Craft Show Checklist and How Much Money I Make
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- How I did at my recent craft show and a checklist of items needed when preparing for a craft show.
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David Picciuto
PO Box 2499
Toledo, OH 43606
© Picciuto, LTD
Did our first juried craft show this weekend. About 50,000 people attended. It was definitely a learning experience but not sure how many more we will do. We're going to try again next year and used what we learned to make our booth better and go from there. We studied, researched, and asked questions at this event. We would've done more of this prior if we had time but job is requiring 60hrs/wk right now.
People in my area are extremely cheap I found. My son made 14 standard cutting boards w/ quarter round edges and a 1.5" hole to hang/hold on to and sold five at the fair. He had both cherry and white oak. The first day he had them listed at $30 and got one buy. The next day he lowered to $25 and sold two. The third day he lowered to $20 and only sold two. There were two men that came up to the booth and were impressed that he made them and asked their wives to buy and both wives said no. Many people walked by and scoweled at the prices despite the fact that these were homemade. I'm a woodcarver and I can get a minimum of $40 for some carvings I make elsewhere but at this show people scoffed at the $15 I ended up putting on them.
Although it was a juried show there were plenty of Chinese made products there. Very annoying. I assumed going into this that more people would take time to actually peruse the booths but they don't. They breeze on by looking for eye candy. It's definitely a women's world at these shows as everything is tailored for them w/ decor and the like. Did I mention two men weren't allowed to buy cutting boards? LOL. Anyway, the vendor next to us had very simple welcome signs w/ cheap Chinese parts attached to them. Not even sure if he made them. He had about 80 and sold out of them for $35/piece. This was his second show in two weeks and sold 80 the prior week.
I'm more fond of unique items because that's what I do so not sure if these shows are an avenue for that. It seems most booths that did well had one to two common themes in them and that was it. Welcome signs and crosses. Or, sewn headbands and scarfs. Or, paintings and prints. Etc.
The one thing I did notice though that we can use this event next year for mere advertising of our online presence. People did ask for business cards and we didn't have any. So, working on that phase for next year. We did cover our expenses but hope to do better next time to make it "worth" it.
As a professional cabinetmaker I'm interested to see your hourly rate. So I did some math and estimated your hours for each project as low as possible to be fair.
10 laser cut journals 4hrs
2 note pads 1hr
4 clipboards 5hrs
11 pencil holders 6hrs
1 beer tote 4hrs
7 Ohio/Michigan 4hrs
7 wine holders 5hrs
Random cutting board 6hrs
Ramiken cuttimg board 5hrs
1 record holder 7hrs
Craft show time to sell, setup and pack up 8hrs
Totals 55hrs
$1200-$200material=$1000 divide that by 55hrs =$18hr not to shabby!
Danny M according to homie's "day rate" pricing in the how to price your work video, all of these items including the show time would have been made and sold in 10hrs or less combined.
Just a quick comment to say thanks. I love that you do these videos, where you show complete transparency. This video where you say how much you made. Another video you showed how to find out how much RUclipsrs makes. It is very enlightening. The main channel is faily behind the scenes as it is, so these are like behind the scenes of behind the scenes. I love it!
Thanks man!!!
I know this is an older video, but I just want to mention that you're undercharging for your art, man. It's worth so much more
I've always had trouble selling my work. More often than not when someone expresses interest in a project I just give it to them.
Been there. done that. I am just so happy that some one finds my work worthy. I am currently looking for a good reason to make another mermaid tail. I want to make it. I want someone to love it. "priceless" is my goal.
Thanks for the inside info. Question, what method do you use to derive your sales price. I don't want to be too expensive, but not to sell myself short either. My prices now just cover materials to cover my "hobby", but would like to expand to invest in more tools.
I usually create with special friends and family in mind💫💫💫 I’m like a kid at Christmas waiting for them to receive them🤗🤗🤗 That’s my joy🐝🐝🐝
I kept saying "Yep, we do that", on your long list of what to bring to a craft show. Great tips for beginning craft show vendors.
Thanks!
@@SomethingAboutMaking is it possible for me to rent a woodworking shop by the hour in Ohio my friend?
Craft shows are always fun. Im attending them since 25 yrs (since i was 15). Great video Dave!
David another great video! Thank you! I do a lot of craft/art shows and most of them are outside so my list is a little different.
