I registered for a market yesterday for May 16th and I need any tips anyone has for markets!!
And I do know about 3-5 dollar bins and having multiple payment options and i will be doing both of those!
But one of the most important things I need is “big showstopper” patterns! I need them to be free and not be super complicated(eg: @SaturnCrochet s dragon patterns(sorry if you didnt want to be tagged!)). I am working on a dragon pattern by crochetbygenna, but it lays down so i feel like you wouldnt be able to see it well in the stand.
if you can find some cheap plastic gift bags that’d probably be good to wrap your items in. whenever I go to markets there’s usually a kid with sticky hands, and then they touch all my stuff… so if you want you can do that
ppl are more interested in my stuff if they see me actively crochet during the market instead of being on a phone
don’t feel like you need to get every single customer sale! if they try to bargain for more than 2-3 dollars (especially if it’s a small item) you don’t have to agree.
(this also goes for trading with other vendors (if this happens to you), if you don’t think their item is the same value as yours you don’t have to trade)
Im mostly looking for medium sized patterns, but I am fine with big patterns! And im using loops and threads soft acrylic yarn and i have about a full skein of most of the colors (expect yellow and pink)
Try to have levels to your table, don’t just have everything flat. If you have a Hobby Lobby near you they have little wooden crates that are fairly cheap. Dollar Tree also has some pretty decent options as well. There are tons of videos on TikTok, Insta, and Youtube that has some really creative display ideas with nothing but a couple things from Dollar Tree and a hot glue gun. This will make your table more eye catching.
If you can get a decent looking table cloth. If you’re using multiple tables make sure they’re all cohesive and have the same kind of color scheme as well that way everything matches. Hobby Lobby also sells little table garland usually for pretty cheap if you don’t have time to make them yourself, just something to help your table stand out.
If your plushies have safety eyes you really need a warning label by your plushie area that says something along the lines of
“Decorative item only. Not intended for children under 12. Contains small parts. Not suitable for children under 3. Choking hazard.”
Even if you’re not marketing something as a toy, if it is reasonable to think it is a toy or looks like a toy you need to have a warning on it. I know most craft fairs don’t enforce federal consumer protection laws, but I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t realize that even as a small business selling at a craft fair or flea market we are still subject to those consumer protection laws. So it’s better to cover your own rear-end than leave it up to chance.
Make something so people can find you online. Even if it’s just a QR code taped to the table with a label that says “Follow me on Instagram” or “Find me on Ribblr” or even old fashioned business cards. If you’re also an artist I know many artists who will print miniatures of their art work and put their contact information on the back of the card to make people more interested in picking them up.
If you have a name you want to go by have it somewhere on the table, even if it’s just a picture frame with your Ribblr PFP on it, that way people have something to remember you as. You could even combine this with the QR code.
For everyone. Adobe has a free QR generator if anyone ever needs one.
I hope you sell out!