Wouldn’t it be great to turn your hobby into a way to make money? Who hasn’t dreamed of sharing their talent with a happy and appreciative client and supporting each other while they do it? With the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival in March, you have a great opportunity to get in touch with the artisan community. As one of the top 100 craft fairs in the country, it’s a great way to network with buyers and other sellers. So get ready to book one of our Albuquerque, New Mexico hotels and get ready to do some homework for your art!
Selling at fairs is not easy. To start with, you really need that retail personality. There are plenty of other vendors that will be at the nearby Albuquerque lodging fair, so how will you convince people to buy your product? But just because you don’t have much of a personality to sell doesn’t mean you can’t bring someone who knows you do and can help! You should never try to do it alone. Selling at craft fairs is pretty demanding, so you’ll need all the support you can get!
You’ll want to check out what’s going on in the show while you’re there. The Rio Grande Crafts Festival takes place three times a year, so take a long weekend this March and check it out. This is the best way to feel the show and see if your stuff is good enough to be there. Selling things, especially art, is still a business and you need to make sure you can make a profit before you spend any money on the endeavor. Also, a great deal of knowledge can be found by talking to other sellers. You may even find someone who will be on the next show that you can work with. Albuquerque tables and accommodation can be easier to manage when split and help you make more profit. You want to start small and make sure the business is profitable!
As you walk through the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Fair, hotels, and other places where artisans attend, ask lots of questions. Find out how much a table costs, what kind of crowd is at the fair, who else will be attending and see if you can get early booking discounts at any hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This will help you budget for your trip and get a good strategy for the October festival.
In that sense, one of the biggest problems people have is figuring out how to price their product. No matter what it is, you always want to make sure you make a profit from the sale! Calculate how much the materials cost and at least twice as much. However, keep in mind that overpriced items don’t tend to sell well and you may end up empty-handed, but cheaper work requires selling more to make money. Most show vets offer a variety of priced parts to help bridge this gap. If you really hit it off with another seller, you can try asking their own advice or go around and ask what they’ve been selling a lot of.
As a last piece of advice, remember to give your best. Be courteous to future colleagues and do your best to network. Just because you’re not selling doesn’t mean you can’t get your home craft business off to a great start! Chat with other artists for advice and even talk to other customers. You might even want to bring some photos of your work and have some decent business cards so you can easily give out your information, especially if you run into someone who likes your stuff! Truly excelling at shows means you need a strong network of clients, so it’s best to start building that big reputation early. No one wants to buy or set up shop near an asshole.
For more information on the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival, you can check out their website. You’ll also want to keep an eye on application deadlines to ensure you don’t miss out on shows coming later this year.