Market Hunting 101: Unraveling the different ways to find a craft show
Hi friends! Let me share a little secret with you—I never set out to be a craft show vendor. My journey into the world of craft markets started as a casual exploration of Amigurumi. I really only wanted to pursue a new hobby and find something to do besides binging Netflix after work. Before I knew it, my house was overflowing with new fuzzy friends and they were multiplying faster than rabbits inside of a magic hat. I had a choice to make:
Find a way to fund my ever-growing yarn and crochet addiction, OR
Fully commit and turn my home into a plushie kingdom
And so, the craft show hustle began. But here's the kicker: I was just as clueless as the next maker when it came to finding the right market! Google search after Google search left me feeling like I had no idea what I was doing or how on earth to break into the craft show world. Finally I landed on a tip that has proven to be successful for me in booking shows!
But hey, we all start somewhere, right? So, in the spirit of sharing the highs and lows, I'm laying out the tips and tricks that helped me navigate the craft show maze. From accidental plushie overflow to craft market conquests, join me in demystifying the art of finding and conquering your ideal craft show.
Let's spill the beans on one of my most-asked questions:
How in the world do I find markets to showcase my crochet plushies?
Grab your coffee, and let's dive into the nitty-gritty of becoming a market vendor.
1. Facebook, my preferred market search engine:
When I first started looking for shows, I was completely stumped and defeated from google searches. It felt incredibly inefficient and impossible to find great craft shows!
While it’s entirely possible to book a show from google searching, my preferred outlet is Facebook groups for vendors. A quick Facebook search for “Craft markets near me” (make sure to filter by groups!) should provide you with several groups that you can join to get the details on shows in your area!
🚨Crafters, a quick heads up! In the world of craft shows, scammers lurk like shadows. Be cautious of those posing as event organizers offering prime spots in enticing markets. To steer clear of these pitfalls, always verify event legitimacy by directly contacting organizers through official channels. Legit organizers won't ask for payments outside secure platforms. Trust your instincts, stay vigilant, and keep your crafty treasures safe from potential scammers. 🚨
2. The mystery of booking a craft show:
Booking markets can be a hit or miss when you're starting. No crystal ball here. But fear not! When you shoot a message to the show hosts, ASK QUESTIONS! Unless you’ve been to that specific show before (as a customer), it always helps to hear from the organizer to decide if it’s worth investing! Sample questions you can ask:
How many attendees do you estimate this year? (Or you can ask how many they’ve had in the past)
How is the show being marketed? / How are they spreading the word?
How many other vendors do you have that sell similar items to me? Are there any that sell identical goods?
(For example, Hooked by Honeybee sells crochet plushies - I would want to know: A) How many other crochet vendors there are and B) If there are any vendors that also sell crochet plushies?)
3. Google, turning you into a super sleuth one show at a time:
As I said before, it’s entirely possible to book a craft show just through finding one on Google. It does, however, take some extra sleuthing skills to get on the right track. The easiest method would be to search “Craft shows near me” and see what shows up. More often than not, you’ll see a bunch of shows that are coming up in the next few days/weeks. It’s likely that these shows are already booked to capacity, so look around 6-8 weeks out at a minimum.
Once you’ve found a vendor show that would would with your schedule, investigate!
Check out any and all information that is available online about the show
See if there are any photos online (Facebook, Google, Instagram, etc) from previous years
Try to located the event organizer’s information and contact them with additional questions
You can even search within Facebook groups to see if anyone else has mentioned that craft show before! This is a hack to seeing what other vendors are saying!
Apart from Google searching, there are websites that list upcoming craft / vendor shows. In my opinion, they’re a great resource for finding shows, but don’t feel required to purchase memberships to these sites. They generally don’t provide any benefit you can’t already get from becoming a search savant. Here are a few websites that you can check out:
- So there you have it, market hunting made easy. Facebook groups, detective-style questioning, a dash of Google, and you're on your way to crochet plushie stardom. Remember, it's not rocket science. Get out there, ask questions, and give it a whirl. Happy crafting and selling, my crochet comrades! 🌈🧵