I would add sunscreen, a roll of duct tape, Leather Man, Hand Truck, Paper towels and windex for cleaning the products, My Drill for putting together my display shelves, bubble wrap, a few random size cardboard boxes if someone wants something packed and boxed really well. I bring a cooler bag full of snacks and coffee, a hammer and stakes to anchor my tent, bed risers to make my tables taller so 2 rubber maid totes can stack under the table. Museum wax to stick the pieces down if its a windy day. My main advice for people starting to do craft shows is to do shows that have more people going to them. My set up is the same if 5,000 people come see the show or if 50,000 people come to see the show more people means more $$$ more $$$ means more making!!
I will probably never participate in a craft show. However, these are great tips. Many can be applied to other situations where you can sell goods
Your channel is one of my favorite making channels
David, this is great advice for anyone considering selling at craft fairs. The wife and I tried outdoor, "market days" type events in the Texas Hill Country for about 2 years with poor results (I'm a custom cabinetmaker by trade, and she is very talented at a number of crafts). We got a lot of compliments on our merchandise, but sales seldom covered the costs. The small wood items were mid-range ($50 and up) so we may have had too high an entry price point, who knows. A number of the other vendors typically had poor sales, too. Seems like a lot of folks came out for fresh air and to walk their dogs, but seldom bought anything. The food vendors always seemed to make out like bandits, though!
Two other points I would mention: event insurance, and a platform cart to get your goods and equipment between the site and your car or truck. There are a number of web-based companies that sell short-term liability coverage for this purpose. Our premium was about $40 for a 2 or 3 day show -- small price to pay for peace of mind in case someone twists their ankle in your booth and wants to sue for your kids' inheritance! And a sturdy hand truck or platform dolly will help minimize trips and save your back when setting up or tearing down.
I appreciate a lot your comments, really useful. Great idea to share with us your experience in this matter. It's not always about making things, it's also about selling them. You are great!
Great list David. One thing you could add to the list is lights. If it's a night show there are battery operated LED lights you can get to put in your booth. I saw you were in an indoor event, my wife and I were doing the art shows that were held outside and we had to have a tent but to be accepted to these shows most required booth shots so like you said take pictures of your set up so you can apply to more shows if you like doing them. Great advice though.
Wow David! I can't fathom selling a cutting board for $200! Kudos man! I had no idea you could make that kind of money at a craft show! Thanks for sharing this.
Again thanks for this series it is a huge help for those of us that are starting out or thinking of starting down this road. Have a great day!
i work full-time but do woodwork part-time, i had a rule that i have to buy all my tools with the profits i make in woodwork. 2 years down the line i have a good problem of trying to make tables ,chairs and all-sorts of things for customers and small retailer. i just wish i had the balls to say right I'm a full-time woodworker
I really appreciate you doing this, and being so open about what you charge and how much you made. When I did my fist craft show I was completely lost as to how I was doing comparably. And the checklist is a great resource for someone getting into craft shows. I brought a lot of those items that made life easier, but I did not bring weights and things to hold down canopies. Lesson learned.
He was not open about how much he made. He shared gross revenue. Big deal. Not important. See the comment I made directly to this channel's producer.
I'm way late to the comment show on this video, but just watched it. You should make he stool to sit on and sell those too, they can see it in action. Do a nice laser etch of "Make Something" in the seat or back rest, put the seat on a swivel base with a locking mechanism. Make it the barstool height with multiple foot rungs to change positioning while sitting, but on the back side, make the rungs overbuilt so it can double as a step ladder if you need to hang a banner or something; the swivel-lock seat is so you can use the back rest for support while climbing the ladder.. sunday morning musings. :D
I made 10 cutting boards and priced them what I considered cheap about 4 years ago. I've sold 3 and gave away 3 as gifts. Still hauling 4 of them around. We are doing 20ish shows a year and a couple county fairs. If you sold 2 cutting boards at $200 each you better go buy a lottery ticket.
Slimline pens priced in the $15 range are my bread and butter money makers. Cost about $3 to make, less if you use scrap for the wood blanks. Make one in under 15 minutes.
Primitive wood decor is dead and birdhouses are a waste of material and both space.
Still move a few potato bins and jelly cabinets but it takes a special person to buy one.
Rocking horses in the sub $75 range sell themselves. But not alot of profit margin there. My pattern requires a 1x12x10 per horse and about 2 hours to cut and assemble then another hour to paint the details.
