The author does like to from scratch, th-cam.com/users/postUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. As another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us don’t have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we won’t be able to practise the full stack project, is still great.
As the Matthew Peech channel says, “Assume everyone has $20 in their pocket that they decided in advance to spend.” Great insight dude. Ty for sharing.
After our first market we learned how many people want business cards. We learned that quickly because we didn't have any. I also learned the importance of comfortable shoes, again because I didnt have any. We made door rounds/hangers and porch leaners. We sold 12 items and got custom orders for 2 more items. The things you learn from doing a market are worth it. We are looking forward to the next one.
I had wondered about business cards since most people don't really use them. I'm considering (once I get to that point) of printing a large "business card" for people to take a picture of rather than handing out cards.
@@ThomsShed almost every customer asked for one, we were surprised. We are also making a sign with QR codes for the next market we do, that seems to be popular as well.
I handed out 500 business cards at a market over 6 weeks and that generated 5 years of solid work, networking in business can make a huge difference, and these days you can have QR codes printed on them that can link straight to a web page or email etc
Those if you using QR codes, please always provide a second way for customers to find you. Some phones are broken and don't read QR codes. Other customers have a dislike of them. Some still don't know what they really are. Don't assume. Do not make the mistake, as one vendor did, of providing only one way to reach you.
I’ve done markets for a year now, your “U” shape to invite people into your booth tends to not work. People see 2’ of your booth and walk by. Instead do it upside down U so the tables are outside and you stand inside them. Then people can look and walk by seeing more of your products. Also raise your tables up to 36” high. It makes it more eye level, keeps little kids hands off the products and makes it much easier for people to see. Stair step the products, so you can have more but don’t hide things behind other stuff making it hard to see. Lastly, stay off your phone, GREET EVERYONE YOU SEE, and if they walk by, don’t worry about it. All you have to do is say hello. That gets them to look your direction, know you’re approachable and people will stop and see what you sell. If you have power LIGHTS will get eyes looking. Invest in fairy lights or if you can, hang lights off your tent with clamps on your products. Even in full light, adding daylight LED lights will brighten your booth making it more attractive. If you can, invest in colored RGB lights that flash to music, put on your own music low near the microphone and they’ll flash and the sound will also attract attention. The key will be getting attention. If you can also demonstrate what you do by crafting on site it will make people stop as well.
One point I'd like to address; shop costs: blades, bits, knives, HVAC, electric to run everything from lights to equipment, etc., etc., etc!!! ...finishing and finishing consumables, insurance, yes that list is very important, very long, and some thongs are exceptionally expensive, ..(like the router needing replaced, or the entire shop if you hadn't caught it before the place whent up in smoke, speaking of which, why didn't the breaker fuse disengage??? Best check that electrical system! Perhaps, and only a guess not knowing your set up, but you may want to put that router on a 10Amp circuit if you can split and separate from the CNC controller.. So for my lil' shop, that 2k would have me darn close to the red, if you walked away with 300 to 500 I'd be surprised, .. so how many hours for your efforts, ÷ your hrs wage $ ? Yep, what I thought.. people don't comprehend what all is involved, looking at a piece of wood, asking how much? Even drastically reduced costs and wages for your labors, you broke even and it's just a hobby. Not judging, I started with the goal of having others pay for my hobby, 40 years later, I'm not rich, except in experience, joy factor, and now that I'm an elder, not that it means anything to the youngsters, if you do what you love, the money will come, but only when you sell your shop for pennies on the dollar.. nahh just kidding, engineering, designing custom furniture and cabinetry has produced profits, just nothing that any these days would call rich.. I do, but I'm old school, and old period, do it doesn't matter, except to say, if you get paid materials and overhead to do what you enjoy, the rewards aren't something one can add up like money, but more valuable than anything money can buy! And yes, that includes my 28k +++(everything that costs $$$, after the sale, in the shop and powered up, then ooohh, the software, bigger computer, bits, collets, all that jazz all over again! lol ) as compared to the CNC, truth is, I was more jazzed with my first jack plane, than my CNC! Well, as an old timer, I'm a bit lengthy at communicating these days, so much has changed, I hardly recognize this rock! Happy wood-crafting, remember, SAFETY FIRST AND LAST & in-between! Peace!
For those of us who do not have a Trish... could you do a video with her on her sales technique. I feel like for alot of us out here doing this even the smallest tip would be beneficial. Thanks for what you do, love the channel
Simple Do not hire a millennial or gen z kids , they will be sitting on their butt playing on their phone all day , second use a very extrovert person who loves attention, third they have to be a bit of a show off hustler , someone who want to impress you with their sales skills...and last , pay them really well , don’t be hung by the 100$ a day , not only it is slave labour , these show are 10 to 12 hours , but instead give 100$ plus 10% of the sales , just mark up your product in function .otherwise you will loose the great employee in a New York minute or worse they will compete against your product next event with your product they bought on amazon or Alibaba. ....and for the love of god , stay away from all and I mean all green ,red,purple hair ,nose ring activist with their cause of the day button ...you will loose 40% of your sales automatically .no one wants to be preached to or insulted by these people ,they see enough online or in the news every day , client go out to get away from that crap. Enjoy , this was a free business course , don’t waste it on ego, money don’t care about it . For more info read my other comment in the original comment section, very informative , I assure you.
You should wear a brightly colored polo shirt with your business label printed on it large in the back and small on the front pocket area. Or wear a work apron. It makes people feel more comfortable engaging with you as the sales person. The more you talk to people, the easier it gets and the more relaxed you'll become. If you're even the slightest bit competitive, you'll be surprised to learn that you'll enjoy making more sales than your buddy or just more than you expected on your own. I know salesmen who often will playfully bet who will make the next sale, and many of the best people in sales are actually introverts because we listen closely. It can be surprising to learn that you actually enjoy chatting up strangers to make money helping them find something they want. Just don't take it personally if they aren't interested, because it's a numbers game. I learned to sell when I was a young teenager. My church's youth minister enlisted as many of us young people as possible to assist in selling fireworks at an American Fireworks warehouse fundraiser (and a few adults for the registers). If you can find a charity event like that where people are needed to help sell something and they don't require you to have any experience, my advice is to do it for the chance to learn how to sell. It doesn't come naturally to a lot of people, but after a while you get bored and just start talking to people. It helps that we all had color coordinated aprons on so people knew who to ask to put fireworks in the cart for them (they weren't allowed to go behind the gates to pick stuff off the shelves for themselves). Once you start selling, you'll find yourself answering the same questions a lot, and you'll also begin to form your own canned lines that you repeat in different ways to different people based on their vibe. It's not as difficult to learn as you'd think, and the fear of rejection goes away way faster than you'll expect it to, even if you're young. People will look to you as the subject matter expert on whatever you're selling, and they'll believe pretty much anything within reason. So, you should know your product inside and out, that way you don't find yourself just blabbering nonsense. The first few times you try to sell, you might blabber on a bit, but you'll quickly find that selling things is really rather straightforward. There are two types of customers - the ones who know what they want, and those who depend on sales people to inform them of their options. The second can be led to buy anything they can afford, and the first kind can be persuaded if you can show them that you know something they didn't and don't act like a know-it-all in the process. If they say they aren't interested after your sales pitch for your product, you can politely ask them if it's because there's a lack of value being provided, in which case you can provide a similar item with better or more features, or if it's just that the price isn't right for them. If they say, "No, it's the price," then you can negotiate the price. If they still say they're not interested, then they really aren't interested and you thank them for their time, offer them something free (like his sticker idea in this video), and you end the conversation knowing you didn't push too much while doing your best. The key is to be firm about your job as a salesman without being the pushy guy who doesn't know when to cut his losses and quit before he gets labelled as one of those annoying salesmen. First impression is important, so if you come across as a funny salesman, you won't make most people annoyed even if you are pushy after that. You can be the funny salesman by sharing that silly goofy side of yourself when you first speak to someone near your table. Just don't be rude or mock anyone. It's not stand-up comedy night at the bar - there's usually kids around in a market. Just be kinda silly, like he said in the video when Trish told the lady who said that her grandmother loves whiskey, "Well Grandma's definitely getting a Whiskey Smoker!" If you have the confidence (after a few hours of standing around, you'll say anything) to say something silly, people will usually react favorably. It's really that simple. Don't psych yourself out about it. The hardest part is initiating conversation with the first person of the day. After that one, it just keeps getting easier. It helps to drink lots of caffeine.
