Today marks the 1 year anniversary of my biggest craft show. Last year I was ecstatic to participate in the Annual Lititz Rotary Craft Show in Lititz, PA.
Some background: the Lititz Rotary Craft Show is one of the largest craft shows on the East coast. It draws upwards to 50,000 people each year. I have attended this show with my family for years, and had wondered if I would ever get a spot in the show. It’s a great mix of artisans, and I love the inspiration that I get when I attend.
Last year, about 4 months before the event, I (Left Craft) was offered a spot in the show. Wow, talk about pride! I made a plan on how many of each size shirt to offer, and then started ordering blanks and deciding on designs.
I printed over 200 shirts and also printed some bags, tea towels, koozies and ice pop holders. My craft rooms and basement were exploding with products. We fit everything in the SUV and I was a nervous mess as I drove to my parent’s house to spend the night. Since we live near Philadelphia, it was better to drive from their house, as it’s a bit closer to the event. Also my daughter was going to hang out with her grandparents while her Dad and I set up the booth.
Day of the show: I got the booth set up with the help of my husband and my sister. The weather looked good (not too hot and overcast), and I was very happy with my location. It was great talking to customers, adding people to my email list, and just taking it all in. I sold a few things, but not as much as my personal goal.
After tear down, a good meal, and some rest, I reflected on the whole experience and decided that maybe craft shows aren’t the thing for me in this stage of life.
A year later, I’m still trying to sell items from this show (which are now for sale on Etsy). I’m not sure what the future holds, but I probably won’t sell in person for a while.
This weekend I attended the same show as a patron instead of a vendor. It was really fun to shop with my husband and daughter – we had pretzels and ice cream for lunch, and we came home with some very unique items.
Are you a craft show vendor or attendee?
