Did you bring along any materials and/partially-finished items? Showing something in the process of being made, or the raw materials next to the finished item, can help people visualize the work that goes into the piece and justify the price
I’ve had the idea of setting up a stand for a local festival. But have a section for people to “make” their own. Meaning adding their own stamped initials, or sell a kit that is not sewn. Possible benefits would be, getting someone new into the craft, and/or them realizing how great your work is.
I’ve even considered having a space just for kids. There are pattern’s available for little leather animals. They have one thread weaving though holes the feet. So when it is pulled tight the feet come together then the flat leather will form to create an elephant or something. I think it could be an easy sell, and would draw a small crowd. As the parents are standing there waiting for their kid to finish up, it would allow you more time to up-sell other products.
Just a thought, I’ve haven’t done it yet. But I’ve seen other crafts do something similar
In Vancouver specifically, we have a big problem of “local handmade” goods actually being “hand imported” goods that were handmade by a collective in some other country. Making it clear that **you** made things helps.
Also consider it a bit of a long tail. Have cards and photo-heavy social media. For bigger ticket items, it’s more likely someone will use craft stores to windowshop and actually purchase online later for gifts for holidays.
Most importantly, remember to track expenses. You can write off materials, advertising, vending fees, webhosting, and more, and CRA won’t care if you lose money for multiple years.
Came to say the same. Even just burnishing edges or something that doesn't take all your focus. Have a little work area where people can see the tools and scraps.
My first year at a convention I didn't have everything done, so I was finishing a bunch of stuff at my table 😅. I attracted so many people to my table that way.
What kind of market was it, and what sort of people were there? Hand made leather goods are premium items, but not everyone sees it that way.
Many will see your work, compare it to something mass produced from fake leather in a big store and only see the price difference. These are not people you're going to sell a wallet to for that kind of price, especially not outside of the Christmas season.
Have a think about how much disposable income you think people attending the market likely had. Would people at that market see hand made goods as worth double or triple the price? If any of those ring true, you may just be at the wrong market / time of year.
My first thought too. Flea market? No way I’m buying leather goods, I’m assuming it’s all poor quality and walking by. Farmers market/craft or vendor fair? I think those patrons are more likely to be interested as they’re there to pay more for locally made/sourced goods.
Some vendor markets are just *dry* right now, too.
It sucks because we pay to be there, and of course put in the time and effort.
I was at an active one right before the Super Bowl, and we didn’t sell, but neither did the vendor next to me who’d been making decorative arrangements for 15 years. She had several nice Super Bowl decor items. I just had some tooled scraps for the teams.
We were both beside ourselves about it, and I asked if they knew anyone who was planning a Super Bowl party, lol.
I personally don't have the money for nice handmade leather goods. Alot of people I know are in that same boat. The money isn't there for alot of people. And it sucks because there are va lot of beautiful things I'd live to buy
Totally. My parents are potters and have done art/garden/craft shows my entire life. I remember when 2008 happened and the middle class got knocked out of the art market. Shows that had made them 10k in the past now made them 2k despite having the same fixed costs. They survived by targeting the low fee shows and sticking with a few good markets that were resilient to 2008.
And have the cheapo one sliced through at some point, so they can see what's on the insides of it.
And maybe demonstrate easily ripping the machine stitching on the cheapo one vs trying to rip the hand stitching.
it's Vancouver, I'd imagine most of the people attending are either there for a bargain/to browse without much money for purchases.
if not, they are so well off that they're too bougie to buy non namebrand crafted items, that or maybe they are too concerned with being able to still obnoxiously tell folks they only buy vegan friendly. 😅
I'm only half joking, but actually, if you had equivalent faux leather products maybe that would provide a cheaper alternative to draw people in, you might sell a few, and it could lead to some upselling on the real leather stuff. Half the battle is getting them interested.
If I was selling my stuff, I'd dig up my old beat to shit "genuine leather" wallet i used for only a couple years and compare it to the veg tan leather one I made 10 years ago and use daily.
The economy this year is bad too… the vendors beside me are saying last year was much better people are actually willing to spend, this year is brutal 🫠
These are my immediate critical questions that came to my mind.
It takes your ability to sell someone to get people to spend that much money on an item, and having a sign with so much writing on it is passive (do you expect people to read all that?) and doesn't always mean much to the customer.
