all the shop work to me...
My Grizzley 14x40 has logged more that 1200 hours since last November and although it still does the job I'm thinking seriously of upgrading after the last show of the year in early December. The only problem is, when I look around it seems the next rational step up from the model I paid $350 for is about $1800 - the next step after that looks like $5000+. Seems there is no such thing as baby steps in this hobby...

[OPA1]

I am planning on having a table at a local craft show in december. I am mostly going to be selling cutting boards, and am wondering what else I should sell. Is their anything that goes along well with cutting boards? Or anything else that is generally a good craft show seller?
Thanks!


IMHO: I would stick with stuff like the cutting boards, trivets, and the like. When I first hit the craft shows . The first year I did nothing but go to as many shows as I could. There you take note of the crafts on sale, you eye up your competition and check out booth setups. Then you prepare for the next season. The most important thing is "Make your Crafts The BEST you Can". After that you make them better. By this I mean you strive for perfection in the beginning your on the right track. Good luck on the first show ;)


ED :cool:

[mrpotter]

I went to the craft fair last weekend and set up a table of cutting boards. I took 21 and sold 10 for a profit of about $300. Their were only about 20 people selling stuff their, most of which was tree ornaments and jewlery. Their was one other woodworker there with some turned bowls and some clocks. For the aproxamatly 100 people that came through, I think I did very well.
Heres a few pics:
http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cuttingboards001ux2.jpg
http://img168.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cuttingboards004fm2.jpg
http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cuttingboards018dd4.jpg
http://img165.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cuttingboards008vk7.jpg
http://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cuttingboards011qb3.jpg

Thanks for all the help!

[pops-shop]

I like 'em. Good looking cutting boards. Love the idea of different woods. What did you use as a finish?

[mrpotter]

I used mineral oil as the finish

A lot of people at the show said I should try selling them on ebay. Do you think they would sell for a decent price?

[ndtroll]

In the past I have sold items on ebay... but not for a couple of years...
Here are my observations:
1. if you don't put a reserve on the item people will try to buy it at a low price... usually less than you are expecting...
2. if you put a reserve, (minimum price), you generally won't get any bids.

of course it could be that the variety of items I put on ebay were just not what people wanted....

try it if you want.... I have not bought or consigned anything on ebay for almost two years

[pops-shop]

Dave

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :rolleyes:

think I'll stick to juried craft shows :)

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Mrpotter

Thanks for following up on your original post and filling us in on what you are finding. First let me say nice little pot of gold for a first timer and getting your feet wet. Your boards are nice and maybe you should look into doing chess and checker boards. Put a boarder on them and you got something. As far as the ebay thing goes I am currently trying a few pieces on a friends store on ebay and so far no bites. I have listed both ways as mentioned. I find that ebay is a glorified flee market. Everyone wants things for as cheap as they can get them and you try to play the games with adjusting prices but in the end I do not think that is a place to sell finished wooden products handmade. I could be wrong and boy I have, but I am willing to hear some success stories and the secrets. Good going on the show and hope future success is around the corner in sales.

[wisconsinwoodch]

You got that right JT nothing but a glorified flea market.I have sold some junk there, but good hand crafted wooden things no if you dont use a reserve price they will buy it for nothing, if you use a reserve they might bid but always about half of my going prices at art shows.when I list I always put in my web site store address.I get a few people ask about things then.and sometimes they buy some thing they saw on the web site. I buy exotic woods, but you better watch what you are buying. I got to know some of the sellers then you can get some good deals. :) :) :) :)

thewisconsinwoodchuck
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