Craft shows are very much alive! I did a night craft show last night and lots of people showed up and I made a very nice profit. People still and always will want to see and feel products. Great video!!
Not sure if you'll read this comment so far down, but I just wanted to say thanks for being an inspiration with your woodworking projects, it's helped keep me going especially when times were kinda down for me. I recently upgraded my CNC and am making more items shortly. God Willing, I hope to have some of the same successes you've had. Promise to keep you posted. Cheers from Canada, Eros
I could see this being a great long term play for a local woodworker. The more your brand awareness grows in the community and the more you remind your product selection, the better your sales should be. Could also lead to bigger ticket purchases like furniture commissions for those who do that as well. Appreciate you being so transparent with all the numbers and process!
I did the art circuit for a summer, and the first day, Friday you're Feeling great talking to everyone, and then by Sunday afternoon you're sitting in chair Reading a book or newspaper. I found out that when someone says they'll go asked their husband and be right back, they don't come back. I love all your stuff that you make and I'm glad I'm retired so I can make stuff just for fun. Thanks again for all your videos I really enjoying them and they're quite entertaining.
Great job. Things I liked about this video. #1 (top like) when you talked about the experience of the market, how it effected you, and that you will remember it forever. That’s huge. That’s it right there. All the “stuff” in the end doesn’t really matter. People and relationships do. If you can make some money while doing it, awesome!! But these experiences are what shape us and connect us with others. Big profit or little. #2, everything lol. You did a great job. From planning your set up, getting the right help, this video was to the point and very enjoyable. Thanks!!
And this video has helped me see that I need to try the markets. To put the work in and get out there. Because I’ll never really know until I experience it myself.
I have to say compared to other videos of people who are artists/merchants; your video is the best I have found. Maybe the fact that they have already forgotten the new things they encountered? Thank you for the little details that some may have thought were obvious; like table weights, etc.
You can buy the square reader at Walmart or target if you're in a rush or if your 3 yo throws your reader into a puddle. The good tents are like $200 and Sam's club has them in the spring
Started a month and half ago making Christmas trees and planters. It is very satisfying and keeps my mind working at 68 years old. Looking forward to March to line up the planters and just have a drive by sale . Also market place.
Great video! We are actually heading out in a bit for our second market. Our first one was at a local Beer Shop and we made about $550 in 3 hrs. The best part about it is that I sold all my CNC test items (multiple signs that weren't perfect, but cheap). Todays show its a dog rescue Halloween event at a Brewery, so I made a bunch of smalls pet related items and its another free 3 hr market.
As someone who is getting ready to do their first show/market/whatever as I get more serious, thank you for the fantastic breakdown. There was one thing that struck me, though, for the next one you do. You had that nice white tent, white table covers, products displayed, decorations, etc.. and a dude standing there in old jeans and t-shirt and a backwards hat. That's your look, nothing wrong with that, but when it comes to that show you are part of the booth. It doesn't help convince people of the value of your products if you look like you just need to sell some stuff for beer money... 😃 Please take that good naturedly, I wear the same basic stuff every day too, but maybe step it up a notch for a show like that. The comment below about inverting the U seems like great advice, allowing more folks more space to view your products and putting you or whoever is helping in the center to engage with customers.
Really interesting and thank you for your honesty. I imagine there are TH-camrs who try to make everything look easy and profitable - even if it’s not. You have given me an idea - before watching your video I didn’t have a clue if I wanted to, or should, go to one of these events, now I do.
You forgot to take out your labor, shop rent (portion of mortgage), and such for the time it took to make stuff assuming all tools were written off as loss from your 1200 "profit". Otherwise your sales are subsidized.
Just a tip for summer markets. Be the guy who's selling ice cold water bottles for .50, .75, or a dollar, because if you have a sign for it, it'll bring everyone to your tent. A typical 35 pack costs around 6 bucks which is about .17 cents per bottle. Include a couple bags of ice for the chest and you'll break even at .50 cents a bottle. Some people only sell ice cold water bottles and make thousands at summer markets.
This is the first of your videos I've come across and I think it was the best one I could have seen. I subscribed almost immediately! I look forward to learning more from your past videos as well as future ones. Thank you sir, I appreciate your tips!
You have a lot of good points. As someone who has done a lot of markets here are a few points from my perspective. Invest in a good tent with detachable sides. Not only for rain/snow but to keep the wind and sun off you and your products. Get an RV matt. If you know it will rain, throw it down and it will keep your floor space pretty dry. If you live in a colder area like I do get a propane heater (Mr. Heater is very popular) with a 20lb tank. Don't buy the weights for the tent. Make your own and bungee cord them to your tent. If your event is on asphalt ask if you can screw your tent down. Most markets in my area allow it. Always bring a second person. We used to bring our own food and drinks but now I buy from the vendors. Most food vendors give discounts to other vendors plus I want to support them for coming out. I look at every show as a learning experience and see how I can do better. If you don't have a business license get one. Then you can write off the cost of the market, mileage, food, and hotels if you travel. The amount of money you make will vary but the rule of thumb out by us is 10x the market fee.
Hi Hamilton, Jim/Jimmy/James here Love the bread bow knife and cutting board I got from you at this event. One suggestion I have for you is to add a blade protector to the bow knife. (Don't worry, I didn't cut myself on it). I used a piece of black rubber automobile door edge guard I had left over at home. Comes in a roll and works great! Was very nice meeting you and I'm looking forward to your next video, keep up the good work!
@@HamiltonDilbeck Great! Also, the auto door guard comes in two kinds, one with glue in the middle and one without any glue… you want the Non- glue type. 👍
It would be an interesting exercise now to go back to your item pricing calcs and figure out how much you really made per item by including the time of manufacturing/finishing (as well as packing up, shlepping to/from the car) and the 12 hrs of market time. You should also really add in the travel time to/from the market - even if this one was really local (like 15 minutes away), most won't be and it needs to be calculated. Gas & food (because unless you brought food from home, food out costs more than you would have spent had you not been selling at the market). Your tent cost is probably something I'd take out because it's a one-time capital expense that your profit should be funding. Even so, you might find yourself down in the $20/hr range to pay yourself if I recall how long some of those things took you to make & finish.
Those are great points! I actually shot this video a few times and one of those did get into the weeds. But where do you stop? You could easily say that I need to include the price of my machine, shop space, the clothes I wore that day and so much more. I ended up going with this more birds eye view. The in depth video was over 35 minutes when I decided to scrap it, lol. Thanks for watching as always!
@@HamiltonDilbeck I'd stop at the capital investments like the CNC, tent, tables, etc. Those need to be paid from profits. To figure my hourly rate I include things I do/buy just to make & sell an item. So that includes not just the materials for the item (wood, finish, rags, etc) but the time to get the material, the time to make it and the time & associated costs to sell it. So the market fee is included but the tent not. The CNC is not but the finish & disposable brushes are. If not for making those things, would you have spent the money? But to be in business for even just one product you need tools, shop, etc. When I sell a 3K chair I'm only making about $35/hr when all the costs associated with that chair are included. There's another 10K in the shop that's not included but I need to make one or 100 chairs. I can take less in "pay" - say $25/hr and take the other $10/hr the sale generated and call it profit and use that to pay for tools & overhead like the shop. But my target hourly rate is $50 so I'm still not able to pay myself what I want so no profit yet 🙂 The tools are my invested capital.
@@HamiltonDilbeck you just skip most of them and add a big margin if you try to do this perfect some day bad stuff will happen and your calculation will put you in red.
