Stuff to sell at a craft sale?

Question

Any ideas?

Answer 1

I have done about a million craft shows. In my opinion, the things that sell the best are the most unusual. If you sell something everyone else sells, (like clothes for those stupid yard geese) you will not do as well.

One thing that always sells really well is kids' toys. I don't mean used toys. I mean something you make for kids that they can buy with their own money. We sold "Harry Potter kits" one year--a homemade felt "wizard" hat, painted with glitter paint, a dowel-rod "wand" and a "Spell Book" (a blank notebook with a gel pen.) They were really popular. We made them in girls' and boys' styles.

Cheap jewelry with cool symbols also sells. Sculpey clay (the polymer clay that bakes in the oven) makes very nice pendants and beads. String them on nylon cords for the cheapest and nicest finish. You can make hanging loops out of heavy copper wire by twisting them into loops and pushing them into the clay and baking them in.

Miniature things are also popular. Tiny purses, or little bags with drawstrings, decorated with glitter paints, odd or unusual buttons, and trims sell well.

Pay attention to the trends. If goose clothes are the "big thing" in your area, everyone is going to have them. You won't sell enough and make any money that way.

Potpourri gifts are nice--made with homemade potpourri--like sachet bags, drawer scenters, or hanging pomanders. Candles and oils or scented anything is always a good seller. You can make inexpensive candles scented with your own mixes of oil or fragrances, and tie pretty fabric tops or ribbons on them.

Baby clothes like booties, caps and t-shirts sell well.

Offer something "extra" with each sale--a little charm you make from beads, or a little ribbon-tied ornament you've made from polymer clay.

Things that don't sell well at most craft shows are usually the more expensive items--people are always looking for inexpensive gifts. I have seen a lot of people with very expensive silk-flower arrangements take most of them home at the end of the day. Ditto for the homemade afghans, the plastic-canvas stuff, the jigsawed wood work stuff, and the quilts. Ditto for expensive jewelry.

First rule of thumb: what would YOU buy at a craft show, and how much would YOU be willing to pay for it? Be very realistic.

Second rule of thumb: how much did it cost YOU to make it? Can you sell it for a price that will pay you for your materials AND your labor? Did it take a long time to make, paint, assemble? If so, then, chances are, you aren't going to make any money on it.

Third rule of thumb: sure, you can sell it for under a dollar. But how many of them will you have to sell to make back your table fees, your transportation costs and the price of your lunch? Sell a variety of items at a variety of prices.

Fourth rule of thumb: Be different. If you sell what sixteen other tables are also selling, what's the incentive you're offering so that people will buy yours instead? If you lower your prices, you'll cut yourself out of profit and you will make less money. If you raise your prices, you'll lose customers. Sell something no one else is selling. That way, there's no comparison shopping to do, and there's no price war to get into.

Fifth rule of thumb: Presentation is EVERYTHING. An attractive booth, a nice display--showing people how to use what they buy from you--is the key to getting people to look at your stuff and buy it. Slap an ugly tablecloth or old sheet on a crooked table and lay everything out flat and you will have a much harder time. People will walk past rather than stop and check out your stuff. Learn to chat and talk to your customers too--personal attention always keeps someone there longer. Don't push your stuff at them, just make small talk. Smile a lot. Be ready to answer their questions. Don't push your personal beliefs or your personal prejudices off on them. If they dont' buy, don't be nasty, sarcastic or mean. Smile anyway and act like you care, even if you don't. It's all about being a person people like. No one wants to buy something from someone they dislike.

Good luck!!

Answer 2

theres lots of website sites for making crafts pretty cheap. Holiday crafts usually sell the best. Seasonal crafts also sell.

Answer 3

People love old yard tools anything is acceptable.Also any kids games like air hocky or any action game. Must be working....

Answer 4

Anything crochet-ed or knitted
Knick-nacks
Wood working
Home made soaps/candles