Selling your work · Craft fairs and markets

A table, a tablecloth and a lot of things nobody tells you.

Height, signage, taking payment, and what actually sells at a booth. A market is a list of things nobody tells a first-timer, and the list is short: height, prices on everything, a card reader that works, twice as many small things, stand up and say hello.

Four steps with a tick list at each: the market and the stock, the table, payment, and the day. Six mistakes, the first three free to fix, and six videos from potters and market people.

This is the short version: the market and the stock, the table, payment, the day, each with a tick list. The reasoning, the tax note and the questions are in the comprehensive version.

x3Levels on the table. Height is free
x2As many small things as feels sensible
x6Videos, none of them ours
x4Steps, each with a tick list you can work off
Jump to a section
Why this page has words and video The whole idea in a paragraph The market in six moves What goes in the car 1. The market and the stock 2. The table 3. Payment 4. The day Six vendors, six tables The one video to watch When it goes wrong How it works at The Clay Hole Questions people actually ask Related lessons
An illustration of a smiling potter in paint-splashed overalls setting a mug on a wooden market table under a white pop-up tent, with shelves of mugs, bowls and vases, a tablet on a stand, a cash box and a small sign reading The Clay Hole Handmade Pottery

Every step, the reasoning, the tax note and six videos.

Read it, then watch it

Why this is written down and filmed, both.

A market is a list of things nobody tells you, and lists belong on a page you read the night before with the car half packed: height, prices on everything, a card reader that works, twice as many small things, stand up, say hello. What a page cannot show is a table that stops people from six feet away against one that does not, or how other makers talk about it. That is the videos.

Use both, in this order

Read the list. Watch a booth being built and a day being counted. Set the table up in your living room the week before, with the tick list open, and photograph it.

The whole idea

Height, prices on everything, a card reader that works, twice as many small things, and say hello.

Pick a market with a real crowd for handmade goods. Bring twice as many mugs and small bowls as feels sensible, a few big pieces to stop people, a price on every one. Height with crates, a cloth to the floor, a sign at eye level. A card reader tested at home and a float. Stand, say hello, let them hold things. Count what sold.

The five-minute version

The whole market in six moves.

If you have sold anything in person and you just want the shape of it, this is the shape of it. Everything below is these six moves, slowed down and with the places they fail marked.

1Pick the marketA track record for handmade, a real crowd, other makers asked. Visit as a shopper first. A first market is tuition.
2Bring small things, twice as manyMugs, small bowls, planters, ring dishes, at a price nobody consults anyone about. A few big pieces to stop people.
3Height, cloth, signThree levels from crates or risers, best pieces at eye level, a cloth to the floor, your name at eye height.
4A price on everythingTags or small signs, readable from a step back. Same price for the same shape.
5Payment tested at homeA card reader on your phone, a second way to take a card, a cash float, a sign that says what you take.
6Stand, say hello, countPhone in the cash box, out only to take a payment. Hello to everyone, one thing about the pot, let them hold it. A tally of what sold.

The night before

What goes in the car.

Six things, and the card reader is the one to test twice. The stool is the one you will not use.

Stock: small, useful, giftableMugs, small bowls, planters, ring dishes, sets of two. Twice as many as feels right, and a few large pieces.
Crates, risers or a shelfFor three levels. Upturned boxes under a cloth work. Height is free.
A cloth to the floor, and a signThe cloth hides the boxes. The sign is your name, big, at eye height, and where else to find you.
Tags and a penA price on everything, in numbers readable from a step back.
A card reader, a second way to take a card, a cash floatSet up and tested at home. A sign that says what you take. Change for a twenty.
Bags, paper, a tally sheet, waterWrapping for what sells, a count of what sold, and a stool you will not sit on much.

Small giftable stock, crates for height, a cloth and a sign, tags and a pen, a card reader with a backup and a float, bags, a tally sheet and water.

1

Step one

Pick the market, and bring twice as many small things as feels sensible.

The market decides half of the day before you arrive. One with a track record for handmade goods and a real crowd: ask makers who have done it, and go once as a shopper before you apply. A market of resold goods is the wrong table for a mug that took real money and hours to make. Small local markets are where many potters start, and the first one is tuition whatever it makes.

Then the stock, which is the second thing beginners get backwards. A market buys small and giftable at a price nobody has to consult anyone about: mugs first, then small bowls, planters, ring dishes, spoon rests, small vases, and sets of two, which sell better than singles. The large pieces are the reason a person stops at the table; the small pieces are what goes into the bag. Bring twice as many small things as feels sensible and a few big ones, and keep a tally so the ratio is a number next time. Finkle Pottery’s seven tips below are about the other half of the day: promoting yourself, talking to customers, add-ons and pricing.

Every pot priced before you leave the house, on a tag or a small sign per group, in numbers readable from a step back, the same price for the same shape in every glaze. Most people will not ask a price; they will assume it is more than they want to spend and keep walking. A price is permission to pick it up.

Tick list, the market and the stock0 of 4
2

Step two

Height, a cloth to the floor, and a sign at eye level.