My grandma did mold based ceramics for years as a side business and would take stuff to the Christmas craft fair every year. She knew what would sell reliably and what wouldn't but she said every year was different. One year she sold out of salt and pepper shakers another year she only brought pitchers she didn't sell the previous year, because they sold so poorly and that year people were putting orders for them.
Very interested in the vid you were going to make about the information from the event promoter. Did you get it posted yet? Thanks for sharing. I've vended several events and enjoy working them and agree with almost all you've said here.
I think you did a great job overall. I love your green screen. You are more energetic about this stuff than I would be, I am 76 so most of the steam is gone. Selling has always been my weak point. Figured that out selling Cub Scout cookies. I think overall you did a great job. Getting the right help was genious in this case. Having more than needed is good so you can barter towards the end. I would have boutght 5 whiskey smokers from Trisch and I hate whiskey. Keep going and doing what you are doing.
Nice to see how the whole maketember came together and finished. I haven’t done any craft shows but I want to this coming year and this video helps me out more than you know. Great Job Hamilton!
The cost of labor should always be a component in the profit/loss calculation. In a labor intensive product like woodworking, labor is often your highest cost input. If you estimate your time investment, and paid yourself at least minimum wage, would you still make a profit?
A lot of good information about setting up at a market. I used to airbrush at flea markets. Depending on what you have to sell flea markets might be a good choice to set up at being a regular event. Problem with flea markets is most set up selling things not crafts or art so most people are looking for bargains. Still, I did pretty good. I've found the more things you display the more you sell. Of course that means the more you have to set out and load back up at the end of the day. Flea markets around tourist areas can be good places. Especially if you have a booth and can set it up and leave it at the end of the day. Good video. You make really nice things. I'm getting into doing some woodworking and found your video informative.
I’ve only ever done one market like you describe. It was to be held on a Saturday with a Sunday rain date. All week leading up to Saturday, the forecast was back and forth raining moving out, moving up. The call was to be made Friday as to move to rain date or not. The forecast was looking like mostly rain Saturday with scattered rain Sunday. They kept the day on Saturday anyway. It rained all fawking day and Sunday was beautiful all day. I was sooo pissed
Good insight on markets. I have thought about this. One point you didn't talk about is how much time you put into making these products. That's something to consider. It's hard for me to justify the time when I feel like I can make more dollars per hour as a finish carpenter.
I really like markets for research purposes. Often would use them to show new ideas and see if people like them. It is nice to be able to get live feedback. Have not them since the pandemic, you actually have inspired to get back out there again. I used to look at them as successful if I made 10x the booth rate. Also they are a great opportunity to meet people outside your normal reach for future business so I like to have pictures going of bigger work as well as something really flashy and pricey to draw people in there.
thanks for a great video! I have been a potter selling at farmers markets for 15 years, and I'm still learning the selling part. The moost important thing I have learned is to discover who is buying your work. For my stuff 95% of my customers are women. As a guy trying to sell too women is hard, especially when I watch how women sell to women . . . they are diabolical and consistently outsell me . . . but I watch and learn
How I view maker markets, as a consumer, is a place to learn about new businesses and products. Even if I may not buy something then I can get their contact info and save it for later or wishlist. They might not offer the same things later, but they may have something new on their site or newsletter. I hope to do similar when I start selling. Using the markets as a marketing point.
Make tear down tables and show them off to other vendor's. That way at the end of the show they take them home chairs too. Planter boxes, and planter box kits. Bring a trailer load but only move a few items in as you need them. Keep one for display.
I did my first craft market a couple of weeks ago and my second last Saturday I bought a few of you maketember files. I made your coffee spoons and round bottle opens but unfortunately none of them sold at the first market. The second market I added the salt cellars and ring dishes. The ring and salt cellars had a lot of attention but only ended up selling one of each but five coffee spoons sold. I gave a couple coffee spoons to family members to try out and they all loved them the only feed back I received was from my sister and she wants a bigger spoon so it doesn’t take so many scoops to fill her coffee maker so I going to redesign them to have a bigger spoon part, I will send you a picture when I get them redesigned… happy making Graham
I agree, I did this only once and it was at a flea market. I learned a lot. Only made $80 but it was an experience and a learning process. I need to do it again, but it will be at a craft sale and some other market. The flea market scene is people wanting to buy everything for .50 cents. So the market is important. Also setup and teardown is always the worst part of it. It is Definitely better to find a few good sellers than to have a ton of different things. It makes it easier to setup and estimate costs as well.
Was surprised to see the Cumming City Center tower in the flyover. We live in the same town although I have not yet made it to City Center. Great video - I focus mainly on turning bowls and ultimately want to get to the point that I can start selling. I will be pinning this video for future reference. I am now subscribed to your channel and look forward to seeing more of your work!
Great tips. Me and my wife sell handmade wood products and soaps, candles, gift sets, bath bombs etc and we made $300 profit on our very first market. Then $800 on the second. We also did 2 weekend markets on one of the pumpkin farms bringing $1600 all together. Then we did our last 3 day Christmas market in 2022 bringing $1500 profit. All in all it is a lot of work but I’d rather market my own products then somebody else’s. I think that to have variety of different products help because you can attract more customers. We also reinvested all money back into the products and tools.
3:22 "People don't want to talk to you." There's really a lot of factors that go into that. Sadly, #1 is that women often have to be careful when talking with men, so, absolutely, I've seen that men have a harder time engaging with (potential) customers. The biggest factor I think is how a seller comes off to people. Some people give off a really friendly/knowledgeable/etc vibe, others don't. Me, personally, for whatever reasons (short, female, older auntie vibes?), sometimes I have to ask the people who want to talk to please come to the side so the booth isn't being blocked while we chat. Also, the weather & crowds & whatnot can all be factors.
Dude! Loved the video, super informative and great use of green screen. We ARE worth more! Subscribed and looking forward to watching more of your content
1 thing you may want to include next time is either pictures of other things you can or have made or have examples (not for sale) with ya. It allows others to see your inventory of items as well as maybe purchase items from your website if you offer it. Only offering 10 different things for sale just limits you to your potential.
Talk about events rescheduling or in this case not rescheduling due to weather. We had an event last spring at Applejack Pumpkin Patch in Augusta, KS The night before a ef3 tornado hit Andover , KS. It is a town west of Augusta and the pumpkin patch was between the two. Not having TV we had no idea there was a tornado. We got up and headed for the event. Drive out of Wichita and find the main highway closed in Andover and wonder what had happened . We start to take a dirt road. It was blocked off. We eventually get to the pumpkin patch after finding out a tornado had hit from a sheriff officer who was directing traffic . We asked the lady at the gate if they were still having the event . She told us that they were detouring traffic down their road and she expected people to stop. We were there so we set up. Maybe 20 people came. Driving back roads home and seeing the damage we figured the tornado hit about a mile from the pumpkin patch. They didn't have enough respect for their community to cancel their event. It was all about the money for them. Not only did they charge the vendors but the charged people at the gate . We will not be doing any more of their events .
I've been looking at getting into this for "something to do as I get into retirement age" and wanted to know your personal hours spent on this effort. You didn't take your time or wear/tear out of your equipment into account out of your profits and I'd like an idea of how much time you spent, plus those bit replacements seeing how they impacted your profit for that event. Would you still do it if the profits were under $700 for the event? I like the idea of just doing it mostly for fun, but I would like to turn a profit worthy of taking up my weekend.
Please don't do it just for fun because it undercuts people who are actually trying to live from their work. It happens to me all the time, people sell their work for fun and price it below the cost of materials let alone skill and time and then people actually trying to make a living can't compete!
Something to think about is the cost of the tent, tables, chairs and seasonal decorations are a 1 time cost. So the next time same cost the profit goes up a few hundred. Great content.
Excellent info from first-hand experience. This was really helpful in trying to decide whether do move forward with craft fair participation. So much info on so many levels gives me much to think about. MANY THANKS!
