Hurray! You've finally produced some beautiful pieces of handmade craft, and you're looking to start a craft business. Selling your handmade items involves connecting to interested customers and offering them your product at a fair price.
If you're like most crafters, you're probably thinking of selling at Etsy and craft fairs. While those are the obvious choices, there are other good places you should explore. When considering these options, you need to determine if they're the best choice for you. Some places may not appeal to your customer persona. Other places may be where people who don't place much value on handmade items go to.
For instance, you will likely struggle to sell a $100 necklace at a basement sale in a small church. Why? Because most people who visit a small church basement sale are looking for some cheap $10 item.
Having a good understanding of who your target audience is, and what appeals to them is a necessary step to take when looking to sell handmade items. Most newbie crafters dive right into starting a craft business without giving much thought to it.
You need to fully accept that not all rentable tables are the right place to sell handmade crafts. There are tables and spaces for somewhat cheap products, and there are places that are dedicated to selling quality homemade crafts at a fair price. Figure out the kind of items you will be selling, and the right space that fits the sale of such handmade craft.
To get the most out of your sale, your choice of space should fit the kind of handmade item you're selling.
Best Places to Sell Handmade Items
Here is a list of the top 30 places to sell handmade items locally.
1. Craft Fairs/Shows
All craft shows and fairs are not equal. There are craft shows where your crafts have to be approved before you're allowed to showcase them. Others are more open, and everyone can display their items.
You also need to know the kind of craft permitted in your preferred craft fair. Are they looking for crafters who specialize in handmade jewelry, personalized tumblers, DIY canvas art, or general arts? Do your homework to know what's expected of you.
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After choosing the right craft fair, you need to come up with a budget and properly price your products. Furthermore, you need to put in the effort to attractively display your items. And you need to have great customer service.
One sure way of generating sales during craft fairs is by promoting your booth and following up with your customers. You also need to be approachable and friendly with your customers.
As a general rule, always bring the items you want to sell — nothing else! And make adequate preparations for the weather.
2. Flea Markets
Selling crafts at flea markets begins with researching the best flea market to sell your product. Opt for the flea market where your target customers visit. The flea market has to be known for drawing the right type of paying customers. It also needs to have a vendor-friendly reputation — and the vendor fees should be what you can easily afford.
After picking the right flea market, you need to properly prepare your craft for sale. And that includes coming up with quality, unique crafts, having a variety of nice items, and designing a good pricing strategy. Your item pricing should align with the pricing of similar items in the market.
Your booth should be attractive and visually appealing to your customers. Adequate placement of the product should be done — and that includes grouping similar items. You should create an inviting and welcoming atmosphere. To do that, consider playing background music, and keeping your space organized and clean.
If your sales process is properly executed, building a loyal paying customer base won't be an issue for you.
3. Farmers Markets
Farmers' markets tend to generate lots of foot traffic, and there are instances where you get to have a spot all year round. Crafters who are looking to sell handmade crafts locally will benefit from this option. One sure benefit of using farmers' markets is their booth fees and schedule. You can sell in the same spot week after week — and that makes it easy for your target customers to find you. That is, customers will know where to go if they're looking to get your product.
On the flip side, the outdoor farmers' market is largely dependent on the weather. Granted, most farmers' markets would run on both rainy and sunny days. However, they will likely be shut down during extreme weather conditions.
Depending on your location, you could find farmers' markets that run during weekdays in the evenings. That will make a good choice for crafters who are always busy with family and kids during weekends.
4. Pop-up Events
Crafters who don't have a large number of handmade items could opt for pop-up events. Pop-up events are typically positioned in high-traffic areas, and you can use a mobile unit, an empty retail space, or an existing shop to sell your items.
There are also instances where the organizers of the event allow you to drop your crafts while they focus on selling. Pop-up events usually go on for multiple days, and give you a much longer time to sell your handmade items.
To get started, you can do a simple "pop-up" search to figure out the various pop-up events happening within your location.
5. Holiday/Festival Markets
If you plan on doing a single craft show in a year, then going to the holiday (or festival) markets should be your best shot — doing it right could make all the difference!