Etsy is a goldmine if you find the right product. Posted a listing Sunday night and worked 14 hours yesterday filling orders. Simple product takes about 5 minutes to cut out and 30 seconds to stain
David, making money doing something you enjoy is always a good thing. I would probably call the money after expenses income rather than profit. You have to pay yourself for your time. This video is filled with a bunch of great tips for the people who do craft shows. I have helped my MIL who does a bunch, and occasionally will put a few of my projects out for display. I had to stop though. I couldn't keep up with the orders. If, I was doing it full time, I'd be all over these shows. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Great info. Thanks. I'm sharing this on the ManCrafting FB.
ManCraftingTM Income is what you collect when selling, Profit is what is left over after overhead.. don't forget about the Taxes .
Thank you once again my friend for the good advice and letting us in on your personal business affairs it was helpful to get a better understanding of what our work is worth, and open our eyes to new ideas. Thumb Up and I will share with my social media as well. ;-)
here's a few suggestions to consider before you begin a woodworking company
Will you get help from your family?
Are you someone who is self-motivated?
Will you stick to the plan?
Do you have the money to start?
(I learned these and the reasons they work on Enata Wood System website )
+Make Something 2 here's a few ideas to consider before you begin your own woodworking business
are you likely to get support from your spouse?
Are you self-motivated?
Will you carry out your plan?
Do you have the funds to go ahead?
(I learned these and why they work from Enata Wood System website )
thanks David, got a market coming up in a couple of weeks and the tissue paper and whiskey will definitely help. Long time fan first time caller.
AWESOME VIDEO, seeing the prices we can appreciate the fact that sometimes, we work because we like it, not because we make a lot of money, recently I gave the stuff I made and the smile and appreciation of the people was my pay. Your work is such quality work with a lot of taste, that it's worth every penny of it, wish you all the success!
It was great to meet you at the show. Good insight on the show, I've always wondered if it was worth doing them or not. It was really busy when we were there, I was a little overwhelmed by the time we made it to your booth. I bought one of your "Michigan Art" pieces. I should have had you sign it, I didn't notice it wasn't til we got home. It was neat to see all the different projects that I watched you make on RUclips!
Thanks Jason! I appreciate the support! Great meeting you!
I can see you're working like a crazy man these days, but wanted to let you know that the videos on this channel have been SUPER informative. Thanks man.
It's just about TIME!!!
Awesome. Thanks for taking the time to share your information. It helped a bunch. Got my mind clinking away. I love the stool idea.
Hello Toledo! I'm happy to see local people doing great.
Go Buckeyes go Rockets Toledo baby born and raised Southside but don't live there no more I reside in Arizona Toledo fell to shit.
Wow, you had a great day at the craft show! I'm not surprised, your work is beautiful.
if you've got cordless power tools, at least with newer ones, you can buy a USB adapter for the batteries and you've got an instant power source. I picked one up for my Ridgid tools and it was $20 at Home Depot.
Another great video with really good advice. Always good to make sure you have what is needed. Congrats on a good show. My wife and I have now being doing shows for 5 years.Some good and some bad, but we enjoy it in the end.
We have found that everyone of them is just a little different in what the crowd wants. The one thing that always seems to help us is the diversity of the products we carry. You have a good smattering of items in all different price ranges and that certainly helps. I would encourage anyone that is planning to do a show to have a selection of items and not just focus on one sole item with one price point..
CtL
Just saw this and wanted to say how helpful your list is. One thing to keep in mind with respect to a table covering. Some communities where shows are held will require that the covering be certified as flame retardant! Check on all the rules you must follow!
Thanks David! Always a pleasure watching your videos :)
Perfect video. I am planning on having a stand at a local craft show. This exactly what I'm after. Thanks very much
It was great meeting you. Glad you had a good time. I hope you liked the lacewood pen
I've taken some of the wine displays that I've made based on your design to several craft shows and I can't seem to give them away. I priced them at $25 and while they looked great only a few people were interested enough to buy. Just goes to show what works in one area of the country may not necessarily work in yours. Congrats on your success!!
get yourself a deep cell battery and a wave inverter. They take little space. You can power powerful led shop lights and even a radio for ambiance : ) With a wave inverter you can even make coffee in your booth. It will power a desktop for about 3 hours, otherwise
It will last for the entire show, stress free. They typically have both electrical outlets and usb chargers.