I was a woodworking craftsman who did art and craft shows for years. Biggest problem is finding a niche that hasn't already been filled by half a dozen other guys. Even then, $2,000 to $3,000 is about as much as you can expect unless it's close to Christmas. Out of that there's travel costs, a hotel for a couple of nights, the $300-$500 craft show fee, having to have your own tent and displays - in essence, you really have to be on the road a lot to make a decent living at it. On the other hand, there are those who come up with the simplest idea that can make big bucks - I knew a guy years ago who came up with a wooden beer holder that basically clamped over the arm rest of deck or picnic chair - sold them for $20 and made a ton of money from them!
Nice video. Having done my share of markets, I will not attempt it again without a Trish. The one time I had someone to help me I made more money than I ever had. I also had markets that I didn't even pay my fuel.
Great video - wish this video existed earlier this year. Did my first vendor stall but as a guy with anxiety the sheer amount of unknowns nearly had me backing out. Glad I did it though. I'll be viewing your video again (and again) as we approach the next season of medieval fairs!
A hint from a guy that has done a few trade shows. If at all possible, set up your tables and the items for display at home before you go. Yes it can be a pain, however, if you take the time the week before when you have the time, the real set up is a breeze. Espe ially if you take pictures and maybe draw a few sketches. Label your boxes of good with locations as well as contents. Much less to figure out when you have to be up and ready to go in 2 hours or less.
Video was well done, lots of good, helpful information. I have a feeling that if you don't have to factor in your time building and selling, you can look at it like a hobby, something to do on the side, a way to feel useful, something to take up after retirement, etc. If you have to factor in your time, you are viewing it as a potential income generator and that spoils everything.
Interesting video... the one piece of information you left out of your profit analysis was time. I imagine it's hard to back in to how much time you spent making just the things you sold vs. the things you didn't sell, but that is the key question... what is your time worth? If you spent 200 hrs of time in the shop, driving to/from the market, etc. to make $1000, that's a terrible return ($5/hr)... but if you only spent 20 hrs making those items ($50/hr), you did great! It's hard to know if it's worth it without have some sense of how much time you spent.
Hey, I'm also in Cumming. We couldn't make it to the festiful unfortunately. Would have loved to meet you. I've not done an event and this is some awesome info for people thinking about doing one.
You TEASE! Thanks for the info… my wife and I started an embroidery business last October, she’s been set up at a local farmers market inFort Wayne this season, Saturday only from 9 to 1. Some weekends are great, like this past one, but others are a struggle to cover costs. We are going into winter shows and also winter indoors for the farms market. I’ll let you know how things go there.
I am not sure if this was mentioned by someone else, but taking into account is the potential and repeat business you may get from those that found you at the event. Brand awareness is something that you cannot put a $$ amount to.
Great Video! We did a farmers market in 2009, every Saturday for the summer. It was a tough time, people were scared to spend money back then. Your different levels and having a "Trish" were great comments. We do glass work and can't get the volume that you can with woodwork, but we found your video very worthwhile. 😀
I really like your videos. I was thinking about doing some of this and doing it locally. Then as I watched your video, I was like, that looks like the city center. Turns out we are both in Cumming. Lol So much for me getting a booth for myself there!
The Trish chapter reminded me of that scene in Crocodile Dundee when Mick's skinny buddy says "I don't need a gun, I've got a Donk." I don't need advertising, I've got Trish!
Thanks for the great info. I just started doing craft fairs last September. Your info has been very helpful. Have you done your spring fair yet? How did you do with just the three items? I have found less is more in my short time doing it. With the right items, of course. Anyway, I'm looking forward to your next video on selling at fairs.
Would be nice to hear the thoughts of Trish. No offense when saying this but without Trish(from your own words)this show would not have been as successful and it’s great you give her credit. My wife was my Trish. I was like you. Without my wife selling me and my craft vision, I wouldn’t have made the sales I did. I was lucky in that my wife loved the shows and was always there. I guess you need to discover your inner Trish because she won’t always be there! Very good video breaking things down for other potential crafters. Very open assessment. Thanks
You want to sell those salt holders... fill them 1/2 way with some pretty salt, like pink himalayan or something and display one half-open. Salt in bulk is pretty cheap at costco, and the plastic shrink wrap to keep the lids closed/sealed shouldn't break the bank either(I know you have a heat gun). THAT's a $20 salt container. Maybe a little card, "Keeps your salt dry!" or something.
I used to do the art fair markets culminating in being invited to do a big show in Chicago for high rollers. I made expensive art furniture. The show, travel, and lodging was about $6500. It happened to be the weekend of the 2008 housing crash when the market dropped like 800 points. And I didn’t sell a single thing.
I worked a flea market 40 years ago. We made custom wooden furniture. It was a high ticket item and I sold based on a sample lounge suite, and just took orders with a 10% deposit. The first 4 weeks I sold only one set and that was people who came by my workshop a week or two after they saw us at the market. It was getting ready to give it up but figured I would do 4 more weeks. Well from the sixth week on we made enough to cover all expenses and feed and house a family of 5. I guess it would depend upon the product and location, but it might be a good idea to give it a few weeks before making a decision. Many of the people who bought on week 6 were people we saw on the first 4 weeks. Of course that was 40 years ago and maybe things have changed.
Awesome video man! Funny this video comes up and I just did a market about a month ago and recently booked a second one for December. I had the same occurrence as your salt cellars. I made these heart candles that I thought were genius and put a lot of time in them. And for 35$ a unit, I thought it was really fair, I didn’t sell any lol. But I definitely learned for maybe the next shows what I should focus on. I definitely think my market was worth it, and it is just a blast going out there and putting yourself out there. Lots of compliments and people admiring your work, not just making the sale, but people appreciating the work is the most rewarding and priceless thing I got from my market. Goodluck man, love the videos! 😊
I don't do many shows, maybe 2 a yr...but my first one I sold out...flags was my best seller...and Christmas tree ornaments. I made great money but was more fun than anything. We do a fall and a Christmas show mainly to meet people. Few high end items like end grain cutting boards and when people see those items they usually get your business card and special order something. Congrats on your sales. Might I suggest walnut. Walnut seems to be the most sought after in my experience.
The author does like to from scratch, th-cam.com/users/postUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. As another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us don’t have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we won’t be able to practise the full stack project, is still great.
As the Matthew Peech channel says, “Assume everyone has $20 in their pocket that they decided in advance to spend.” Great insight dude. Ty for sharing.
After our first market we learned how many people want business cards. We learned that quickly because we didn't have any. I also learned the importance of comfortable shoes, again because I didnt have any. We made door rounds/hangers and porch leaners. We sold 12 items and got custom orders for 2 more items. The things you learn from doing a market are worth it. We are looking forward to the next one.
I had wondered about business cards since most people don't really use them. I'm considering (once I get to that point) of printing a large "business card" for people to take a picture of rather than handing out cards.
@@ThomsShed almost every customer asked for one, we were surprised. We are also making a sign with QR codes for the next market we do, that seems to be popular as well.
I handed out 500 business cards at a market over 6 weeks and that generated 5 years of solid work, networking in business can make a huge difference, and these days you can have QR codes printed on them that can link straight to a web page or email etc
Out of 300 cards I only had one call from them
Those if you using QR codes, please always provide a second way for customers to find you. Some phones are broken and don't read QR codes. Other customers have a dislike of them. Some still don't know what they really are. Don't assume. Do not make the mistake, as one vendor did, of providing only one way to reach you.
I like the way you did the green screen
Thanks!
I’ve done markets for a year now, your “U” shape to invite people into your booth tends to not work. People see 2’ of your booth and walk by. Instead do it upside down U so the tables are outside and you stand inside them. Then people can look and walk by seeing more of your products. Also raise your tables up to 36” high. It makes it more eye level, keeps little kids hands off the products and makes it much easier for people to see. Stair step the products, so you can have more but don’t hide things behind other stuff making it hard to see. Lastly, stay off your phone, GREET EVERYONE YOU SEE, and if they walk by, don’t worry about it. All you have to do is say hello. That gets them to look your direction, know you’re approachable and people will stop and see what you sell. If you have power LIGHTS will get eyes looking. Invest in fairy lights or if you can, hang lights off your tent with clamps on your products. Even in full light, adding daylight LED lights will brighten your booth making it more attractive. If you can, invest in colored RGB lights that flash to music, put on your own music low near the microphone and they’ll flash and the sound will also attract attention. The key will be getting attention. If you can also demonstrate what you do by crafting on site it will make people stop as well.
