(And What I Wish I'd Known Before My First One)
Thinking about selling at your first craft fair or farmers market? Learn handmade market tips from years of experience, including pricing, booth displays, email marketing, weather, customer relationships, and preparing for successful artisan markets.
A new maker recently reached out to ask if I had any advice for someone just getting started at handmade markets. It was such a thoughtful question, and one that really made me stop and think.
Like many makers, I started with plenty of questions. How much inventory should I bring? What should I charge? What if nobody stops at my booth? What if nobody buys?
Some of those questions can only be answered through experience, but there are quite a few things I wish someone had told me before I packed up and headed to my very first market.
Every business is different, and every maker will find their own path. These are simply the lessons that have made the biggest difference for me after years of selling at farmers markets, craft fairs, and artisan markets across Manitoba and beyond.
Whether you are headed out to do your first market or are a seasoned seller, I hope you will find a tip or two in this post.
Start small and give yourself room to learn
When you're just starting out, it's easy to think you need to apply for the biggest, busiest markets right away. In reality, I learned the most from smaller community markets.
Those early markets allowed me to see what people loved most, what questions they asked, and what they actually purchased. They also gave me the confidence to experiment without investing a large amount of money into booth fees before I was ready.
Every market teaches you something. Sometimes it's about your products. Sometimes it's about your display. Sometimes it's simply about gaining confidence with your products in front of people.
Find what makes your business unique
There will almost always be someone making products similar to yours.
Instead of trying to offer everything, spend time figuring out what makes your products unique.
For Wheat & Wildflower, that's children's clothing that grows for three sizes. I sew the same collection of clothing styles over and over, but bring them to life with beautiful fabrics and thoughtfully chosen artwork. The product consistency makes my production more efficient, creates a recognizable display, and gives customers something they can come back for year after year.
You don't need to reinvent your business every season. In fact, having a few signature products that people immediately recognize can become one of your greatest strengths.
Price your products to support a business, not just a sale
Pricing is one of the hardest parts of running a handmade business.
It's a good idea to research what similar businesses are charging, but don't let that be the only factor.
Your prices need to cover much more than fabric and supplies. Think about everything that goes into running your business:
- Materials and hardware
- Your time
- Packaging and tags
- Market fees
- Payment processing
- Insurance
- Website costs
- Travel expenses
- The profit needed to grow your business
One thing I've learned is that customers often value handmade because it's unique. They may never fully understand everything that goes into creating your products, and that's okay. As makers, it's our responsibility to value our own time so our businesses remain sustainable.
When my business grew enough to need some additional sewing help, I realized that my prices hadn't always compensated me for my time. Over the years, I have had to increase my prices to be able to fairly compensate others for their time and that has helped my business become more sustainable, too.
People buy stories, not products.
Your story is part of what people are buying. One of the biggest surprises for me has been how much people genuinely enjoy hearing the story behind what I make.
Not a rehearsed sales pitch. Just a relaxed conversation.
People ask where my fabrics come from, why I chose a particular print, how I got started, and why I decided to make children's clothing that grows for three sizes. They love hearing that I license artwork from real artists and learning where those artists are from.
No one else at the market has your story. Sharing little pieces of it throughout a conversation creates a connection that can't be copied.
Because of sharing on social media, some customers have also watched my family grow and learned a little about my family and our farm. Sometimes the personal stories are just as important as the market chat.
Build relationships, not just sales
One of my favourite things about our local farmers market is seeing familiar faces throughout the season.
Some families stop by nearly every weekend. They look through the new fabrics, ask questions, chat for a few minutes, and then continue on with their day. Many times they don't make a purchase until weeks later.
Those conversations aren't wasted. They're building trust.
I've learned not to judge a market only by what happens that day. Some customers simply need time. They might want to think about it, wait for a birthday, or come back with a child or grandchild before making a decision.
Because of that, I try to make it as easy as possible for people to find me again.
If someone makes a purchase, the relationship shouldn't end when they leave your booth. Think about everything they take home with them.
- Is your business name on your product tags?
- Does your packaging include your website?
- Do you include a business card or postcard?
- Is there an order insert that reminds them who you are and tells a little of your story?
I include a 4×6 insert with every purchase that shares a little about Wheat & Wildflower, shows photos of my clothing being worn by real children, and explains why I created clothing that grows for three sizes. I also keep those postcards available at my booth for anyone who wants to learn more, even if they aren't ready to purchase that day.
Months later, that little card often sparks someone's memory when they're looking for a gift or realize their little one has outgrown their clothes. Your branding doesn't need to be elaborate. It simply needs to help someone remember your business after they've walked past another hundred booths.
Be present
One of the simplest things you can do is also one of the most important.
Look up when people walk into your booth.
Smile.
Make eye contact.
Say hello.
Put your phone away.
You don't need a polished sales speech. Most people simply appreciate being acknowledged and having someone willing to answer their questions.
Some of my favourite market conversations have had very little to do with clothing at all, but those genuine interactions are often what people remember most.
Build your display over time
When I first started, I thought I needed the perfect booth before I could be successful.
Looking back, I'm glad I didn't wait.