Holiday markets generate the most sales in the year. After all, enthusiastic shoppers are mostly sold to. Holiday markets can span over many days, and that allows you to sell out your craft stock.
Before settling on a holiday market, you need to ascertain that your handmade items and crafts fit into the overall theme of the event. Your items need to be displayed in a way that appeals to your customers. Also, you need to politely guide your customers when they come to buy your crafts.
Related Reading:
45 Easy Christmas Crafts to Make and Sell for Profit in 2023
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6. Art Fairs/Shows
Art Fairs and Shows are great ways to network and expose your craft business to a large audience. During art shows and fairs, you will network with other professionals in your niche, and such networks could easily turn into more business and professional opportunities down the line.
However, you need to research and identify the right shows and fairs for your business. After that, you will have to apply early and come up with a strong presentation. Be professional when interacting with customers, other crafters, and the art fair staff.
7. Trade Shows & Expos
Trade shows are usually big gatherings, and they can have both small and big companies come for their exhibitions. There's the possibility of seeing shop owners who come to these expos to restock their stores.
If done right, you will get a good booth where you display your plethora of handmade crafts. Trade shows are designed with themes, and there are instances where these themes are somewhat specific. For instance, there are trade shows for home & garden, bridal, gift, and women.
A simple Google search will help you figure out the various trade shows in your city. And if the theme aligns with what you want to sell, go for it.
8. Craft Consignment Stores
If you have a regular job, and also looking to sell homemade crafts, then craft consignment stores could be the right fit for you.
With a craft consignment store, you don't need to be physically present or manually manage the sales of your products. All you need to do is present your homemade items to any consignment stores around you. If your items are accepted, they'll be displayed for some time, and you will split any revenue made from the sales with the store owner. However, there has to be a prior agreement on the revenue splitting.
Before choosing a consignment store, you need to ascertain that the store suits what you have in stock. There are consignment stores that focus on formal clothes, and some focus on housewares. The items sold at the consignment store should be similar to what you're offering.
As a general rule, you should endeavor to collect any unsold homemade craft on time. There are cases where consignment stores are legally bound to claim any unsold item that wasn't claimed by the crafter.
9. Craft Boutiques
Your handmade items can be part of the collections found in your craft boutiques. You could offer additional services like crafting personalized items for customers who request such.
You need to come up with a compelling product line and pitch your items to the local craft boutiques around you. If you'll not be around to sell your items yourself, you could consider offering a consignment agreement to the boutiques. This way, they sell the items for an agreed commission. Furthermore, you need to promote your items using channels like social media platforms.
10. Artisan Shops
A typical artisan shop is stocked with a variety of handcrafted items — and your items could be part of such a diverse collection. Selling at artisan shops allows you to get your items in front of premium-paying customers.
To get the most out of your sales process, you will have to research the shop and figure out if your items are a good fit for their customer base. Appealingly present your items, and be prepared to verbally sell your items.
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11. Gift Shops
Gift shops provide an avenue for selling any kind of handmade item. Whether you want to sell canvas, tumblers, or personalized T-shirts, there's a space for you. Go to the local directorate to see the list of gift shops around you.
You will have to speak with the manager of your preferred gift shop to figure out the requirements and guidelines of the shop.
12. Coffee Shops
Coffee shops are designed with areas for displaying teapots, tumblers, and other similar products. Large brands like Starbucks will likely display branded items, but you can make use of regular coffee shops for the sale of your handmade craft.
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Coffee shops are the best fit for crafters who specialize in the making of personalized tumblers, and other coffee-related products. You could sell your coffee-related products to people who visit the coffee shop and the owners of the shop. After all, they will need personalized coffee-related products like aprons, coffee mugs, and so on.
13. Supermarkets with Atrium Space
There are supermarkets with large entrances where you can set up a stand to advertise to the people coming in. To get started, you need to reach out to the community manager to figure out if the entrance spaces are up for rent. You also need to test the waters to ascertain if you will generate enough revenue by using the space.