Don't ever change the greenscreen, it, and the rest, is now your YT brand. (and it works)
One point I'd like to address; shop costs: blades, bits, knives, HVAC, electric to run everything from lights to equipment, etc., etc., etc!!!
...finishing and finishing consumables, insurance, yes that list is very important, very long, and some thongs are exceptionally expensive, ..(like the router needing replaced, or the entire shop if you hadn't caught it before the place whent up in smoke, speaking of which, why didn't the breaker fuse disengage??? Best check that electrical system! Perhaps, and only a guess not knowing your set up, but you may want to put that router on a 10Amp circuit if you can split and separate from the CNC controller..
So for my lil' shop, that 2k would have me darn close to the red, if you walked away with 300 to 500 I'd be surprised, .. so how many hours for your efforts, ÷ your hrs wage $ ?
Yep, what I thought.. people don't comprehend what all is involved, looking at a piece of wood, asking how much? Even drastically reduced costs and wages for your labors, you broke even and it's just a hobby.
Not judging, I started with the goal of having others pay for my hobby, 40 years later, I'm not rich, except in experience, joy factor, and now that I'm an elder, not that it means anything to the youngsters, if you do what you love, the money will come, but only when you sell your shop for pennies on the dollar.. nahh just kidding, engineering, designing custom furniture and cabinetry has produced profits, just nothing that any these days would call rich.. I do, but I'm old school, and old period, do it doesn't matter, except to say, if you get paid materials and overhead to do what you enjoy, the rewards aren't something one can add up like money, but more valuable than anything money can buy! And yes, that includes my 28k +++(everything that costs $$$, after the sale, in the shop and powered up, then ooohh, the software, bigger computer, bits, collets, all that jazz all over again! lol ) as compared to the CNC, truth is, I was more jazzed with my first jack plane, than my CNC!
Well, as an old timer, I'm a bit lengthy at communicating these days, so much has changed, I hardly recognize this rock!
Happy wood-crafting, remember, SAFETY FIRST AND LAST & in-between! Peace!
I completely relate with freezing when people show up, I’m the same. I’ve only done one market and it was a struggle. Thanks for the video!
For those of us who do not have a Trish... could you do a video with her on her sales technique. I feel like for alot of us out here doing this even the smallest tip would be beneficial. Thanks for what you do, love the channel
Trish's VALUE is greater than or equal to Hamilton's
I would love to see that in a video!
Simple Do not hire a millennial or gen z kids , they will be sitting on their butt playing on their phone all day , second use a very extrovert person who loves attention, third they have to be a bit of a show off hustler , someone who want to impress you with their sales skills...and last , pay them really well , don’t be hung by the 100$ a day , not only it is slave labour , these show are 10 to 12 hours , but instead give 100$ plus 10% of the sales , just mark up your product in function .otherwise you will loose the great employee in a New York minute or worse they will compete against your product next event with your product they bought on amazon or Alibaba. ....and for the love of god , stay away from all and I mean all green ,red,purple hair ,nose ring activist with their cause of the day button ...you will loose 40% of your sales automatically .no one wants to be preached to or insulted by these people ,they see enough online or in the news every day , client go out to get away from that crap.
Enjoy , this was a free business course , don’t waste it on ego, money don’t care about it . For more info read my other comment in the original comment section, very informative , I assure you.
You should wear a brightly colored polo shirt with your business label printed on it large in the back and small on the front pocket area. Or wear a work apron. It makes people feel more comfortable engaging with you as the sales person. The more you talk to people, the easier it gets and the more relaxed you'll become. If you're even the slightest bit competitive, you'll be surprised to learn that you'll enjoy making more sales than your buddy or just more than you expected on your own. I know salesmen who often will playfully bet who will make the next sale, and many of the best people in sales are actually introverts because we listen closely. It can be surprising to learn that you actually enjoy chatting up strangers to make money helping them find something they want. Just don't take it personally if they aren't interested, because it's a numbers game. I learned to sell when I was a young teenager. My church's youth minister enlisted as many of us young people as possible to assist in selling fireworks at an American Fireworks warehouse fundraiser (and a few adults for the registers). If you can find a charity event like that where people are needed to help sell something and they don't require you to have any experience, my advice is to do it for the chance to learn how to sell. It doesn't come naturally to a lot of people, but after a while you get bored and just start talking to people. It helps that we all had color coordinated aprons on so people knew who to ask to put fireworks in the cart for them (they weren't allowed to go behind the gates to pick stuff off the shelves for themselves). Once you start selling, you'll find yourself answering the same questions a lot, and you'll also begin to form your own canned lines that you repeat in different ways to different people based on their vibe. It's not as difficult to learn as you'd think, and the fear of rejection goes away way faster than you'll expect it to, even if you're young. People will look to you as the subject matter expert on whatever you're selling, and they'll believe pretty much anything within reason. So, you should know your product inside and out, that way you don't find yourself just blabbering nonsense. The first few times you try to sell, you might blabber on a bit, but you'll quickly find that selling things is really rather straightforward. There are two types of customers - the ones who know what they want, and those who depend on sales people to inform them of their options. The second can be led to buy anything they can afford, and the first kind can be persuaded if you can show them that you know something they didn't and don't act like a know-it-all in the process. If they say they aren't interested after your sales pitch for your product, you can politely ask them if it's because there's a lack of value being provided, in which case you can provide a similar item with better or more features, or if it's just that the price isn't right for them. If they say, "No, it's the price," then you can negotiate the price. If they still say they're not interested, then they really aren't interested and you thank them for their time, offer them something free (like his sticker idea in this video), and you end the conversation knowing you didn't push too much while doing your best. The key is to be firm about your job as a salesman without being the pushy guy who doesn't know when to cut his losses and quit before he gets labelled as one of those annoying salesmen. First impression is important, so if you come across as a funny salesman, you won't make most people annoyed even if you are pushy after that. You can be the funny salesman by sharing that silly goofy side of yourself when you first speak to someone near your table. Just don't be rude or mock anyone. It's not stand-up comedy night at the bar - there's usually kids around in a market. Just be kinda silly, like he said in the video when Trish told the lady who said that her grandmother loves whiskey, "Well Grandma's definitely getting a Whiskey Smoker!" If you have the confidence (after a few hours of standing around, you'll say anything) to say something silly, people will usually react favorably. It's really that simple. Don't psych yourself out about it. The hardest part is initiating conversation with the first person of the day. After that one, it just keeps getting easier. It helps to drink lots of caffeine.
Craft shows are very much alive! I did a night craft show last night and lots of people showed up and I made a very nice profit. People still and always will want to see and feel products. Great video!!
Not sure if you'll read this comment so far down, but I just wanted to say thanks for being an inspiration with your woodworking projects, it's helped keep me going especially when times were kinda down for me. I recently upgraded my CNC and am making more items shortly. God Willing, I hope to have some of the same successes you've had. Promise to keep you posted. Cheers from Canada, Eros
I could see this being a great long term play for a local woodworker. The more your brand awareness grows in the community and the more you remind your product selection, the better your sales should be. Could also lead to bigger ticket purchases like furniture commissions for those who do that as well.
Appreciate you being so transparent with all the numbers and process!
What complete happy-sounding horseshit. "A local woodworker" lol oh what a complete dunce.
you talking about the "introverted" part of your personality is very relatable.
I did the art circuit for a summer, and the first day, Friday you're Feeling great talking to everyone, and then by Sunday afternoon you're sitting in chair Reading a book or newspaper. I found out that when someone says they'll go asked their husband and be right back, they don't come back. I love all your stuff that you make and I'm glad I'm retired so I can make stuff just for fun. Thanks again for all your videos I really enjoying them and they're quite entertaining.
Great job. Things I liked about this video.