My display has grown one piece at a time over several years, and many of my favourite display pieces have been purchased used from marketplace, came from thrift stores or things we already had around our farm.
My checkout counter is probably the best example. It's built from a couple of weathered wooden trays and an old kitchen cupboard door that would otherwise have been thrown away. A little white paint transformed them into one of the most complimented pieces in my booth, and it didn't cost me anything.
Start with what you have and be creative.
Upgrade one piece at a time as your business grows.
Customers remember a display that reflects your personality far more than one that simply cost a lot of money.
Start building your email list immediately
If I could go back and change one thing, this would probably be it. Social media has introduced thousands of people to my business, but email has consistently provided the greatest return.
Don't only collect email addresses from customers. Collect them from anyone who enjoys your products and wants to stay connected.
A simple giveaway or sign-up sheet that asks for their name and email address can become one of the most valuable investments you make in your business.
Social media helps people discover your business. Email helps them find it again.
Make buying easy
Most shoppers no longer carry cash. Offering electronic payment isn't just convenient anymore, it's expected.
Today, many payment systems allow customers to tap their card or phone using your own smartphone, without purchasing additional hardware.
The easier it is for someone to complete their purchase, the fewer sales you'll lose simply because they didn't have cash in their wallet.
I would get some kind of tap to pay set up before your very first market. I just set this up for my kids sunflower booth and it was quick, easy, and free. You can choose to include the processing fees into your pricing. Some small shops choose to pass along those fees to the customer when they pay by card.
Weather matters more than you think
If there's one thing I've learned after years of selling at markets, it's that weather has an incredible impact on attendance and sales. In fact, I'd say it's probably the biggest predictor of how successful a market will be. And it's the one thing completely outside of your control.
I've jokingly started calling it the "Goldilocks effect."
When the weather is just right, around 20–25°C, people are happy to wander, browse, chat with vendors, and spend time at the market. If it's pouring rain, extremely hot, windy, or bitterly cold, many people either stay home or move through much more quickly.
Even indoor markets aren't immune. A beautiful winter day may tempt people outdoors instead, while a blizzard can make it difficult for shoppers to get there at all.
One of the hardest lessons for a new maker is learning not to take a slow market personally. Sometimes your display is beautiful, your products are exactly right, and the weather simply isn't on your side.
Of course, being prepared is still important. I never attend an outdoor market without tent weights, weights for lightweight displays, rain protection for my products, extra clothing, sunscreen, lip balm, bug spray, water, and snacks. I often use my tent sidewalls to quickly cover shelves if a prairie rain shower rolls through.
You can't control the weather, but you can control how prepared you are.
Not every market deserves one chance... or only one chance
Every maker will eventually have a market that falls short of expectations. When that happens, I don't immediately decide I'll never return. Instead, I ask myself why:
- Was attendance low because of the weather?
- Was another major event happening that weekend?
- Was it a brand-new market that's still finding its audience?
I also pay close attention to the organizers.
- Did they greet vendors when we arrived?
- Did they check in throughout the day?
- Did they ask for feedback afterward?
- Did they genuinely seem interested in making next year's event even better?
If I can see organizers who care and are working to build something special, I'm usually happy to give a market a second, and sometimes even a third, chance.
At the same time, I also look at the numbers.
For smaller community markets, I generally like my booth fee to represent about 10% or less of my sales. If I pay a $40 booth fee, I'd like to see at least $400 in sales. It isn't a hard rule, but it's a benchmark that helps me decide whether a market is a good fit.
For larger destination markets where travel, accommodations, and meals become part of the investment, I look at the total cost of attending. Ideally, I'd like those expenses combined to stay under 25% of my sales, and certainly no more than about 30%.
Those numbers help me make decisions with my head instead of my emotions. One slow market doesn't necessarily mean I won't return, but over time I want to know that the events I choose to attend are healthy and sustainable for my business.
Final thoughts
Looking back, I don't think markets have taught me how to sell. They've taught me how to listen.
They've taught me what customers value, how to build relationships, and how to create products people genuinely love.
If you're just getting started, remember that every experienced vendor was once setting up their very first tent, wondering if anyone would stop by.
Give yourself permission to learn. Your display will improve. Your pricing will become more confident. Your products will evolve. Every market will teach you something.
And one day, you'll find yourself sharing those lessons with another maker who's just beginning their own journey.
Want to see more behind the scenes?
If you enjoy following the journey of a handmade business, I'd love to have you along.
On Instagram, I share behind-the-scenes glimpses of life at Wheat & Wildflower, from choosing new fabric collections and sewing samples to packing orders, setting up at markets, and the realities of running a small handmade business in rural Manitoba. You'll also find plenty of market days, new product launches, and a few glimpses of farm life and family along the way.
You can follow along on Instagram @wheatandwildflowerhandmade. I'd love to connect with you there!
Search friendly summary
- handmade market tips
- craft fair tips
- first craft market
- farmers market vendor tips
- artisan market advice
- handmade business marketing
- pricing handmade products
- craft show booth ideas
- email marketing for handmade business
- preparing for a craft fair
- market display ideas
- selling handmade products