I’ve been attending Craft Fairs as a trader for some years now and, like all the other traders out there, I have made some truly horrendous mistakes in choosing some of the shows I have attended. The majority of the nightmares occurred when I was new to the Craft Fair Circuit, and had no idea how to work out what shows were good and worth attending, and what ones to avoid. Having gained experience through time and disasters, I now know what questions to ask and where to look to find the right kind of Craft Fairs and Shows for me. That doesn’t mean I never pick a dud one though – I just don’t do it so often!
So, for those of you who are just starting out in the Craft Fair scene, here are some hints and tips to help you find the right kind of shows to attend – things I wish I had known when I started!!
PART 1 - Finding Craft Fairs and Shows
- The easy stuff first. Ask everyone you know if they know of any Craft Fairs. If you’re lucky, you may know someone who already does Craft Fairs – the vast majority of us are more than happy to pass our contacts on.
- Start local and small. Contact places near you that are likely to hold such events – schools, churches, clubs. Ask for your details to be held on file for the next thing they organise, even if it is months away. The crucial thing is to get into just ONE, because once you are there, you will meet other traders.
- Meet other traders. Once you have muscled your way into a Craft Fair, be nice and friendly to the traders positioned near you. Be honest and say you are just starting out. Be frank and ask "How do you find your fairs?" You will get the same answer every time – talk to other traders and swap contact lists, and trawl the internet.
- Contact lists. Most traders will be happy to give you details of Fairs and Shows that they have found to be good (particularly if you are not in direct competition with them!) The crucial thing is to swap lists. If you are just starting out then obviously you will not have a list to offer, but you will eventually. So make sure you swap email addresses or phone numbers, and return the favour. By doing so, you will find that those early friends you make will keep on giving you new contacts as and when they find them themselves.
- The Internet. You need time for this one – quite a lot of it. You just have to sit down and search for Craft Show organisers by using whatever search terms you can think of. There are some big listings sites that have masses of organisers on them, and others that just list events. Search Local Council sites, Tourist Information, Stately Homes and anything else you can think of, note all the Fairs that interest you, contact each one and see where it gets you.
- After a while (about 2 years), provided you have been out and about a bit, people should start coming to you, so you don’t have to spend quite so much time on the hunt. But never stop looking and keep you ears open – there’s always a new Show out there that someone is talking about that you have somehow managed to miss.
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