Craft Market Tips - Part 1

The summer craft market season is upon us! Even though I did my sale for this season already, I have been tabling at craft sales and zine fairs since 1999. I have found over the years that there are some things you can do to be prepared for this experience and make it as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. I hope you find these tips helpful for when you have your table at a craft fair.


First, there are supplies that I always have on hand for each sale. My "tool kit" includes pens, markers, price tags, tape (both Scotch tape and packing tape), scissors, string, and a lint brush. I like to write my price tags ahead of time, but sometimes I take some blank ones to write on if there is some item I overlooked. I also like to have the packing tape and lint brush to "de-fuzz" any plush, t-shirts, or tote bags before the show.


Okay, so let's talk about food. Usually Raoul and I will get pizza the night before a big craft sale. We like to make this our "thing" the night before. We can relax for a bit and have pizza, then go home and pack up our car and crafts. This is also good cos we always have over half the pizza to have as lunch at the craft fair. We do this almost all the time before a market. Other times, that we have not been able to get pizza, I have packed us a lunch of sushi or garden burgers. These are quick, easy foods that can be eaten in a hurry. I also like to pack fruit to eat throughout the day, or sometimes I pack some cheese and crackers.


As far as change, I get $50 in one dollar bills the night before. Sometimes at holiday time, I might get more. It helps to have the smaller bills, as I have lots of small items. I also carry a little change purse for all of my earnings that day.

I hope these tips help and that you are prepared for the craft season!