Some supermarkets support local charity centers. Offering some pieces of your art collection to a charity can help you navigate through the politics and processes that come with using these supermarkets.
14. Related Local Businesses (Restaurants, Real Estate, Bridal Shops, etc.)
Think of local businesses you may partner with to promote your homemade crafts. Crafters who make personalized jewelry could partner with bridal shops. Brides who are looking to buy some jewelry for their big day could opt for personalized jewelry with their names engraved on it.
If you're into making canvas, you could reach out to real estate companies and get a good deal from them. The deal could be producing an eye-catching canvas for each property that's up for sale.
Restaurants within your city could also need personalized tumblers or other personalized kitchen tools for their business. Reach out to them to see if you can seal some deals.
15. Tourist Hotspots
If you live in a city that draws in lots of tourists, then you should consider setting up a shop for your handmade items. If you don't have the resources to set up a shop of your own, you could consider attaching with a boutique, or a gift shop.
You can also reach out to the city's information center and figure out if your products are a good fit for them. Aside from the city's information center, you can attach your products to a small retail shop within the area.
Generating sales boils down to how you're able to communicate with your customers and position your homemade crafts in a way that appeals to the customers.
16. Art Galleries
Selling handmade crafts in art galleries is a sure way of giving your crafts more exposure. However, getting the most out of your sales process involves choosing an art gallery that aligns with your craft business.
To get started, you need to get the basic requirements and application form from your chosen art gallery. You also need to have a strong portfolio of work that shows what you can do.
Furthermore, you need to have a good grasp of the art market, and how similar handmade crafts are priced. Always be open to suggestions and feedback from customers and other people you will come in contact with.
17. Museums
The handmade items you sell in museums are dependent on the kind of museum. For instance, a science-focused museum with some artistic crafts is not a good fit. If you want to get the most out of a science-focused museum, you're better off selling astrology-themed crafts.
Take your time to explore the various museums in your location, and figure out the right handmade craft that will be a good fit for such museums.
After coming up with a list of museums within your city, you will have to contact them and know what their terms are. Do they have a fee? If yes, can you comfortably afford such fees?
Your handmade items should be positioned in such a way that people are drawn to them. You could have a contact form where customer fill out their contact details. Such arrangements will help you reach out to the customers during follow-up.
18. Zoos
Zoos tend to generate massive foot traffic all year long. You need to get approval to position your handmade items and crafts in the gift shops. This way, people who are coming into the zoo will see your items and probably buy some.
Zoos are a great fit for crafters with handmade crafts that have animal themes. Imagine selling wall art, or canvas with some zoo animals engraved onto it. And if your crafts are displayed appealingly, you're sure to make some good sales in a day.
For instance, if you produce canvas, you could come up with a canvas which features the top attractions in the zoo. The canvas could have a giraffe engraved onto it. Another could have a pride of lions engraved onto it.
You could also consider offering exclusive services to customers who are interested in such. Exclusive services could be personalizing a craft for customers who desire it.
19. Sport Events
Local sports events are sure ways of reaching out to more customers and getting more sales. Before selling at sports events, you will have to contact the venue manager (or event organizer) to get the necessary licenses and permits. You should also set up a good booth that draws the attention of your audience.
Discounts and incentives are a good way of encouraging customers to make a purchase.
20. Shopping Parties
Your family and friends could be turned into paying customers — and shopping parties make that possible! People within your circle could be interested in your wares. Alternatively, you could partner with a host and split the revenues with the host. The host could be a single person or organization like a church group or a local society. Put up handmade items for sale, and take your profit. You could make it more interesting by offering discounts on the items.
21. Staged Homes
If you create artwork, curtains, or pillows, you could try partnering with home staging companies. Although most of their items are rented or are part of the company's stock, you could be fortunate to find one that's willing to work with you.
Show the company your catalog of items, and let them display some. If a buyer is interested in your products, you're sure of making a sale.
22. Art Collaboratives
Art Collaborative uses the same model as consignment shops. But unlike consignment shops where you'll be competing with other commercial items, competition in art collaborative is typically with other handmade items.