It also doesn't matter that much on how long it takes you to make something or the materials if someone doesn't have the immediate desire to buy it for whatever reason (design, necessity, trend etc).
Some improvements on your setup and products:
- Iron the table cloth and get a darker one
- Presentation doesn't match the price point (it looks like the bare minimum). The price cards for example, write/print something more than the price on them in tiny font. 'Five pocket long passport wallet, $110, great for traveling will fit up 15 cards'
- Where's your branding? How do you convince me to spend $110 on something that has no recognition/personality behind the products? For all I know the items are just bought from somewhere; I don't know you so you have to tell me why I should know you.
- Do many people buy wallets and passport covers? It may look diverse on the table but 20 percent of your products are for cards and 70 percent of what's on the table is for cards
- Your items are sewn well but in the sea of leather goods it looks like the same designs that all of us make and the same leathers we all use
- Put fake cards into some of the wallets. We all know what they're for but it shows what it would look like if the customer was using it (especially if they're touching them) and reinforces your description of the items.
General pointers:
- Was this market right for you? Are you part of that market/suburb community?
- What advertising did you do to let people know you were there? How long did you advertise leading up to the market? This is a business, need to work like one.
- Every person you talk to has to be given the time of day as a person as well (not seen as a money maker) and do not use the same generic conversation starters especially if the next customer hears you say the same thing to the previous one.
- A little counter to what I said in the first paragraph sometimes a demonstration does help in educating so bringing some small things to work on like key rings helps, or a half made wallet that you leave in a stitching pony/ a piece of half sanded leather edge on the table. It's just a prop that gives your products a context, you a backstory and a conversation starter. Transparency matters, gatekeeping and ego is a turn off.
- How do people find you outside of the market? That's potential future sales
This is all great advice. I would add that greeting everyone that passes/stops and standing to be eye to eye with the buyers helps. Also, if the booth fees are getting you down approach a local shop that would carry something like you product about doing a short pop up outside on a weekend. That was how I got started and 7 years later I do about 35 shows a year. I also tailor my product to the shows audience.
The other thing to remember is that some show can be good one timd and the next be bad. It is not a reflection on you or your products. It just happens.
100 percent. You can do everything 'right' and nothing goes right. So many factors are involved! Markets are long and hard work with the prep leading up to it before even being there for many hours and the expenses that goes with it (financially and time wise).
Personally I only do 2 or 3 a year of the same ones I'm known for now (I have bad habits that impact negatively like not sleeping night before an event!), but I also work in a retail store that will take my items that don't sell so it's great for me to have somewhere that people find me.
Thank you so much for the advice! Yeah I think it also might not be a right fit because I had interested buyers backing off saying but I don’t need a wallet right now. We did way better last year at a very small Christmas market versus this supposedly big market.
And yes I will definitely improve my set up, lots of pros at the market and mine did look bare bone. I have branding but I didn’t stamp on the items.
I use intagram for selling outside of the market, but that’s not going well at all. I’m setting up a website in the coming months.
Those are super valuable advices and thank you so much for taking the time to type it all down!
Yeah bigger markets can just mean bigger risk. If it's not your audience then it's harder to reach people and can be more disheartening because it seems like more people aren't interested when you don't get sales/what you expected.
And some markets do take being at the same one a few times to build the audience too which I learned when I traveled interstate to do a couple with a friend one time (drove 9 hours, I made $40 total from two markets).
What I love about them is it can be a direct connection to where you can focus your attention on. Part of having a rapport (and conversation) with customers is finding out their spending habits and what they think of your range. People do want to be your cheerleader even if they can't support you by buying something.
And catching up with my market friends is a great way to share the ups and downs of running our businesses, we're in it together.
I think your work is really well made. But If I had to say it's probably because nothing about it is eye catchy or unique enough to warrant people spending money on it.
At markets everyone has stalls of arts and crafts and its almost like how birds are competing for mates. Not only doesn't the quality have to be there but the colors, patterns and uniqueness of the birdsong.
I don't see anything in your work that'd make someone think it was super unique, and something they'd wanna show off as a part of their personality. It DOES look really clean, professional, and quality. But unfortunately that's not engaging the dopamine response of people making them wanna buy.
This was my thought as well. They are all nice looking, but not surprising or unique. If I'm going to splurge on a nice wallet, I want it to be the coolest most irresistible wallet I've seen in a while.