For a 200 dollar investment it's well worth it.
two points. I want to state, If you are going out of town (I realize you stay local) But if one is to go beyond 25 miles I would suggest giving the vehicle you plan on transporting to the show a check of fluids and tire pressure. IF you are less than 500 miles away from a oil change... Get the oil changed and have the service people do all the checks needed. IF you use a trailer have them check the wheel bearings... if it has been a few hundred to couple thousand miles get them repacked. Tires, make sure they are up to pressure and don't looked dry rotted, replace them if they do. A tire on a trailer going flat can cause much more serious of an accident vs the tire on the car. Trust me, spending $100-$400 at the mechanic's may cut into your profit.. but you ain't gunna make money sitting along side the road with a broken car.
Speaking of profit, for your situation using scrap and found/gifted wood. calculate a minimum of 20% just of replace the wood used.
The flask is a genius addition to my list. Thanks, friend!
Very interesting. I wonder how that translates to craft shows in my region. Thank you for being so open with these things, David, most appreciated! Great second channel! Cheers!
Great information thanks for sharing the behind the scenes of the business side of things. I've often wondered about craft shows and their potential.
Thank you for all the advice 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Not sure if you know what a standing stool is or not, they normally have a base with one lag going up to a seat. The lag sometimes is on an angle with a page. They just help take some of your weight with allowing you to look attentive and ready to go. Plus who knows you could end up selling it too 😂👍🏻
I've thought it many times and I just want to tell you that I think you're an absolute F(redacted)G legend! Love your style dude. Love your vids dude. Kinda wanna give you a hug right now. I'm starting to kick things off in my own hobby to business conversion and this information, while being a year an a half old, is priceless and ageless. You have freely offered information and experience that would otherwise only be learned if i'd been in the business for... well as long as you have. And the depth to which you've gone to do it. Far out man! Thank you so much.
Really an informative video. I appreciate you taking time to make a video like this to help some of us who may be interested in Doing craft shows. I would never have thought of half of those things!!! I enjoy both of your channels very much. Take care and be safe!
Wonderful video. I'm with you I only do a small handful of craft shows in a year. They take a lot out of you! Wonderful tips!
Hey, Toledo ! On the other side ! Great video !!!
broooooo.... I love your channels. I can't believe it took me this long to find it. Keep up the awesome work.
Great video! I didn’t even feel the need to “Red Line” it 😉. I will be showing my husband as it would be so fun to create and do a show together! Thank you for the project ideas and solid tips! You rock David!
I know this is a few years late but one thing I think people would buy is lazer etched or cnced coasters of your logo. Maybe a set of 4 out of marine ply or some water resistant laminate.
I love the beer tote, I need to build one for myself!
Very neat to see the fruit from all your labor.
I get you on the craft show. It isn't always about the time you put into making things, or the profits(which is a good thing it isnt) but more about the enjoyment of the entire process. I do one show a year, no custom orders. That would then become a job. I made new friends and new ideas and some extra for my charities and I enjoy it.. A win-win. Not everyone gets it. You did well at yr show!
Greta tip brah and perfect timing for the holiday craft shows.
Wow! I just realized that you're northwest ohio too! Goes to show how much I pay attention. I'm not a youtuber but I watch a lot of you guys for inspiration and ideas. Keep up the good work man!
Lots of great information before my first show. Thanks for taking the time to make this video.
Thank you for your knowledge and expertise! Getting ready for our first ever show!
I'm subscribing just because you are from TOLEDO. SOUTH SIDE HERE BORN AND RAISED.
Nice haul! Thank you for the tips, I have had one show were I was very disappointed in my sales (no cutting boards, and just one set of kids blocks). I think having a lot of small items/products is key!
Great advice. Im sure the whisky helps
here's several things to consider before you setup your own woodworking company
Will you have support from your family?
Are you self-motivated?
Will you stick to your plan?
Do you have the funds to go ahead?
(I learned these and why they work from Enata wood system website )
David that was awesome...Thanks for sharing your experience in the kraftshow, was very helpful!
awesome stuff in this one, David. I am just getting started in woodworking but my ideas that i have done are starting to pile up. This was good information that i was honestly curious about. I was going to "set up" out of the trunk of my car and see what i could sell off before the po-po come and shut me down. I think your route might be better.
Great advice. I’d love to see more photos of your craft fair displays. I’m going to be looking to improve mine in a couple of months since its basically just all laid on the table
We do four craft sales per year. We feel that half our cost is making things and the other half is selling them, there are other costs you didn't mention like the cost to build your booth. The set up time and like you had at the sale, the labor of two people at the sale are labor costs into your product. We also sometimes have to account for travel costs as well. So if you sell through craft sales, you better like to do them like we do. I get very few orders from giving out cards, I started having people text me while we were at the sale. This started the conversation for the order process t
thank you so much for this video, definitely gave me some stuff I didn't think of. I have watched a few of your videos and they are always well put together. You got a new subscriber, cheers!
