Crafts Business Magazine

When I started selling my work in 1981 to make extra income between jobs, I had no idea that I had just begun a lifelong career. At first, I sold at craft fairs and at an outdoor farmers’ and craft market in Seattle. Over the years, as it became clear that this was going to be my livelihood, I became concerned about the unpredictability of my income. The ability to pay my bills was dependent on the weather, the tourist traffic on any given day, my booth location, the season, whether I was accepted into a particular show, and many other factors I had little control over. In short, it was totally unreliable. And as I got older I had more bills and a mortgage to pay.

For those reasons, I decided to take the leap into selling my work at the wholesale level. At first there were some challenges. To sell wholesale, I had to be much more dependable, professional and organized. I had to change my production methods and schedule and, of course, had to reevaluate my pricing. The expenses for exposing my work to galleries and gift shops through trade shows and advertising were high, and I had to spend money on a catalog and a website.

On the positive side, the return for my investment was better, bigger and had the potential to be long term. And since peak sales are January, February, late summer and fall—the opposite of the retail season—my income became more stable. I developed long-term relationships with buyers all over the country, my name and work became more recognized, I enjoyed my work more and my stress level dropped tremendously. I began to travel and meet and network with other artists from all over the country. And best of all, every day there were checks in the mail!

There is a lot to learn when you start out in wholesale, and at your first trade show it’s likely that you’ll feel overwhelmed. Although experience is the best way to learn, just a little knowledge can help a lot.

Your booth should be clean and simple. You’ll display just one of each item in each available color, design or model. Not only should your display make your work shine, but it should also help buyers see how your work can be displayed in their store. Do research on lighting, walk shows and notice what kinds of displays catch your eye. And because many buyers order after the show, you’ll also need a catalog that shows your work clearly and makes it easy for them to remember your work to place an order without your help.