#1 (top like) when you talked about the experience of the market, how it effected you, and that you will remember it forever. That’s huge. That’s it right there. All the “stuff” in the end doesn’t really matter. People and relationships do. If you can make some money while doing it, awesome!! But these experiences are what shape us and connect us with others. Big profit or little.
#2, everything lol. You did a great job. From planning your set up, getting the right help, this video was to the point and very enjoyable.
Thanks!!
And this video has helped me see that I need to try the markets.
To put the work in and get out there. Because I’ll never really know until I experience it myself.
I have to say compared to other videos of people who are artists/merchants; your video is the best I have found. Maybe the fact that they have already forgotten the new things they encountered? Thank you for the little details that some may have thought were obvious; like table weights, etc.
You can buy the square reader at Walmart or target if you're in a rush or if your 3 yo throws your reader into a puddle.
The good tents are like $200 and Sam's club has them in the spring
Started a month and half ago making Christmas trees and planters. It is very satisfying and keeps my mind working at 68 years old. Looking forward to March to line up the planters and just have a drive by sale . Also market place.
Great video! We are actually heading out in a bit for our second market. Our first one was at a local Beer Shop and we made about $550 in 3 hrs. The best part about it is that I sold all my CNC test items (multiple signs that weren't perfect, but cheap). Todays show its a dog rescue Halloween event at a Brewery, so I made a bunch of smalls pet related items and its another free 3 hr market.
Awesome!
As someone who is getting ready to do their first show/market/whatever as I get more serious, thank you for the fantastic breakdown. There was one thing that struck me, though, for the next one you do. You had that nice white tent, white table covers, products displayed, decorations, etc.. and a dude standing there in old jeans and t-shirt and a backwards hat. That's your look, nothing wrong with that, but when it comes to that show you are part of the booth. It doesn't help convince people of the value of your products if you look like you just need to sell some stuff for beer money... 😃 Please take that good naturedly, I wear the same basic stuff every day too, but maybe step it up a notch for a show like that. The comment below about inverting the U seems like great advice, allowing more folks more space to view your products and putting you or whoever is helping in the center to engage with customers.
The next 5 weeks I have 4 shows. All indoor and 1 day shows. I did my first one in Sept that was three days. Now I'm hooked.
Really interesting and thank you for your honesty. I imagine there are TH-camrs who try to make everything look easy and profitable - even if it’s not. You have given me an idea - before watching your video I didn’t have a clue if I wanted to, or should, go to one of these events, now I do.
You forgot to take out your labor, shop rent (portion of mortgage), and such for the time it took to make stuff assuming all tools were written off as loss from your 1200 "profit". Otherwise your sales are subsidized.
Yep, that will be included in part 2 after the pop-up sale video!
Just a tip for summer markets. Be the guy who's selling ice cold water bottles for .50, .75, or a dollar, because if you have a sign for it, it'll bring everyone to your tent. A typical 35 pack costs around 6 bucks which is about .17 cents per bottle. Include a couple bags of ice for the chest and you'll break even at .50 cents a bottle. Some people only sell ice cold water bottles and make thousands at summer markets.
Just got my CNC up and running and this is great advise, Thanks! I do guitars mostly, but some of your stuff looks real cool to do!
This is the first of your videos I've come across and I think it was the best one I could have seen. I subscribed almost immediately! I look forward to learning more from your past videos as well as future ones. Thank you sir, I appreciate your tips!
You have a lot of good points. As someone who has done a lot of markets here are a few points from my perspective. Invest in a good tent with detachable sides. Not only for rain/snow but to keep the wind and sun off you and your products. Get an RV matt. If you know it will rain, throw it down and it will keep your floor space pretty dry. If you live in a colder area like I do get a propane heater (Mr. Heater is very popular) with a 20lb tank. Don't buy the weights for the tent. Make your own and bungee cord them to your tent. If your event is on asphalt ask if you can screw your tent down. Most markets in my area allow it. Always bring a second person. We used to bring our own food and drinks but now I buy from the vendors. Most food vendors give discounts to other vendors plus I want to support them for coming out. I look at every show as a learning experience and see how I can do better. If you don't have a business license get one. Then you can write off the cost of the market, mileage, food, and hotels if you travel. The amount of money you make will vary but the rule of thumb out by us is 10x the market fee.
Hi Hamilton, Jim/Jimmy/James here
Love the bread bow knife and cutting board I got from you at this event. One suggestion I have for you is to add a blade protector to the bow knife. (Don't worry, I didn't cut myself on it). I used a piece of black rubber automobile door edge guard I had left over at home. Comes in a roll and works great! Was very nice meeting you and I'm looking forward to your next video, keep up the good work!
Hey! Thanks so much for coming out and that's a very very good idea! I will for sure use that in the future!
@@HamiltonDilbeck Maybe some of that U shape plastic that you get with some hand saws to cover the teeth.
@@HamiltonDilbeck Great! Also, the auto door guard comes in two kinds, one with glue in the middle and one without any glue… you want the Non- glue type. 👍
It would be an interesting exercise now to go back to your item pricing calcs and figure out how much you really made per item by including the time of manufacturing/finishing (as well as packing up, shlepping to/from the car) and the 12 hrs of market time. You should also really add in the travel time to/from the market - even if this one was really local (like 15 minutes away), most won't be and it needs to be calculated. Gas & food (because unless you brought food from home, food out costs more than you would have spent had you not been selling at the market). Your tent cost is probably something I'd take out because it's a one-time capital expense that your profit should be funding. Even so, you might find yourself down in the $20/hr range to pay yourself if I recall how long some of those things took you to make & finish.
Those are great points! I actually shot this video a few times and one of those did get into the weeds. But where do you stop? You could easily say that I need to include the price of my machine, shop space, the clothes I wore that day and so much more. I ended up going with this more birds eye view. The in depth video was over 35 minutes when I decided to scrap it, lol.
Thanks for watching as always!
@@HamiltonDilbeck I'd stop at the capital investments like the CNC, tent, tables, etc. Those need to be paid from profits. To figure my hourly rate I include things I do/buy just to make & sell an item. So that includes not just the materials for the item (wood, finish, rags, etc) but the time to get the material, the time to make it and the time & associated costs to sell it. So the market fee is included but the tent not. The CNC is not but the finish & disposable brushes are. If not for making those things, would you have spent the money? But to be in business for even just one product you need tools, shop, etc. When I sell a 3K chair I'm only making about $35/hr when all the costs associated with that chair are included. There's another 10K in the shop that's not included but I need to make one or 100 chairs. I can take less in "pay" - say $25/hr and take the other $10/hr the sale generated and call it profit and use that to pay for tools & overhead like the shop. But my target hourly rate is $50 so I'm still not able to pay myself what I want so no profit yet 🙂 The tools are my invested capital.
@@HamiltonDilbeck you just skip most of them and add a big margin if you try to do this perfect some day bad stuff will happen and your calculation will put you in red.
Awesome video Hamilton! It was great getting to meet you. Looking forward to the 12 days of Makemas!
Great to meet you too! Thanks for coming out to see me!!
My grandma did mold based ceramics for years as a side business and would take stuff to the Christmas craft fair every year. She knew what would sell reliably and what wouldn't but she said every year was different.
One year she sold out of salt and pepper shakers another year she only brought pitchers she didn't sell the previous year, because they sold so poorly and that year people were putting orders for them.
Very interested in the vid you were going to make about the information from the event promoter. Did you get it posted yet?
Thanks for sharing. I've vended several events and enjoy working them and agree with almost all you've said here.
I think you did a great job overall. I love your green screen. You are more energetic about this stuff than I would be, I am 76 so most of the steam is gone. Selling has always been my weak point. Figured that out selling Cub Scout cookies. I think overall you did a great job. Getting the right help was genious in this case. Having more than needed is good so you can barter towards the end. I would have boutght 5 whiskey smokers from Trisch and I hate whiskey. Keep going and doing what you are doing.
Nice to see how the whole maketember came together and finished. I haven’t done any craft shows but I want to this coming year and this video helps me out more than you know. Great Job Hamilton!
That's awesome, thanks so much!