Sooooo Michigan, Ohio, and the 419.. Toledo?.... Great video my friend... I just rang the bell .. I'm in northern Michigan but about 20 year s ago I lived in Toledo
Great tips on the craft shows! And well done on the sales!!! 👍🏻👌🏻👊🏻
Profit can be increased with stairstep pricing. Good, better, best version of the same or similar times. Ideally, there should be little additional expense in making the more expensive items. This can sometimes be achieved by making the base (Good) item less fancy rather than just upgrading better or best versions (airlines do this).
If nothing else, make a best or premium version. There will always be people that want the perceived "best" of something (and they are willing to pay). Anyway.. just some ideas.
Although at the otherside of the pond I found this very useful and helpful hoping to do a craft fair this year and you have certainly given me "food for thought" 👍👍
Great information. I've always wanted to do a booth at my town's summer festival and these are definitely some good tips.
Awesome vid and you have a great recording voice to boot! I'm looking forward to our next craft show. I'm not ready to sell yet, but I enjoy going to them. Have a great day and Good luck with your business!
I stand on concrete for 10 hours every day of the work week. I'm used to it though. Good shoes are a must.
I sit on my butt for 10 hours a day every day. It's tough also.
Thanks for all the great information! I have my first craft fair coming up this Sunday, now I will certainly be more prepared!
Good luck!!!
Thank you! It went pretty well. Now to prepare for the next one! :)
wow that have been very helpful craft show checklist never thought about it before and yea the card swipe machine are a must.
Very informative, thank you for your thoughts and efforts making this.
Just realized you have a second channel. I don't think I've ever subbed to a channel so fast.
This is really helpful, I've done a few craft fairs but I can always improve as I go. Thanks for sharing.
Just stumbled upon this great video. I'm just starting with CNC and I'm from the 419!!! Great work!
Thanks for the great information!
I look forward to videos on both of your channels each week. Keep it up, brotato chip.
i'm following your path man.. you're awesome..
you just give me
inspiraaaaaaations.. hahahahaha.. god i love woodworking
This is an awesome video. It was extremely helpful. You are the man! Sharing your insight with us is commendable. Thank you.
great tips Dave good to hear things went well oh and the display is awesome
Glad it went well David. I had one of my most expensive (bolt action bullet) pens stolen once from a display case. I couldnt believe it! Some people...
thanks as always for the transparency.
Brilliant. This information is precisely what we need. More. More. More!
+9001 on the positive attitude
Love the way you share all this valuable info! subscribed to both channels. Keep it up!
Thank you so much for sharing this information! I am considering craft shows but they seem to be a dying business in my area (Nevada).
Great advice my friend, Ive been wanting to do a craft show but I have a hard time finding info about them. But you have great tips
Fk the ncr! Im with the Minutemen. A settlement need your help. Ill mark iT on your map!
Thank you for sharing your experince David! Its very motivating!
Im getting ready to venture out into selling my stuff. Very helpful and informative. Keep on sharing.
ATL GA.
Good info, thanks for being so open! 🤓👍🏼
Great information! Thanks for sharing, and congrats on your success at the show.
Yo Brother - This is soooo helpful, thank you so much for being transparent, open and honest. regarding stolen items- yes its a loss of money but on the flip side - Someone wanted it soooo bad the took it. That's how i look it.
Assitive positude!
Accidently taken wilfully by mistake. Wine drinkers
BTW, your channel has inspired me.
Thank you so much great information to know before going out to a craft show. David have a Happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends.
Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!
I would also include hand sanitizer since you will be shaking a lot of hands. Setting a large pump bottle on your table might also draw some more people over who want to clean their hands.
Enjoyed the video. Thanks.
This is a great video with tons of awesome info! I gonna try a craft show soon! Thanks David for your time and sharing!
Great advice. Thanks for sharing. Next time you can add leather key holders. I hope you also had fun.
Fun was had!
Good idea about NOT charging the iPad in the display. Good way for it to accidentally get pulled down by accident otherwise !!!
Congratulations on your sales! Great display! Awesome tips, too!
Easy to estimate the cost of the materials if you estimate the board feet of the scrap.
Love the notebooks. Great video.