Craft Fair Opportunity: Should I Take It?

[straitfan]

A co-worker of my DH's has held a craft fair each November for at least the past 20 years and has quite a large following. Last year they moved to a huge building on our State Fairgrounds. Last year I asked her that if they ever considered having direct sales participate to let me know. Well she contacted me this year and said that the board has opened it up this year for sales only. It would work this way:
$35 for the table. All sales would be cash and carry, and be checked out through them, I would not work the table at all. They get 12%. I could not have catalogs out, nor ask for sales or bookings. I COULD have my contact info. on everything and have business cards out.

Could I buy the inventory as a "show" ahead of time, and then add the s/h and tax onto the price?

What do all of you think? Will this be worth it for me?

 

[jrstephens]

The warranty would not carry to whoever bought the products.

I personally would not do it b/c I would not want to spend mney for items and then have to eat it if they did not sale.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

The warranty would not carry to whoever bought the products.

I personally would not do it b/c I would not want to spend mney for items and then have to eat it if they did not sale.

Ditto------

 

[Liquid Sky]

Yeah, don't do it.

 

[cwinter474]

The warranty would not carry to whoever bought the products.

I personally would not do it b/c I would not want to spend mney for items and then have to eat it if they did not sale.

Ditto.....

 

[straitfan]

I didn't really have a good feeling about it. The warranty is a great point that I hadn't even THOUGHT of ! Thanks for your advice.

 

[PChefPEI]

Sounds kinda fishy to me that the people would have to go through them to buy the products and you wouldn't even be able to interact with the customers! I would pass on this one...

 

[redsoxgirl]

I wouldn't do it. The biggest part of doing fairs and things is to get leads!Do they make the crafters pay them a percentage of their sales?? If not, I'd call that discrimination honestly.

 

[Jennie4PC]

I wouldnt do it either especially if you have to pay them 12% of your sales. That is crazy.

 

[cewcooks]

yes I agree too, keep your eyes open for more fairs to come!

 

[kspry]

I sure wouldn't do it! If you order a bunch of ice cream scoops, they'll want food choppers....or something else.

People have always asked for cash and carry items at every one of my booths. When I first started doing booths, I had several people ask me for mini spatulas. So, being new, I ordered mini spatulas for the next booth. Nobody bought one at the next 3 fairs. At least I wasn't out much $, since they were mini-spatulas!

And 12% with no leads is just crazy, although $35 for a table isn't bad.

 

[straitfan]

I wouldn't do it. The biggest part of doing fairs and things is to get leads!

Do they make the crafters pay them a percentage of their sales?? If not, I'd call that discrimination honestly.

Yes the crafters have the same deal. I REALLY don't like the idea of not getting any leads off of the deal. The only real benefit I'm seeing is getting my name out there..............but a LOT of people who attend this event are acquaintances of mine anyway.

I think I've made up my mind to pass.

 

[byrd1956]

This is not at all like any event I've worked before! I would not do it.

 

[Fluffy215]

I certainly wouldn't do it either. My Goodness on top of the 12% you have to pay $35? And get no leads? So if you were to sell $100 your commission is only $20. You pay them $35 plus another $12 totalling $47 while you get $20? No friggin way LOL And not even a lead, phone number, nada? Nope, doesn't sound like a typical fair to me. I wonder if they are also charging people to come to the fair?

 

[Bren706]

I would not do it, for reasons stated above, as well as not being able to have that personal contact as well as control over your business.

 

[pcchefjane]

I can't imagine that kind of "fair". The whole purpose of buying booth space is to get leads and you can't get leads if you aren't there! Sounds strange to me!

 

[KateD]

If you think the fair will have a fairly good turnout, go check it out! Visit all the tables, talk to folks... and do it all wearing a PC shirt and carrying your PC catalog tote full of business cards, old catalogs, mini-cats, and customer care cards to get info from folks getting the catalogs.

 

[Chef Kearns]

Great Suggestion KateD! That is the best way to handle this "opportunity"

 

[byrd1956]

If you think the fair will have a fairly good turnout, go check it out! Visit all the tables, talk to folks... and do it all wearing a PC shirt and carrying your PC catalog tote full of business cards, old catalogs, mini-cats, and customer care cards to get info from folks getting the catalogs.

Kate you are really thinking! That is a great idea!

 

[chefann]

It would work this way:
$35 for the table. All sales would be cash and carry, and be checked out through them, I would not work the table at all. They get 12%. I could not have catalogs out, nor ask for sales or bookings. I COULD have my contact info. on everything and have business cards out.

If you can't work the table, will they have someone there making sure your inventory won't walk away?

I ask because, at least when I have cash and carry at fairs, I take small items that people aren't likely to bother trying to return if there's a guarantee issue (because of the whole non-transferrable thing). But those small items are also the things that are most likely to walk off in someone's purse. And based on some of the people I've seen at fairs, you sure don't want to tempt them with a table full of easily-pocketed items and nobody watching!

If it were me, I'd demand the same rights as crafters - the ability to conduct my business so that it is perpetuating. That means talking to customers, taking orders, and booking shows.

 

[princessmeshelle]

i'm with everyone on passing on this. i'm new and it seems ridiculous that they don't want you to benefit from the booth. and paying the m 12% on top of the fee for the table? maybe i'm wrong, but that seems like they want money that isn't theirs. i thought fairs made their money by selling booth space. i wouldn't do this, going wearing PC gear with cattys and cards ready and available sounds like the better option to me.

 

[PChefPEI]

If you think the fair will have a fairly good turnout, go check it out! Visit all the tables, talk to folks... and do it all wearing a PC shirt and carrying your PC catalog tote full of business cards, old catalogs, mini-cats, and customer care cards to get info from folks getting the catalogs.

I'd go with Kate's idea! Great thinkin' Kate!

 

[chefann]

i'm with everyone on passing on this. i'm new and it seems ridiculous that they don't want you to benefit from the booth. and paying the m 12% on top of the fee for the table? maybe i'm wrong, but that seems like they want money that isn't theirs. i thought fairs made their money by selling booth space. .

That was bothering me last night, too. And that's more than HALF of what you make commission-wise on the products you sell there. You'd have to sell more than $400 of stuff to break even!

$400 x 20% comm = $80
$400 x 12% to show organizers = $48
$80 comm - ($35 fee + $48) = $3 loss for you