craft fair bestsellers??

[tzonoqua]

Hi All,
I realize that markets vary from region to region, market to market, but perhaps you might share with me your bestselling items? I am booked to do some craft fairs in the summer, and am looking for ideas... (what I really want to get my teeth into is some good commission work, but until that comes my way I need to slog it out at the craft fairs!) Any tips highly appreciated.
Regards,
Colleen

[ThomasPowers]

Well out my way here in south west USA I find that rattlesnakes made from horse shoer's rasps sell well. I've been punching holes in bottle caps and threading them onto the tail for the "rattles".

[IronPuppet]

Look in the blueprints for a "Horse shoe nail spoon". try it in the search engine too.

"Nail hooks" seem like a good idea.

"Leaf key rings" as well.

Christopher

[easilyconfused]

Bottle openers and steak turners are quick and easy to do and usually sell pretty good.

[skunkriv]

colleen-The garden type things on your website should do you well. Pretty hanging things, wind chimes, plant hangers etc. Also boot scrapers, gate hooks, coat/hat/cup racks, keyrings, coat hooks, candle holders, candle stands. Cooking utensils and fire sets for ren faire or other type folks doing olde time camping and cooking there. Glass, wood, and earthenware or other pottery look good with iron. Maybe you can do some trading for things to color up your displays (and your home). Good luck!

[Glenn]

The Bill Epps rule for sales is something priced under $20 and that will look good in a double wide trailer. The second rule is women control the purse strings, so make the item to get the woman's attention.

Always have $5, $10 items on the table as well as a couple of high end items.

[mtforge]

"slog it out at the craft fairs" ? I prefer to do that than have commissions. I've found there isn't one thing that always sells best but some of everything. I try to bring a variety. Items for camping, cooking, fireplace, hooks, candle sticks and the like. I always try to have something I'm working on. This draws a lot of people over to watch and they look at what I have and a lot of times buy what I just made. I also bring extra stock and take custom orders to make on the spot. It's a great way to expand your skill level and find out what the public wants. And a lot of times they want something a little longer or shorter or wider or something. Try to have a few quick demo items you can do when needed. Like a leaf, s-hook, heart hook or some such.

[jj2k]

My best sellers are steak turners, dinner bells, and split crosses. But I always sell one or two nice pieces when I go.

[tzonoqua]

Great, thanks for the suggestions, good idea (skunkriv) to trade with other stallholders, I have lots of yet unmade designs for items of all sorts incorporating ceramics/glass etc, but was thinking I would have to commission someone, now I will just try to do that ''networking'' thing that my business advisor keeps telling me to do... and yes, mtforge, I wish I didn't feel that I were slogging it out, but I regret I am not a natural salesperson, I prefer to just make the stuff! Ta.

[Ten Hammers]

Tzonoqua, I think your artistic items are very nice. As the boys have suggested, many things are possible. I have never been to a craft fair. I have events that I attend here in the States and no real idea what Scotlander's needs are ( perhaps not a lot different than here ). My events are pre-1840's rendezvous', Civil War re-enactments, county fairs and steam tractor shows. Celtic Crosses are a pretty all encompassing item ( meaning they can be at home everywhere ). So are steak turners and russian roses. I've never done key fobs but could. Lotta stuff I've never done. Good luck.

[Shane Stegmeier]

Make sure you have a wide range of stock in the lower approachable price range and then have a good selection of more expesive pieces. Value your time and price accordingly, somethings you might like to make, but won't be able to sell at a price that would give you a decent shop rate. But be consistant in your pricing (or as consistant as you can be;-) People like to compare prices and see some rymm or reason behind the pricing structure. There are some things I stopped making because I could not do them quickly enough to hit the customers pice point, if you want to do something really fancy and nice, you might have to wait to get the right client who can drop what it is worth, but in the mean time all the people will get to look at the "hook" Most of the time you want to have a big nice item that will catch the crowds eye and hook them to get them to come over and look at your both. Evaluate you markets as you work each fair, take notes, review what worked and what didn't. Some markets you cannot sell anything over 50$ and except for hooking peoples attention all the fancy stuff might as well not be there... Other markets people come with the idea of dropping money on something NICE and expect to pay for it (obviously these are the ones you want but they are fewer and farther between in my experience;-) The economy at any particular time will effect things a bit, so it is always nice to have small nice inexpensive items that are unique that will sell even in a crowd who has little money to dispose of...

Door knockers, and handles haven't been mentioned. Stand alone pieces sell better in the markets that I have been to. If it require screws or a hammer most people can't instal it themselves, and just as sadly can't imagine what or where they might put it... Furniture, even or especially multimedia pieces are also nice, here in America people don't think about dropping real money on cheap furniture in a store, but might balk at paying real money to a craftsman at a faire for something that was much better built. This is where you can educate and impress your potential client hopefully;-)

You have to market yourself as well as your wares in a way, you have to convince the buyer you are a talented a solid craftsperson who is well trained and deserving of their respect, and their money... I hate selling myself too, I would rather just make cool stuff and have people give me money for it;-) and silly me I just cut off my long artist's pony tail;-) I may have lost my credibility as an aritistblacksmith;-) I certainly won't look as dashing at the opening in October;-) oh well its been really stinkin hot here... Goodluck and even if your luck isn't good have fun anyway.

[hammerkid]

I do alot of spilt cross key fobs (5$ ) , spike knives ($25-$40) , nail hooks (depends on where it is) , s hooks, barbcue forks(depnds on the style from $10-30.00) Business card holders ($15.00 to 25.00)
What is a Russian rose? Pics, bp on em PLEASE)

Chris

[civilwarblacksmith]

Hey Chris,

Russian rose how-to:

Russian Rose by Larry Mills: anvilfire iForge Demo

They are fairly easy to make.

[Jmercier]

Never heard of them called russian roses, I've always just called them blacksmith roses =)