Selling your handmade jewellery at a craft show can be a great way to get your beadwork out there and make some sales.
When you’re just getting started with selling, shows can be daunting, so I asked my beading friend Shelley to share her tips!
Meet Shelley! Shelley is a long-time member of the Pinkhot Bead Room and regularly sells her beaded jewellery at shows in her local area in Connecticut, USA. She has kindly agreed to share some of her experiences selling her work and her top tips for craft show success.
Shelley trades under the name DeeShell Bead Creations and usually takes a booth at shows with her sister-in-law, Denise, of Denny Rose Designs. They have been selling their jewellery at shows together since 2000.
Shelley says: “Our first show was three days at my office and it was a bust! Horrible! So, we changed our line, added inventory and some different items, new displays, etc.”
“Our first ever show was a bust!”
How many shows a year do you do? We have done a range, with the highest being 11 and the lowest being three. We have some shows that we have been doing consistently since their inception, but it changes, just like the landscape of retail. It’s a LOT of hard work, but it’s fun!
What do you love about selling your jewellery? We love seeing our creations go to a new home!
What’s the worst thing about selling/craft shows? Definitely setting up and taking down the display.  Also, I would have to say the unknown.  You never know what is going to sell year to year or which shows will be the best.  You just hope to do well.
Do you sell any of your beadwoven jewellery? We both do! If it’s made from a pattern, we always identify the artist – or if it’s our own design, we just put it out. We have sold both bead-embroidered and woven bracelets and pendants.
Is it better to share a stand?
It’s great if you can do shows with someone else to share the booth cost and split the sales, but you need the right person. I got lucky in that my sister-in-law and I shared this common interest, and both like doing the shows.
We both have different styles, so it’s really helpful to our sales!  It’s also helpful to be able to shop at other vendors at the shows, take a break, etc.
If you have to do a show alone, find a buddy at the show you trust or ask if there is anyone to watch your booth for you. If you have to go that route, take your cash drawer with you!
What are your top tips for craft show success?
Inventory:
- Don’t stagnate – change up your inventory by adding new things to your collection
- Keep-up on the trends from year to year.
- Just because you don’t like a piece or a set that you made, it doesn’t mean someone else won’t.
On the stand:
- Always keep a positive, friendly attitude.
- Keep a mirror handy so people can try things on.
- Have some extra findings in case someone needs to swap out a clasp, add some length with jump rings, or needs to have clip-on earrings instead of pierced, bring some extra chain to add extensions.
- Work with a friend or make a buddy at the show, it makes taking a break much easier!
Thank you to Shelley for sharing her experiences of selling her handmade jewellery at craft shows. Has it inspired you to take a stand at a local craft fair? Let me know your thoughts and join the conversation over in the Pinkhot Bead Room!