There are instances where art collaboratives display handmade items from a few artisans. This helps in organizing and keeping the place in one piece. Take a close look at the art collaboratives around you and see if they'll accept displaying your handmade crafts.
23. Online Marketplaces
Online marketplaces like Etsy are designed to get your items in front of a global audience. However, that doesn't mean that you can't use it for some local sales. You can choose to ship just within your location.
To get the most out of online marketplaces, you need to take professional photos of your product. Your background has to be clean, and there has to be proper lighting from multiple angles. Take a close look at your favorite online shop. Why do you like shopping there, and what attracts you to the shop? Replicate the same things in your shop.
24. Your website
Building a sleek website is one thing, but generating traffic is a different ballgame. Focus on your SEO and try drawing in some local traffic. Write compelling blog posts with the necessary long-tail and short-tail keywords. Also, pay attention to the descriptions, tags, and titles of your website. Since your focus is on selling to a local audience, you should try attracting such an audience to your website.
25. Facebook
Facebook is a great alternative to online marketplaces and websites. To start selling with Facebook, you need to set up a Facebook Page. Using your personal Facebook profile to market your business is not recommended. There are many advantages of marketing your business with a Facebook page.
After setting up a page, you need to streamline the buying experience by setting up a shop. There are tools to help you connect your shop with your Facebook page. This way, customers get to shop and make payments from a single place.
26. Golf Clubs
Golf clubs are worth considering. Contact the relevant club managers and events coordinator to figure out if there are slots for selling handmade items. You should figure out if the clubs are willing to sell items on a consignment basis. All these help in a seamless sales process.
Look out for ways of promoting your handmade items during club events like tournaments and member outings. Always get the contact information of your customers. This way, it becomes easy to follow up after sales.
27. National Conventions
Conventions are great places for selling handmade items. A simple search will reveal the various national conventions within your region. The only downside to conventions is the price to set up a stall.
However, you're sure to get massive traffic. And if you've done your homework well, you will easily convert a significant chunk of this traffic into loyal paying customers. Your stall has to be properly set up, and you need to politely attend to customers who come in to buy from you.
28. Set Up an Event
Setting up an event could be an exciting way of selling your handmade items. It involves partnering with other sellers to plan an event. The process could be quite daunting but if done right, you're sure of generating enough sales.
One benefit of setting up an event is the flexibility that it offers. You have a say in everything, and you won't be at the mercy of some random policies. While setting up an event, you should reach out to top brands within your niche for sponsorship.
29. Garden Centres
There are local garden centers that permit crafters to sell their handmade items. Ideally, your items should complement what is being sold at these centers. Nowadays, items being sold at garden centers are not entirely garden-related items.
There is great diversity when it comes to items that can be sold at garden centers. There are local garden centers that come with sections for selling clothing, a children's section, and a gift section. Look out for local garden centers within your city that allow the sale of handmade items. After that, get the necessary permit so you can begin the sale of your items in these centers.
30. Theme Parks
Theme parks are typically based on a theme — and that could be a historical period, a book, or a movie. You need to be strategic in your approach when it comes to selling at theme parks.
First, you need to choose a theme park that aligns with your customers and the items you sell. Identify what the regulations and policies around your preferred theme parks are — and that includes the fees for setting up booths.
Your overall setup should be appealing, and your booth should have a welcoming atmosphere. Thoroughly display your products the right way and give your customers a very good first impression.
Conclusion
Selling handmade items is not a walk in the park. Positioning your items in any of these top 30 places is sure to help you gain more exposure and generate good sales. As a newbie, you could start by selling your homemade items at fairs and shows. Your experiences and feedback from selling at fairs and shows could be your stepping stone into starting a craft business.
If you have enough resources, you could try partnering with other sellers to set up an event. Setting up your event gives you the flexibility and freedom to do things the way you deem fit. Also, it shields you from any form of control and influence from third parties.
Now you know where to sell handmade items locally, what kind of handmade items will you be selling in the market?
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