Like many other crocheters and knitters, I love when I am able to put my work in front of hundreds or even thousands of people at a time. It’s even better when a majority of those people had nothing but sweet things to say about my items, and who are even willing to trade some of their hard-earned money to take one home.
Find out how I did this year, and even get a glimpse into my earnings! Keep on reading to learn more.
Pumpkin Fest is a two-day fall festival held in Pennsboro Pennsylvania. I had initially found out about it when I lived in the area a few years back. Despite moving around the country for the military, I managed to still be a part of this amazing festival just about every year since then, with a huge thanks to my mom who lives just a few miles away.
Now that I live in Maryland, it’s much easier for me to get there! In just under two hours, I can reach my mom’s house and enjoy her hospitality for the weekend while we participate in the festivities together (my mom owns a business and uses part of the 10×10 space to promote it).
In the past, I didn’t do well at Pumpkin Fest. My displays weren’t the best, and my items were questionable. People would come and look, some would say nice things, but almost 100% of the time they would leave empty-handed. There was one year when I made just one sale the entire weekend. At $100 for a 10×10 space, you may wonder why I ever bothered going back. Obviously something wasn’t going right.
This year, however, things were a little different. We still paid the $100 space fee, but this time my items were a little better, and I made sure to get some nice displays to use. I also realized that most of the things I was trying to sell were more on the expensive side, so this year I tried to make lots of things that were more inexpensive. I made a bunch of little crochet octopuses and scrunchies, and wouldn’t you know those were my best sellers! I actually had to make more while I was sitting there to keep up with the demand. This was something that I never had to deal with before, and I LOVED it.
I had my octopuses set up on a three-tiered wooden display, facing outward at an angle toward the people walking by. I tried to count how many times I heard “Oh my gosh look how cute!”, but gave up. It was to the point where whenever people walked by, I would wait to see if they said it! I had one of my crocheted narwhals (which people always love but never buy) priced at $30, two crocheted turtles at $25, and a caterpillar at $12. My octopuses were priced at $12 a piece, and scrunchies were $3.50 each or 2/$6.00.
Setup was just like any other craft show; struggle to put tents up, find out if your booth neighbors are friendly, grumble a few times at things not going right, and spending too much time trying to figure out how to display things. In the past we would set up our display ahead of time so we knew what we were dealing with, but this year we just free-handed it. Day one was so cold that my toes went numb (despite my boots), and day two was sunny and warm for the most part. Really, we couldn’t have asked for better festival weather!
I guess by this point you’re starting to wonder how I did! Well, you’re in luck, because I’m going to be breaking down ALL of my sales for the weekend, so you can see exactly how much money I made! Let’s get right into it:
First of all, I need to point out that my mom wrote the booth fee as a business expense, so I didn’t pay to display my items. She wouldn’t let me pitch in despite my offers, and to her I am grateful!
Here are my sales for the two days at Pumpkin Fest:
Day 1
Dishcloth $3
Octopus $12
Octopus $12
2 Scrunchies $6
4 Scrunchies $12
Caterpillar $12
Octopus + Keychain $22
2 Scrunchies $6
Beanie $12
Necklace $12
Scarf + Beanie $27
Jellyfish $12
Octopus $12
Octopus $12
Octopus $12
2 Scrunchies $6
Octopus $12
Day 1 Total: $202
Day 2
Octopus $12
Octopus $12
Octopus + Earrings $20
Scrunchie $3.50
Narwhal + Octopus + Scrunchie $45.50
Dishcloth $3
Octopus $12
Octopus $12
2 Scrunchies $6
Octopus $12
Scrunchie $3.50
Day 2 Total: $172.50
Two-Day Total: $374.50
As you can see, I did MUCH better than any year previously at Pumpkin Fest, and I truly believe that making more inexpensive items and having better displays were the key to success.
Speaking of success, to me this is success. This is the best that I have ever done at any craft show. You may make more at your shows, and if so bravo! Send me some tips so I can improve my sales! If your sales are crummy like my previous years had been, here are some tips that helped me and I’m sure would help you too:
- Make quality items. That’s right, if your items aren’t good, they won’t sell. Ask a friend or relative to critique your items, and be fully open to feedback. For years I thought my items were great, when really they were just okay. I spent many hours perfecting my craft, making sure that stuffing could not be seen through my stitches, resin was poured cleanly, and items were free of pet hair and fuzz.
- Include all price points. If all of your items are expensive, that leaves out so many customers! Many kids were sent to Pumpkin Fest with a $20 bill, and couldn’t afford most of the things I used to make. Scrunchies and octopuses were the perfect solution for me!
- Consider lowering prices on day 2. On the first day of Pumpkin Fest, I didn’t sell many of my resin pieces. Thanks to my mom’s advice, we created a second price sign with lower prices for day two, and made a few more sales the next day.
- Displays matter! When displaying your items, remember to add height to your booth by using small shelves, empty boxes, or mannequins. This makes things more visually appealing that just laying your items flat on the table.
- Consider getting a Square reader. I would have missed several sales if I didn’t have a way to accept credit/debit cards!
- Finally, keep a positive attitude! When you love what you do, people can tell. If they feel engaged with you, they are more likely to buy from you! If you crochet, bring an easy project to work on while you sit. People like to see how things are made, and see just how much hard work goes into your items.
Well, that’s it! Overall I was extremely happy with my results from this year’s Pumpkin Fest, and already can’t wait until next year! It has motivated me to continue producing smaller items, and reaching out to see if there are any other shows coming up in my area.
Keep an eye out for a YouTube video documenting this past weekend! Just search HoneyBumpkins on YouTube to find my channel!
Thanks so much for stopping by, be sure to subscribe so you can see more updates, and leave a comment if you have any feedback!
Ta ta for now! -Corinne-
