If you make handmade jewelry and you want to sell it for a profit, you may go into your community and sell it, as long as you know how to get a table at local craft fairs. There are plenty of ways to show off your homemade jewelry designs to a local audience, up close and personal. For example, flea markets are great places to get cheap tables. It’s important that the cost of a table rental isn’t too high, since you’ll want to turn a profit while you’re selling your jewelry at the flea market.
Tips For Selling Jewelry at Craft Fairs
Keep Overhead In Mind
The cost of renting your table is your overhead. A business should be run with the lowest overhead. When overhead is low, it’s possible to keep more of the money that you make. However, in some cases, paying more for a table at a higher-end craft fair may be a good investment, as selling your designs at this type of event will put you in touch with customers who are likely to have more money to spend on what you make.
For example, a specialized event, such as a minerals and gems show, which is held at a local community center or other local hub, will bring out the types of customers that you want to meet. They are already interested in what you sell. Paying more for a table for this type of event is really an investment in the prosperity of your small business.
How to Book a Table
First, you’ll need to find craft fairs in your area or close enough to travel to. Find them at digital message boards, classified ad services (Craigslist et al) and Facebook groups for crafters. There are lots of places to seek out information about upcoming events. Flea markets in communities are typically weekly events (or close to it). So, you should have no trouble finding the biggest flea market in your community through a simple Google search.
You may keep your jewelry at a craft fair by calling up the fair organizers and booking a table. You’ll have to show up on the right date, at the right time, and then set up your jewelry display on your table. Once you do this, price the jewelry with small cardboard tags and string (or keep a mental note of its prices). Stickers may also be used to price items. However, stickers are often hard to remove from jewelry.
We recommend the small paper tags, affixed with string.
Also, keep a “float” of bills on hand, such as fifty dollars, divided into a 20 dollar bill, a ten dollar bill, two five dollar bills and ten ones. Breaking up five of the ones into coins will be smart, as some purchases may be small. Your float will help you to take care of sales accurately and quickly. Also, bring a calculator, consider any taxes that you’ll need to add onto your prices and also bring a small receipt book. We also recommend bringing a paper notebook or laptop and keeping a record of any sales that you make. This will help you to run your business and prepare for tax time.
To pay for your table, you may need to give a credit card number to the craft fair’s organizer. Another option is to pay in cash by going to see the craft fair organizer. If you do this, be sure to get a receipt, as it will be your only proof that you’ve booked a table in advance. You may also be able to write a check or use PayPal. All of the fairs are different, so payment options will vary. Table prices will vary, too.
Consider Selling Your Jewelry Online
Another option is to branch out by selling your handmade jewelry at a digital marketplace, such as Etsy. Etsy is a place where artisans from all over the world meet to sell their homemade products to customers. It’s pretty easy to get set up at Etsy. However, you will need to market your new Etsy shop in order to find business. There are plenty of jewelry sellers there already who make handmade designs, just like you do. Marketing will help you to get traffic at your shop and make sales.
Your marketing should complement your brand message. Start the process by coming up with a great name for your jewelry company. Then, use social media in order to promote what you sell.
Some artisans sell online and offline. They turn their love of making jewelry into full-time careers. You may be able to do this, too. It all begins with choosing a starting point and getting organized. Whether you want to sell jewelry as a career or do it as a fun sideline, always provide professional service to your customers. Great reviews of your business will help you to get ahead and good customer service is the best way to get excellent reviews.
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