What do you sale at craft fairs?

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Oliver Springs, TN
My wife's aunt is a big craft show junkie and she's been on me for a couple of years to set up at one. Well, I'm thinking about setting up at a local annual craft/fall festival toward the end of October. I have several cutting boards and mini-birdhouses already made. I was wondering what those of you who do the craft show circuit sale. I know Vaughn does a few, but I couldn't get what he asks at this show. Besides that I couldn't make stuff that looks as good as his bowls etc. anyway. I'm looking at stuff in the 50 dollar or less range.

Thanks in advance
 
John, there are a lot of items under $50 you could make. Pens, bottle stoppers, small vases and weed pots, paper clip bowls with a magnetic ring, desk calculators, etc.

Craft Supplies has a wide range of project parts here:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Projects?Args=

As far as what sells best, that's the $64,000 question. It'll all depend on the show, the people who attend it, and the items the other vendors are selling.

For me, the shows have only been mildly profitable, but LOML and I have a good time doing them. I like talking to folks about my work, and she likes Kettle Corn. :D
 
Here's an idea. It came to me this morning when I was shaving. How about a shaving soap bowl and cover.
I have had one I've used daily for 15 years and it's finally rotting out. You know the kind of soap that you use a shaving brush on. Best shave you will ever get :thumb:
You could sell it along with a cake of soap for under $20.00 probably.
Heck, I'll buy one right now.
I'm not into the spinny stuff yet or I'd try one on my own :rofl:
 
Here's an idea. It came to me this morning when I was shaving. How about a shaving soap bowl and cover.
I have had one I've used daily for 15 years and it's finally rotting out. You know the kind of soap that you use a shaving brush on. Best shave you will ever get :thumb:
You could sell it along with a cake of soap for under $20.00 probably.
Heck, I'll buy one right now.
I'm not into the spinny stuff yet or I'd try one on my own :rofl:

Kits are sold for the shaving brushes also.
However, you may be the last man on earth to use a wet soap and brush for shaving. Wouldn't be much of a market left out there. :rofl:

Edit: And, as Larry reads this he says: "Shave? Wats that?"
 
Ive never done a craft show, nor do I think Id be inclined to start, but I know one item I make for gifts, no matter how many I make, and how simple it is, they dissappear and call for more.
Its mostly scraps, and you can probably make 10 of them an hour with cutting and staining, Im sure they could go for anywhere between 5-25 bucks

the one on the right with 9 tealights is the most liked, its 6/4 oak, 7 or 8 inch square, so its around 2-2.50 in wood. Tealights run a nickel each at the most.
My cousin wants me to make them for her for an art show shes doing after the winter, she couldnt do this years show in sept, and I didnt want to be bothered. She says she can get 25 dollars for it, Id say 15-20 and it goes faster.
The 3 and 4 candle holders I consider almost cost free since the wood is scrap bin stuff usually, too short for anything, and 3 tealight holder can fetch 5 bucks. I use whatever old stain I have laying around.(but use good polyurethane so it shines nicely)(I posted all this somewhere, but I think it would make a good craft item this time of year, buy some colored tealights, red, green, I believe it will sell)You asked, so Im offering only my idea. I do not know the markets in Tenn.
I see what sells up here.
 

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My M-I-L is into Flea Markets, she sets up each week in season. Season is over so she is headed for a Crafts show (Renfro Valley, KY) to display her wares, Chrochet items and some Afghans, So my wife says "make her some things to help make her display" I just finished 3 unique quilt holders and 2 Afghan holders, we'll see how well they do. Also while cleaning out my aunt's estate we found a couple of "like new" Afghans and 3 new handmade quilts so they are off to the show, Also an antique Chrochet Bed Spread that she did as a teenager (she is 94) and loads of doileys....
 
Kits are sold for the shaving brushes also.
However, you may be the last man on earth to use a wet soap and brush for shaving. Wouldn't be much of a market left out there. :rofl:

Edit: And, as Larry reads this he says: "Shave? Wats that?"

I shaved for many years with brush and straight razor, It was some sort of ritual to me, it relaxed me and help me to concentrate OMMMMMM....:)

I had to change to Gillete, when I started to have less time to devote to it.

I still have the brush, a couple of razors and the strop, although I never made the froth or foam in a bowl, but directly on my face.:dunno:
 
this is a sample of what i'll be setting out at a local craft fair. the wine has eye catching labels, the one on the right is old fart, the one on the left is old fart's wife...:rofl:
 

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My wife's aunt is a big craft show junkie and she's been on me for a couple of years to set up at one. Well, I'm thinking about setting up at a local annual craft/fall festival toward the end of October. I have several cutting boards and mini-birdhouses already made. I was wondering what those of you who do the craft show circuit sale. I know Vaughn does a few, but I couldn't get what he asks at this show. Besides that I couldn't make stuff that looks as good as his bowls etc. anyway. I'm looking at stuff in the 50 dollar or less range.

Thanks in advance
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I don't do craft shows but I feel kids are often overlooked there. This rubber band pistol is something that usually catches a kids eye and can be sold for way under 50 bucks. Ammo is plentiful and cheeeep too.:rofl:
 

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Hey John,
I hit the Farmer's Market in Knoxville on Saturdays all summer.. and also in Chattanooga on Sundays... took the month of Sept off to get ready for October, but wound up having to take October off also because of my little bout with the hernia and surgery...

My prices range from $5 tealights to a single bowl at $140. Mostly the bowls range from $20 to $60, the peppermills from $55 to $100, Pens from $25 to $65, also do wine stoppers, key rings, a vase or two and anything else I happen to think I want to make. My shows are for whatever extra I might make, but I would never propose to try to make a living doing craft shows.
Like Vaughn, they are more for the fun of talking to people, getting all the "OOHS" and "AAHS" I get when people come through the booth and look at my stuff.... my wife calls all my wood turnings "Fondleware" cause you have to touch wood.

The more you can have, the better, but we have a fairly well known turner that does the Knoxvilee show occasionally that brings about 20 bowls and not much else.... most of his bowls are the same style, same wood, only variable is the diameter.

Jon Reiver was at Chattanooga one Sunday... I think he had about 20 or 30 pieces.... they were out of this world... mostly segmented turnings from about 8 inch to huge vase about 12-14 diameter and about 2 feet high... He had a lot of his pieces priced at 3 figures and I think I saw him sell a few pieces... Fabulous stuff.
 
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Thanks Chuck and everyone for the replies. I don't hold any hope of getting rich from fairs. It would be nice to make a little pocket change to pay for a few things. I've settled on taking a few cutting boards, pens, ornaments, maybe a wine stopper or two. I don't want to sink a lot of cash into stuff that I won't be able to sale. Although I wold have some nice Christmas presents!:)
 
One other note. We have (had) a substantial tourist industry in my area. It is pretty much acknowledged that $20.00 is a price break beyond which not much sells. That holds true at craft fairs as well. No doubt there are parts of the country where fine craftsmanship can demand high dollars. But that should be considered an exception.
 
The report from last week's Craft sale has me answer the Primus question..."What do you sale at craft fairs" with a flat out Nothing Although my wife and M-I-L sold several Quilts and Afghans that were displayed on the Quilt and Afghan holders I made and sent, narry a WWing buyer approached. (Although one took my E-mail address saying she wanted me to make one of Walnut .... to date no message)
 
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