Couldn’t agree more. Thanks for the great video and advice. Blessings to you
The cost of labor should always be a component in the profit/loss calculation. In a labor intensive product like woodworking, labor is often your highest cost input.
If you estimate your time investment, and paid yourself at least minimum wage, would you still make a profit?
This video covered a lot of good points in regard to set up, attracting people and learning from the experience. Thank you for posting.
A lot of good information about setting up at a market. I used to airbrush at flea markets. Depending on what you have to sell flea markets might be a good choice to set up at being a regular event. Problem with flea markets is most set up selling things not crafts or art so most people are looking for bargains. Still, I did pretty good. I've found the more things you display the more you sell. Of course that means the more you have to set out and load back up at the end of the day. Flea markets around tourist areas can be good places. Especially if you have a booth and can set it up and leave it at the end of the day. Good video. You make really nice things. I'm getting into doing some woodworking and found your video informative.
I'm not into CNC and woodworking at all, but you make it quite interesting. Love your grounded way of presenting!
I’ve only ever done one market like you describe. It was to be held on a Saturday with a Sunday rain date. All week leading up to Saturday, the forecast was back and forth raining moving out, moving up. The call was to be made Friday as to move to rain date or not. The forecast was looking like mostly rain Saturday with scattered rain Sunday. They kept the day on Saturday anyway. It rained all fawking day and Sunday was beautiful all day. I was sooo pissed
Good insight on markets. I have thought about this. One point you didn't talk about is how much time you put into making these products. That's something to consider. It's hard for me to justify the time when I feel like I can make more dollars per hour as a finish carpenter.
Love your projects. Especially the salt container.
I really like markets for research purposes. Often would use them to show new ideas and see if people like them. It is nice to be able to get live feedback. Have not them since the pandemic, you actually have inspired to get back out there again. I used to look at them as successful if I made 10x the booth rate. Also they are a great opportunity to meet people outside your normal reach for future business so I like to have pictures going of bigger work as well as something really flashy and pricey to draw people in there.
thanks for a great video! I have been a potter selling at farmers markets for 15 years, and I'm still learning the selling part. The moost important thing I have learned is to discover who is buying your work. For my stuff 95% of my customers are women. As a guy trying to sell too women is hard, especially when I watch how women sell to women . . . they are diabolical and consistently outsell me . . . but I watch and learn
How I view maker markets, as a consumer, is a place to learn about new businesses and products. Even if I may not buy something then I can get their contact info and save it for later or wishlist. They might not offer the same things later, but they may have something new on their site or newsletter.
I hope to do similar when I start selling. Using the markets as a marketing point.
I had no idea you were in GA. I am too! I'm hope you do another one. I'll be there all the way from cedartown lol
Make tear down tables and show them off to other vendor's. That way at the end of the show they take them home chairs too.
Planter boxes, and planter box kits.
Bring a trailer load but only move a few items in as you need them. Keep one for display.
I did my first craft market a couple of weeks ago and my second last Saturday
I bought a few of you maketember files. I made your coffee spoons and round bottle opens but unfortunately none of them sold at the first market. The second market I added the salt cellars and ring dishes. The ring and salt cellars had a lot of attention but only ended up selling one of each but five coffee spoons sold. I gave a couple coffee spoons to family members to try out and they all loved them the only feed back I received was from my sister and she wants a bigger spoon so it doesn’t take so many scoops to fill her coffee maker so I going to redesign them to have a bigger spoon part, I will send you a picture when I get them redesigned… happy making
Graham
I like your shop/video green screen so much I’ve subscribed just for that, it’s unique
I agree, I did this only once and it was at a flea market. I learned a lot. Only made $80 but it was an experience and a learning process. I need to do it again, but it will be at a craft sale and some other market. The flea market scene is people wanting to buy everything for .50 cents. So the market is important. Also setup and teardown is always the worst part of it. It is Definitely better to find a few good sellers than to have a ton of different things. It makes it easier to setup and estimate costs as well.
I had no idea what you were going to do with that screen, but I'm definitely inspired now
Was surprised to see the Cumming City Center tower in the flyover. We live in the same town although I have not yet made it to City Center. Great video - I focus mainly on turning bowls and ultimately want to get to the point that I can start selling. I will be pinning this video for future reference. I am now subscribed to your channel and look forward to seeing more of your work!
Great tips. Me and my wife sell handmade wood products and soaps, candles, gift sets, bath bombs etc and we made $300 profit on our very first market. Then $800 on the second. We also did 2 weekend markets on one of the pumpkin farms bringing $1600 all together. Then we did our last 3 day Christmas market in 2022 bringing $1500 profit. All in all it is a lot of work but I’d rather market my own products then somebody else’s. I think that to have variety of different products help because you can attract more customers. We also reinvested all money back into the products and tools.
Thanks for sharing I just pulled the trigger and bought a cnc. Love your videos.
3:22 "People don't want to talk to you." There's really a lot of factors that go into that. Sadly, #1 is that women often have to be careful when talking with men, so, absolutely, I've seen that men have a harder time engaging with (potential) customers.
The biggest factor I think is how a seller comes off to people. Some people give off a really friendly/knowledgeable/etc vibe, others don't. Me, personally, for whatever reasons (short, female, older auntie vibes?), sometimes I have to ask the people who want to talk to please come to the side so the booth isn't being blocked while we chat.
Also, the weather & crowds & whatnot can all be factors.
Dude! Loved the video, super informative and great use of green screen. We ARE worth more! Subscribed and looking forward to watching more of your content
I have a market this spring it’s my first one.. I can’t wait. And I can talk & sell. I can sell ice to an eskimo
Terrific video! I’m preparing for my first market and will take any advice I can find. Thank you!
Great info and tips.... I'm a freezer in front of people too 🤷🏾♂️ Lol my people person switch turns off and on automatically 🤦🏾♂️
1 thing you may want to include next time is either pictures of other things you can or have made or have examples (not for sale) with ya. It allows others to see your inventory of items as well as maybe purchase items from your website if you offer it. Only offering 10 different things for sale just limits you to your potential.
Setup a tablet with a slideshow of your product pics, it keeps them at the table a little longer and can open the door for custom work
@@justa_grandpa Yes that ^^^^ just make sure your tablet is tethered or youll get some random person who tries to walk away with it.
Talk about events rescheduling or in this case not rescheduling due to weather. We had an event last spring at Applejack Pumpkin Patch in Augusta, KS The night before a ef3 tornado hit Andover , KS. It is a town west of Augusta and the pumpkin patch was between the two.
Not having TV we had no idea there was a tornado. We got up and headed for the event. Drive out of Wichita and find the main highway closed in Andover and wonder what had happened . We start to take a dirt road. It was blocked off. We eventually get to the pumpkin patch after finding out a tornado had hit from a sheriff officer who was directing traffic .
We asked the lady at the gate if they were still having the event . She told us that they were detouring traffic down their road and she expected people to stop. We were there so we set up.
Maybe 20 people came.
Driving back roads home and seeing the damage we figured the tornado hit about a mile from the pumpkin patch.
They didn't have enough respect for their community to cancel their event. It was all about the money for them. Not only did they charge the vendors but the charged people at the gate .
We will not be doing any more of their events .
Like your style. Thank you for being so open and real. Best to you.
Great best practices for booth sales.
Thanks, I’m going through my first Chrons flairup and I can’t work on my jobsites, need to find something to make the cheese
I just like you, good stuff brother
I love all the credit to Trish! Go are a sweetheart! Thank you for ALL your tips.
I've been looking at getting into this for "something to do as I get into retirement age" and wanted to know your personal hours spent on this effort. You didn't take your time or wear/tear out of your equipment into account out of your profits and I'd like an idea of how much time you spent, plus those bit replacements seeing how they impacted your profit for that event. Would you still do it if the profits were under $700 for the event? I like the idea of just doing it mostly for fun, but I would like to turn a profit worthy of taking up my weekend.
Please don't do it just for fun because it undercuts people who are actually trying to live from their work. It happens to me all the time, people sell their work for fun and price it below the cost of materials let alone skill and time and then people actually trying to make a living can't compete!
