Clutch-Me.Com

Selling to holiday shoppers

Now that many of you have loaded up on your metal purse frames and Gutermann glue from my annual sale, I am sure you are well on your way to making your clutch collection for the holiday season!  Selling your clutches at a Arts and Crafts show is a great way to find an audience!  Here’s a post I did about juried and non-juried shows.

Since the holidays are right around the corner, you will need to get a move on in order to participate in these shows.  They typically sell out fast because everyone comes with a Christmas list.  So go to the arts and crafts directories and check out what’s going on around you in your state.  Enter in the dates (month, year) as you would normally.  There’s no directories geared just for Christmas but once you find your date and state, then it lists all the holiday festivals coming up.  All these shows, especially big ones fill up fast for the holidays, so be sure to check them out and register.

*Festival Network Online:  great directory for juried shows!

I’ve been to the juried show shown here on the home page of this directory. It was really amazing art and the price point was higher than other non-juried shows.

*Arts & Crafts Show Yellow Pages:  this might be the most comprehensive one out there.  You can get some sample listings only on this fee-based directory.  Membership is $48.95 a year.

Any crafter will benefit from these Yellow Pages.

*Fairs and Festivals: I like the navigation and info on this directory.  It gives you enough info, but important details are only for members.  Check the website for membership.

Sample of one event in NJ in December.

As you know, I’ve talked many times about supporting other women and how that is a worthy endeavor and you can never go wrong supporting a woman.  I just had a wonderful suggestion from an experienced clutch maker and clutch seller who has done many of these local arts and crafts shows.  Erin of kaleidoscopebyerin brought up an excellent point that she thought all fellow clutch sellers could benefit from.  Erin suggested to find out the range of retail prices of the products offered by participating sellers at these shows before committing to the shows.  How can you find out?

*Find out if it’s a juried show or not.  Non-juried shows are typically lower on price points than juried shows.  Some juried shows might be too high, too, so do your homework!

*Talk to the event contact person to find out past vendors, types of products shown, and range of price.  Unless it’s a brand new event, they should have a clear idea of the historical range and median price of displayed goods.  They will also know who has signed up this year and what things are being promoted.

What you are trying to find out is the audience of these shows.  What kind of customer is coming?  What kinds of products and price range have they expected at this show in that past?  Erin says that “the venues are out there, I promise…”  Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Erin’s experience with shows that have a lower retail price range can yield as little as only $100 a day in sales;  however, if she targets and hits the right price range in an upscale show, she has sold as much as $1000 a day.  What’s really encouraging is that arts and crafts shows are still an untapped market for handmade clutch sellers.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/kaleidoscopebyerin

Here’s a picture of her set-up from a show.  Notice the branding that she does!   The banner is the same as her online shop so that customers who sees her at the show can return again to her online shop.  Her niche is handmade clutches using unique vintage kimonos.  See how she has accoutrements that amplify the look?  The rice-paper screen and umbrella complements the kimono clutches.  You walk past her table and you are drawn in by the props and visuals.  The angle of the screen invites you to walk further in for shopping.  Brilliant!

The screen is ingenious!

I hope you find Erin’s suggestions helpful.  As a mom of 2, Erin is a true team player and understands the juggling of work and raising kids!  I want to thank Erin for her kindness in offering her experience for you to benefit from!  Thanks, Erin.  You’re the bees knees!
~Winn

November 14, 2012 - Posted by Thy K | Helpful Tips