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Where to Find Places to Sell Crafts?A frequently asked question is "What places can I sell my arts and crafts at?" Let's talk about places where many craft artists sell their work.... Craft shows .... Farmer's markets .... High-end flea markets ....Craft malls .....Art and craft galleries.... (find craft shows near you) Where to sell crafts online? At ebay.com, etsy.com, artfulhome.com or wholesalecrafts.com (a site to consider if you want to sell to stores.) Other places to sell crafts include home parties and trunk shows. Restaurants / Cafes An entry-level way to get your work in front of the public is to show in cafes and other businesses. This is good for both parties - it gets you exposure and maybe some sales and makes the business environment more attractive and interesting to patrons. An example is Walls for Art in the Bay Area. Furthermore, this is a great opportunity for you to market yourself a little better. Consider putting your brand name on pencils, pens, or any other promotional item and “accidentally” leaving them at the scene. It is important that you act on any chance to market yourself and your work. Your Studio or Gallery More and more artisans are opening their studios to the public. Small towns like Jerome, Arizona, Park City, Utah and Salida, Colorado boast artists’ and craft persons’ workshops and showrooms open to tourists come to buy directly from the makers. About 100 artists live around Salida. Vendor Carts Ever walk through a mall and see a small but attractive vendor cart in the walkway beckoning to customers? You see these booths at airports and hospitals too. Although not for every craft artisan, these booths generate lots of income, especially around Christmas. Corporate Buyers The premium and incentive business amounts to over $20 billion dollars annually. Products, including handmade items, are purchased by businesses for gifts, sweepstakes prizes, publicity and promotions, salesperson incentives, employee performance incentives, tagalongs (given away with sale of another item), referral incentives, and more. Items used as premiums are often purchased in large quantities, but when local businesses look for incentives, they may not need thousands of units. Help from Arts Agencies Learn how to participate with your state and local arts councils whose mission is to promote arts. For instance, many states have learned that tourists who are drawn to art and craft demonstrations rank shopping as their number one activity. But these tourists also bring in money to other areas of local economies like lodging, restaurants and gas. Several states work with arts councils to promote the reputation and availability of local artisans. Contact your state arts agency to see how you can tap into this promotion.
The question you should be asking is...."Where to sell crafts where there is little or no competition?"Why try to compete with all the other crafts at craft shows and in craft galleries? There are many more and sometimes better places to sell crafts with less competition -- where to sell crafts with a better chance of standing out. People buy crafts at popular expos like: Home shows, Boat shows, Bridal shows, Pet shows and even Horse races. To search hundreds of expos for all kinds of topics, see www.tsnn.com Types of stores and places to sell your crafts to:
Looking outside where most craft makers go to sell opens up a world of opportunities. Any of these overlooked ideas of places to sell crafts can keep you busy for some time.
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