I will soon be selling my products at local markets. So far, the most time-consuming task has been creating my inventory while also working at the same time. I am excited but also nervous about the upcoming event. I worry about the possibility of not making any sales. I have had to push back my opening date due to my inventory, but I don’t mind because I want everything to be perfect and of the highest quality. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience selling at markets before and could share their insights with me.
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Even with little inventory youd be surprised how well it could possibly sell! The biggest thing for me is knowing my demographic. My plushies sell best with teens-young adult age. Sometimes children, but bread and butter is teens and college age people.
Next biggest thing is dont under sell yourself. Unfortunately, you will come across people commenting on price. Just because they may make you feel down make sure you have a proce youd be comfortable with making customs for. As i have a lot of custom orders that way.
Other than that, just be yourself. Be open, honest, and by engaging people in conversation youre more often to secure a sale.
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I’m a teenager and at my first market, i sold out and made over $250! That should show it’s not as hard as it looks. I think the most important thing is display. Mine was in october so i had something called a “pumpkin patch” and i pit little ghosts and pumpkin in and those sold so quick. When they’re displayed cutely or in an eye catching way they will sell better!
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how much did u sell them for?
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Small items ($5 or less) sell best. Lots of people want to support you, but they dont want to pay 15 dollars for something.
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Have variety of products ! It helps to have some kids in your life to see what kids like
In my experience 90% of my customers are kids. 
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Make sure you can make change, and if you can, get a card reader! Having Venmo and/or CashApp is super beneficial too (print out the QR code!). I’ve missed out on sales because I couldn’t take a certain kind of payment, so that is my number one tip for newbies!
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Make sure it’s not at a church or a community center or they’ll want things dirt cheap. I barely get any sales at them.
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How much do you charge for your crochet pieces? I mainly focus on clothing sets, wearable crochet items such as bandanas, hats, baby blankets, and also earrings. For instance, I have a set that I made and I would like to price it at $50. I don’t want to charge too much or too little. Is it price items low to get sales?
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I don’t have kids yet, but I’m considering catering to children in my shop. I was thinking of adding baby blankets and scrunchies to my inventory. Do you have any advice on what items are popular? I’m not very skilled in amigurumi, but I tried making a bee once, and it ended up looking more like a potato.
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Thank you I am currently in the process of getting a chip reader on Amazon to help with sales. I will also note to print my QR codes!
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Yes, I have received my tent and table, but I am still deciding on how to set up my display. My main items will be clothing pieces, so I am planning to buy a portable rack, so people can browse through them and have an actual shopping experience. Additionally, I have also purchased a mannequin, where one of my clothing pieces can be displayed. How was your pricing? Some of my clothing pieces are priced between $40-60.
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I would say
Bees
Bears
Mini mushroom boys
Pugs
Amigurumi can be easier to make when following a youtube tutorial
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Hi, thank you for your advice. Initially, I was planning to create a website where people could place custom orders, but I didn’t want to pay for a Shopify plan before having any orders. I’m curious about your process - did you already have experience with custom orders before starting to sell? I currently receive orders from friends and family, but I haven’t had the opportunity to do it while selling at markets locally.
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I only take custom orders locally right now. I make them do a half payment upfront and another half upon completion. Usually through email that I give out on my business cards. I accept cash or Venmo for custom orders - plus another 15 at time of completion if they want it shipped. Otherwise, I do bring them with me to events I’m attending if the customer would like to pick them up from the venue.
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i will say, i sell amigurumi. i had mostly small items and those sold quick, and my items that were above $20 sold towards the end.
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I appreciate it. I will begin with the bees first. I have become skilled at recognizing patterns,I typically don’t watch many videos.
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I try to pay myself an hourly wage + materials for each item, as a firm believer that handmade goods are worth it and shouldn’t be undersold However, I try to have various items at different price points, and do deals to entice people (ex: 1 hat is $70, but 2 for $100). I personally wouldn’t charge less than $15 for a crocheted item, your time and skills are valuable!
Scrunchies and keychains would be a good idea to make to give people an affordable option. If you Google “good/fast/easy market crochet patterns” there are tons of lists on blogs and stuff to give you more ideas and specific patterns.
I would also check out Camyrns Cute Creations on Instagram and YouTube; she has sooo many market tips and patterns!
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Thank you! I was worried about customs, but I printed business cards. I have to redo them because I included my website and number. I think email is just fine.
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I would suggest trying out Ko-fi over Shopify for custom online orders!
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