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Selling Jewelry at Juried Art Fairs

by Jane.

Choose Fairs Carefully

I only participate in juried art fairs with a known history, good attendance (numbering in the thousands, not hundreds), and which require everything to be handmade by the artist, who must be present at the fair.

Fortunately, in my area, there are quite a few to consider. A well-run, established fair will have serious buyers who appreciate artisan goods and enjoy chatting with and buying from the artist in person

The flip side of juried fairs is that you must be accepted; you cannot just pay the fee and show up.

There are some fairs I cannot get accepted to because I don’t make everything myself (I use purchased stones and beads, which is a no-no in their eyes) plus they don’t consider chainmaille or wire wrapping in the same league as metalsmithing.

You learn as you go which fairs you have a chance at being accepted into, and as you develop more skills you can try for the pickier fairs.

If there is a question about a fair’s guidelines I’ll question them prior to submitting an application.

I have found them helpful with telling me what their jury will probably be looking for, and then I can decide whether to risk paying the application/jury fee or not.

Variety of Goods

Earrings are my bread and butter.

I started out by selling simple beaded earrings for $8.00, then bumped the price to $9, then $10. Now my base price is $12-18, with most priced in the $20-$50 range.

I made simple beaded necklaces and added new techniques as time went on. I added bracelets, anklets, watches, and rings, all of which gives folks more to look at.

I do not have just one style or method of work.

I love variety, I get bored with doing everything the same way, using the same metals or methods, and it apparently shows as I get a lot of comments like “it looks like there are 5 people making this stuff!” and “I love the variety, in other booths the work all looks the same.”

My point here is don’t be afraid to try new things, add new lines, mix it up a bit. Folks will love it, and it holds their interest.

My online sales are different; not everything photographs well, so most items never make it online.

Online sales consists mostly of wire wrapping, chainmaille, and once in awhile some beaded work. Strangely enough, I sell more expensive items online than I do at fairs.

Don’t be afraid to price for your work. Make sure your creations are well made, with quality components, and price accordingly.

I hear a lot of “I like to buy things at art fairs”, “I enjoy buying from the person who makes it” and “I don’t want to buy at stores…”

Those are the people I want (and need) to sell to; they appreciate quality handmade, artisan goods, and the fact that they are attending an art fair indicates they are probably willing to pay for it.

People tell me my prices are reasonable.

I want to give the customer a good value without short-changing myself in the process. Finding that point is often a balancing act.

Professional Booth

I started with a round plastic table with no table cloth, just a few things laid out flat, as a last-minute entry at a local fair. I sold $78.00 in two hours, then had to leave due to rain.

I was pleased with that first attempt, so I bought an EZ-up tent at Sam’s.

It had cheap walls that would not stay velcroed to the tent frame. It was very stressful to have to worry about weather, and I had to take down early more than once.

When the roof finally ripped apart a few years later, I purchased a Trimline.

It’s proven to be nearly bullet proof, I can put it up myself, and it’s so nice to have reliable protection from weather.

I have light colored, neutral table cloths that go to the ground. The color complements my jewelry, and I can store all my containers out of sight, under the tables.

For a long time I did not make good use of vertical space.

Then I purchased portable metal shelving. I can place the shelves at varying levels, and place displays on them.

The space is broken up well and there is a lot to look at without being overwhelming.

One person can be looking at something on the table while another is looking on the shelves, so I’m finding it accommodates more shoppers at the same time.

I use large round rotating earring displays, which attract a lot of customers. People like shopping from them because they are so easy to view and use.

They hold a lot of product, and to transport and store them I simply encase them in a big plastic garbage bag, along with a hand towel to absorb moisture.

Variety of Ways to Display –
Display in Segments

I usually work fairs by myself, so most everything has to be weatherproof, lightweight, and not take up much space when stored or transported. That is limiting!

I decided to stay away from glass due to breakage issues.

I have 3 long folding tables and use a variety of displays from trays to t-bars, with portable metal folding shelving systems.

They can be set up easily and have some flexibility in how they are arranged, which helps maintain interest and appeal.

I pre-load trays and displays as much as possible to save time at the fair.

Dealing with Customers, Hand out Cards,
Take Checks, Credit Cards

I greet customers as they enter the booth, but then mostly leave them alone to look unless they want to chat.

I dislike pushy sales people, so I make sure to stay out of the way while being attentive.

When checking out, I don’t hesitate to tell people I prefer cash, but will take the others if needed. Most pay in cash.

Always include a business card when you make a sale.

I designed my own card at Vista Print, using my own photo; their website is fairly easy to use and they are the cheapest I’ve found. Just be careful to de-select all the other stuff they try to push on you and just get what you ordered!

Jane
Lone Rock Jewelry on etsy

Comments:

Juried Art Fairs
by: Rena

Jane, I have to say your jewelry is absolutely to die for! Gorgeous wirework and beautiful designs. It’s really a pleasure to see your work.

Thank you so much for sharing your excellent insights into selling at juried events. Lots of great tips here!

I really appreciate your generosity.

(And for anyone who isn’t sure what a juried show / fair is, here’s an explanation: Inside Look at Craft Fair Jury.)

Hi Jane
by: Patricia C Vener

I love your work! It’s very different from mine and ever so gorgeous! I wrote you a note over at etsy.

Cheers

Fair Fees
by: Jane

Hi Rena, many thanks for using my write-up, I really hope it can be helpful to someone!

Hi Patricia, thank you for your kind words! I’ll write you back through Etsy tomorrow (I’m about to sign off for the night), but wanted to say something about jury fees – in my area, I pay between $95 to $150 or so for a weekend fair that is within an hour or so from home. I don’t pay more than that for the type of fairs I apply to because there are no guarantees sales will be enough to justify the expense. There are so many factors to weigh in choosing fairs!

Check out Fairs
by: Pat

This sounds obvious, but if a show is big and expensive to get in to, I attend the show a year in advance. I find a jeweller who is interested in what I do, and outright tell them I’m thinking of applying to that show, but worried about the fee. They have always been more than happy to give me lots of advice. I ask them how many years they’ve done the show, where they stay, etc.
Consequently, this year I am going to apply to two VERY big shows.

Why not learn metalsmithing too?
by: Barbara Jacquin

I agree that the most difficult thing is finding the RIGHT art/craft fairs. To your statement: “I cannot get accepted to because I don’t make everything myself (I use purchased stones and beads, which is a no-no in their eyes) plus they don’t consider chainmaille or wire wrapping in the same league as metalsmithing”
With your imaginative use of materials and colors, I don’t see why you don’t take a metalsmithing class, easy enough to find, to get into those fairs that require handmade articles. It opens up a whole new world of possiblities. To say nothing of precious metal clay.

You have given us lots of good ideas for finding and getting the most out of opportunities. Thanks so much.

Bon courage!

Barbara in the south of France

http://en.dawanda.com/shop/barbarajacquin

Metalsmithing
by: Jane

Barbara, funny you mention that. I came to that conclusion too, & took a metalsmithing class over a year ago. Last year other things got in the way of my jewelry making, but metalsmithing & PMC are directions I intend to pursue. Thank you for your thoughts!