The decision to stop is made from six feet away. A flat table reads as a jumble from there; three levels read as a shop. Crates, risers or upturned boxes under a cloth: best pieces at eye level, mugs and small things at hand level where they can be picked up, large pieces high or at the back to stop people.

A cloth to the floor, so the boxes and bags under the table vanish and the table reads as clean. Groups by shape and color, not one of everything everywhere. Space in front for two people to stand without blocking each other. And a sign, your name in big letters at eye height with where else to find you, because a person who does not buy today wants to find you next month. Sparks of Joy’s ten display tips below take fourteen minutes.

Build the table in your living room the week before, with everything you will bring, and photograph it. Then pack it in the order it comes out. A table built for the first time at seven in the morning in a field is a table that opens late.

Tick list, the table0 of 5
3

Step three

Payment tested at home, a backup, and a float with change.

A sale that cannot be taken goes to the next table. A card reader on your phone, set up and tested at home with a real transaction, not at the table with a line of people waiting. A second way to take a card, in case the reader or the battery fails. A cash float with change for a twenty. A sign that says what you take.

Phone charged, and a battery pack, because the reader and the signal both live on it. If the field has no signal, the reader may take cards offline and settle later; know before the day which yours does. Bags and wrapping paper for what sells, because a mug handed over naked is a mug that chips in the parking lot, and a bag with your name on it is an advertisement that walks.

Sales tax is collected on most in-person sales in most places, and the market organizer or the state small-business office will tell you how; this page teaches selling, not tax. The notebook from the selling lesson, what sold, for how much, what it cost, is what an accountant asks for, and the tally sheet is that notebook for the day.

Tick list, payment0 of 4
4

Step four

Stand, say hello, let them hold it, and count the day.

A vendor on a phone is a closed shop. Stand, or sit on a stool at table height, and say hello to everyone who slows down. One thing about the pot they are looking at, then let them look. A mug in a hand is half sold, so encourage people to pick things up, and never follow anyone along the table.

Keep the table full as it sells: restock from under the cloth, close the gaps, put the next best piece where the sold one was. A table that is half empty by two o’clock looks like the good stuff has gone, and it is where the tally sheet earns its keep, because a market that sold out of mugs by noon is a market that wanted twice the mugs.

Then the count. What sold, what did not, what people picked up and put down, what they asked for that you did not have, and what the day cost: the fee, the drive, the display, the hours. That goes into the envelope from the costs lesson, and it decides the next market with numbers rather than a feeling. A first market can lose money; a second at the same market often does not. MugwortsArtcraft’s video below walks through one market day.

Tick list, the day0 of 4

Watch it done

Now watch six videos from people who work tables.

Watch this one the week before.

None of these videos are ours. Between them they cover a whole show, the display in ten tips, selling out, booth setup and payment, the mistakes, and one market day with the numbers. Nothing but the still frame loads until you press play.

Thirty-five minutes on getting ready for an art show: the booth, the display, checkout and talking to customers. The other five videos are in the comprehensive version.

A long one: getting ready for an art show Everything you need to know for success at an art show Bearded Pottery
Thirty-five minutes on getting ready for an art show: packing the car, the tent and booth setup, the display, checkout, talking to customers, packaging and multi-day shows. Long, and it covers a lot of this page. Watch on YouTube
The display, in ten tips 10 Craft Fair Display Tips For Beginners (ep. 3) Sparks of Joy Studio
Fourteen minutes of booth display tips for beginners, shown on tables from other kinds of makers: vertical space, signs, a focal point, traffic flow and not overcrowding. Watch on YouTube
Selling out, seven tips Join me while I share my top 7 tips for selling out my pottery at markets Finkle Pottery
Fifteen minutes of seven tips for selling out at markets: promoting yourself, talking to customers, add-on sales and pricing. Watch on YouTube
Two veterans of maker markets How to Sell More at Craft Fairs (PRO Tips from Experienced Craft Show Vendors) Badass Creatives
Twenty minutes with two people from the maker market world, a market founder and a craft show author: booth setup, payment, products, inventory, pricing, talking to customers and follow up. Watch on YouTube
The mistakes ART FESTIVAL MISTAKES 80% of Artists make. IHSQUARED
Eight minutes on booth mistakes first-time artists make: being organized, picking a booth, visibility, pricing, weights, card payments and selling. Watch on YouTube
A real day, with the numbers $1,145 in One Day? Pottery Market Recap + Real Numbers MugwortsArtcraft
Eighteen minutes on one maker’s market day: sales, best sellers, booth fee, production costs, pricing and time per mug. Watch on YouTube

When it goes wrong

Six ways it goes wrong, and what to do about each.

The three mistakes that happen at the first table.

Pick the one that looks like your table. The first three are height, prices and payment, and all three are free to fix. The last three are stock, the phone and the fee.

How it works here

At The Clay Hole, members do markets under their own names.

This page is written for potters everywhere. A few things are specific to our building.