Something to think about is the cost of the tent, tables, chairs and seasonal decorations are a 1 time cost. So the next time same cost the profit goes up a few hundred. Great content.
Agreed
Excellent info from first-hand experience. This was really helpful in trying to decide whether do move forward with craft fair participation. So much info on so many levels gives me much to think about. MANY THANKS!
I didn’t realize you were in/near Cumming! Greetings from subscribers and fans in Valdosta.
I was a woodworking craftsman who did art and craft shows for years. Biggest problem is finding a niche that hasn't already been filled by half a dozen other guys. Even then, $2,000 to $3,000 is about as much as you can expect unless it's close to Christmas. Out of that there's travel costs, a hotel for a couple of nights, the $300-$500 craft show fee, having to have your own tent and displays - in essence, you really have to be on the road a lot to make a decent living at it. On the other hand, there are those who come up with the simplest idea that can make big bucks - I knew a guy years ago who came up with a wooden beer holder that basically clamped over the arm rest of deck or picnic chair - sold them for $20 and made a ton of money from them!
Thank you for the info, getting into this and the craft shows where I am are mostly small..... so the tips may help.....
➡➡Carveco Maker+ Beginners Course: bit.ly/3pVvKvK
➡➡CNC Digital Files: www.cncyalater.com/
➡➡My Patreon: www.patreon.com/hamiltondilbeck
So very helpful! I am at a crossroads for this, and got. very helpful information!
Love the video made me think. Can you tell me the brand of label printer u used please.?
It's a rollo label printer. Linked in the top pinned comment!
@@HamiltonDilbeck silly me 🤪 Early morning here. Thank you!
Nice video. Having done my share of markets, I will not attempt it again without a Trish. The one time I had someone to help me I made more money than I ever had. I also had markets that I didn't even pay my fuel.
Great video - wish this video existed earlier this year. Did my first vendor stall but as a guy with anxiety the sheer amount of unknowns nearly had me backing out. Glad I did it though. I'll be viewing your video again (and again) as we approach the next season of medieval fairs!
A hint from a guy that has done a few trade shows. If at all possible, set up your tables and the items for display at home before you go. Yes it can be a pain, however, if you take the time the week before when you have the time, the real set up is a breeze. Espe ially if you take pictures and maybe draw a few sketches. Label your boxes of good with locations as well as contents. Much less to figure out when you have to be up and ready to go in 2 hours or less.
What I great video. Probably one of the best that I've seen for this topic. It was very relatable and informative.
Video was well done, lots of good, helpful information. I have a feeling that if you don't have to factor in your time building and selling, you can look at it like a hobby, something to do on the side, a way to feel useful, something to take up after retirement, etc. If you have to factor in your time, you are viewing it as a potential income generator and that spoils everything.
LOVE the green screen presentation. Excellent video!! Great info
Thanks so much!
Interesting video... the one piece of information you left out of your profit analysis was time. I imagine it's hard to back in to how much time you spent making just the things you sold vs. the things you didn't sell, but that is the key question... what is your time worth? If you spent 200 hrs of time in the shop, driving to/from the market, etc. to make $1000, that's a terrible return ($5/hr)... but if you only spent 20 hrs making those items ($50/hr), you did great! It's hard to know if it's worth it without have some sense of how much time you spent.
Yep! I'll be doing the full breakdown in my video from the pop up market!
Hey, I'm also in Cumming. We couldn't make it to the festiful unfortunately. Would have loved to meet you. I've not done an event and this is some awesome info for people thinking about doing one.
First time watching- really enjoyed your presentation! I’ve subscribed and looking forward to watching more
You TEASE! Thanks for the info… my wife and I started an embroidery business last October, she’s been set up at a local farmers market inFort Wayne this season, Saturday only from 9 to 1. Some weekends are great, like this past one, but others are a struggle to cover costs. We are going into winter shows and also winter indoors for the farms market. I’ll let you know how things go there.
nice!
I am not sure if this was mentioned by someone else, but taking into account is the potential and repeat business you may get from those that found you at the event.
Brand awareness is something that you cannot put a $$ amount to.
Great Video! We did a farmers market in 2009, every Saturday for the summer. It was a tough time, people were scared to spend money back then. Your different levels and having a "Trish" were great comments. We do glass work and can't get the volume that you can with woodwork, but we found your video very worthwhile. 😀
Can I just say... I'm stoked for the 12 days of Makemas/Christmas because that sounds like it's going to be fantastic 😂
Ditto! Here here! Me too!
I really like your videos. I was thinking about doing some of this and doing it locally. Then as I watched your video, I was like, that looks like the city center. Turns out we are both in Cumming. Lol So much for me getting a booth for myself there!
The Trish chapter reminded me of that scene in Crocodile Dundee when Mick's skinny buddy says "I don't need a gun, I've got a Donk." I don't need advertising, I've got Trish!
Thanks for the great info. I just started doing craft fairs last September. Your info has been very helpful. Have you done your spring fair yet? How did you do with just the three items? I have found less is more in my short time doing it. With the right items, of course. Anyway, I'm looking forward to your next video on selling at fairs.
Would be nice to hear the thoughts of Trish. No offense when saying this but without Trish(from your own words)this show would not have been as successful and it’s great you give her credit. My wife was my Trish. I was like you. Without my wife selling me and my craft vision, I wouldn’t have made the sales I did. I was lucky in that my wife loved the shows and was always there. I guess you need to discover your inner Trish because she won’t always be there! Very good video breaking things down for other potential crafters. Very open assessment. Thanks
You want to sell those salt holders... fill them 1/2 way with some pretty salt, like pink himalayan or something and display one half-open. Salt in bulk is pretty cheap at costco, and the plastic shrink wrap to keep the lids closed/sealed shouldn't break the bank either(I know you have a heat gun). THAT's a $20 salt container. Maybe a little card, "Keeps your salt dry!" or something.
I used to do the art fair markets culminating in being invited to do a big show in Chicago for high rollers. I made expensive art furniture. The show, travel, and lodging was about $6500. It happened to be the weekend of the 2008 housing crash when the market dropped like 800 points. And I didn’t sell a single thing.
I worked a flea market 40 years ago. We made custom wooden furniture. It was a high ticket item and I sold based on a sample lounge suite, and just took orders with a 10% deposit. The first 4 weeks I sold only one set and that was people who came by my workshop a week or two after they saw us at the market.
It was getting ready to give it up but figured I would do 4 more weeks. Well from the sixth week on we made enough to cover all expenses and feed and house a family of 5.
I guess it would depend upon the product and location, but it might be a good idea to give it a few weeks before making a decision.
Many of the people who bought on week 6 were people we saw on the first 4 weeks.
Of course that was 40 years ago and maybe things have changed.
Awesome video man! Funny this video comes up and I just did a market about a month ago and recently booked a second one for December. I had the same occurrence as your salt cellars. I made these heart candles that I thought were genius and put a lot of time in them. And for 35$ a unit, I thought it was really fair, I didn’t sell any lol. But I definitely learned for maybe the next shows what I should focus on. I definitely think my market was worth it, and it is just a blast going out there and putting yourself out there. Lots of compliments and people admiring your work, not just making the sale, but people appreciating the work is the most rewarding and priceless thing I got from my market. Goodluck man, love the videos! 😊
100 thumbs up!! I agree wholeheartedly. Thanks for your transparency.
I love how all of your stuff was useful, I hate when all the woodworkers do signs...that is beat to death!
I'm stoked for 12 days of Makemas!!
Me too! (Still haven't even started making the files, lol)
Just found your channel, I'm in Mcdonough, Ga
I don't do many shows, maybe 2 a yr...but my first one I sold out...flags was my best seller...and Christmas tree ornaments. I made great money but was more fun than anything. We do a fall and a Christmas show mainly to meet people. Few high end items like end grain cutting boards and when people see those items they usually get your business card and special order something. Congrats on your sales. Might I suggest walnut. Walnut seems to be the most sought after in my experience.