Three things to know here

Members sell at markets under their own names; the studio takes no cut of what they sell themselves, and day to day does not sell or ship their work. Studio sales like Gallery Night are the exception. Ask at the studio which local markets other members have done, which is the best market research there is. Several small pieces on one 6 inch kiln cookie, a quarter inch apart and 125 cubic inches or less in total, are charged as one piece, so a few ring dishes are one firing charge.

Your name on the table

Everything you make here is yours to sell, and members do markets under their own names. The studio does not take a cut of what you sell yourself, and does not sell or ship your work for you. Studio sales and showcases, like Gallery Night, are the exception, and each has its own terms. The studio’s name on a sign is where the pot was made, not who is selling it. The claims on your labels are yours, per the claims lesson.

Market research

Other members have done local markets, and which ones had a crowd and which ones did not is the conversation to have at the wedging table. There is no better research than someone who stood at that table last year.

Stock, in batches

Small pieces like cups and spoon rests come fast off the hump on any of the 29 wheels, per the off-the-hump lesson, and shelf space by Level decides how much can wait between visits. Several small pieces that fit on one 6 inch kiln cookie, a quarter inch apart and 125 cubic inches or less in total, are charged as one piece, so a few ring dishes can go through for one firing charge.

The fee in the envelope

The table fee, the drive and the day go on the month in the costs lesson, divided by the pots you finished that month, with everything else. A market is a cost before it is a sale, and the envelope is what tells you whether it was one worth repeating.

Questions people actually ask

The ones that come up every week.

Which market?

One with a track record for handmade goods and a real crowd, which means asking other makers who have done it, looking at last year’s vendor list, and visiting one as a shopper before applying as a seller. A market full of resold goods is the wrong market for a mug that took real money and hours to make. Small local markets with a modest table fee are where many potters start, and a first market is tuition whatever it makes.

What do I bring?

Twice as many small things as feels sensible: mugs, small bowls, ring dishes, planters, things that fit in a bag and a budget. A few large pieces as the reason to stop. Prices on everything. Risers or crates for height, a cloth to the floor, a sign with your name, a card reader tested at home and a cash float, bags and wrapping paper, a tally sheet, water, and a stool you will not sit on much.

How do I set up the table?

Height first: three levels, the best pieces at eye level, the small things at hand level where they can be picked up. Groups by shape and color, not a jumble. A cloth to the floor so the boxes underneath vanish. A sign with your name and where else to find you. Room for two people to stand in front without blocking each other. The display tips video above has ten tips in fourteen minutes.

How do I take payment?

A card reader that plugs into or pairs with your phone, set up and tested at home, and a small cash float with change, because cash works with no signal. A sign that says what you take. Sales tax is collected on most in-person sales in most places, and the market organizer or the state small-business office will tell you how; this page teaches selling, not tax, and the notebook from the selling lesson is what an accountant needs.

What do I say?

Hello, to everyone. One thing about the pot they are looking at: the glaze, the clay, what you like about it. Then let them look. A mug in a hand is half sold, so encourage people to pick things up. Nobody buys from someone on a phone, and nobody buys from someone who follows them along the table talking.

What sells at a booth?

Small, useful, giftable, priced so nobody has to consult anyone: mugs first, then small bowls, planters, ring dishes, spoon rests, small vases. Sets of two sell better than singles. Big pieces stop people and rarely leave. Every potter learns their own ratio from the tally sheet, and it is different from what they expected.

Does The Clay Hole run a market?

Members sell at markets under their own names, and the studio takes no cut of what they sell themselves. Day to day it does not sell or ship members’ work; studio sales and showcases like Gallery Night are the exception. Anything you made at the studio was made from our clay and fired at cone 5 and a half here, and the claims on the label are yours, per the claims lesson. Ask at the studio about which local markets other members have done; that is the best market research there is.

Related lessons

Six lessons that sit next to this one.

Three to read next.

A market is the selling lesson with a table under it. These are the pages on either side.

Selling your workHow to Start Selling Your PotteryThe map this page is one route on. Selling your workWhat a Pot Actually Costs You to MakeWhere the table fee joins the sum. Selling your workFood Safe, Dishwasher Safe, and What You Can ClaimThe labels on the table, and what they promise. Advanced throwingThrowing Off the HumpSmall pots, fast, from one mound: cups, teabowls, spoon rests and more. Selling your workPhotographing Your PotteryPhotographs of your pots, for the feed and the listing. Selling your workGetting Into GalleriesWhen a shop wants your work: wholesale, consignment and one price everywhere.

That is the whole day

Pick the market. Small things, twice as many. Height. Prices. Payment tested. Say hello. Count.

Your first market will have everything flat on a table with no prices and a card reader you set up in the car, and you will probably sell a few things and lose the fee. That is normal, and the second one, at the same market, with crates and tags and a tested reader, is the one that works. The tally sheet from the first is what makes the second.

If you want the reasoning, the tax note, the restocking notes and the answers to the questions everybody asks, switch to the comprehensive version at the top. Otherwise, go build the table in your living room.

Back to Clay Hole University The fee, on the envelope

Written for potters everywhere. Where our studio does things differently, the page says so.