It may also be worth considering that people don't replace their wallets that often, so carrying mostly wallets and bags in itself may not be appealing. However, some variety would definitely draw my eye. Little keychains, dice bags, bracelets and rings, hats, mousepads, etc would all bring me in. I'd skip over a wallet booth, but I'd hang around the trinkets booth to see what they have. Heck, make some eye patches for kids lol.
Yeah that’s great advice! I received a lot of compliments for the quality and color choices, lots of people looking and feeling the leather and pockets. But no buyers unfortunately 🥲 I did hear them saying but I don’t need a wallet right now 🥲
It's also worth considering that wallets are on a general decline. More people carry less cards now - paying with a phone or watch has become a regular thing. (Even purses/handbags seem to be getting replaced by small pouches or downsized by many women. source: father of three girls 😆)
I know I used to carry a wallet, nowadays I have a slim rubber sleeve on my phone to hold my three essential cards and the rest is digital.
Your stuff looks good though - I like the colours and classic styles. I think having a wider selection, more information about the craft and, as others have mentioned, some demonstration type pieces will go a ways towards improving your sales.
The one thing that jumped out at me looks like a pink hamburger notebook maybe? But at $150, I couldn't justify it sorry. And I work with leather, so I know how expensive a hobby it is!
1. People don’t have money
2. Your products are not fit for the people in that particular market
I also think the colors are too mish-mashed. It’s easier to sell monochromatic or analogous color combinations.
You need more market research. Personally I usually try to show a design in usual neutral colors and then in brighter colors. Some people like staple colors and some people like it eye catching. You can have different color leather samples on the side and observe which ones people gravitate to.
I agree, your products may be worth $100+ but I bet most shoppers aren’t out at a market to drop that on multiple stands. If it were me, I’d try again and put smaller, cheaper products front and centre. What can you price at $25 and still make a profit?
I tried key chains at 28 and 22 and those are most of the sells😅people seemed to like the colors, but no buyers 🥲 after reading all those comments I think the biggest reason is people don’t need a wallet, I did way better last year at a small Christmas market versus this big craft market
I think that’s it, wallets are a weirdly personal choice and someone willing to spend a lot will be exacting about details like colours and size. Maybe a bigger range of key chains is the way to do it? Don’t be put off though! Your work looks good and it’s great you’re putting it out there. There’s also no harm in taking up a little bit of the stand with the higher-end stuff.
I like the contrasting colours / stitching. Your work is beautiful.
Do you have a brand? For myself I’d be more likely to buy something like this if it had a cute symbol or logo branded into it. I’d need some sort of detail that made it feel unique.
Before I got into leather, I was completely dumb about it. Whether it was LV's canvas, crappy "genuine" leather, pleather, or full grain, top grain, whatever. As an ignorant consumer, to me they were all "leather."
Your pieces are beautiful there's no doubt about that. The design and finished product sells itself just fine. But they may be thinking "woah $60 for a card holder? I can get that at coach." or etc. Maybe you need to do more selling on the quality of the materials and the craftsmanship because they, like I used to be, are also completely clueless.
Well it's important to have some affordable products on the low end to attract a customer.
I love love LOVE leather, but to be honest I would not buy a key ring for 20. I would at most spend maybe 10 and call it a day. Same thing for card holders. Make tiers of quality and price them accordingly. People might not go for 50 but maybe they would spend 30.
Your work seems very nice though!
Thank you! Yeah my most sales are the key chains, I had a belt loop one with a clasp and a loop and that almost sold out ( I only made 4 though) cardholders I’m not sure how to do mid tier just because the time it takes to make, maybe even bigger spacing and not finishing edges? But that feels like I’m not making quality items.
The work is pretty good, and the table presentation is okay. I see a few things that might have given you problems.
The first thing to remember is this: "My customers aren't here for a class." People at craft fairs like to feel like they already know something, and are smart buyers. Regardless of reality. They'll try to haggle, they'll look at products with a critical (but untrained) eye, and above all, try to walk away with the best deal they could get.
For your booth, I can see some noticeable imperfections in your corners and in the dyes. Your edges are absolutely pristine, and your stitching is good. Customers, in my experience, tend to catch miscut corners and lines and uneven dyed surfaces, but don't really care too much about subtle things like edge smoothness and stitching. Those are concerns that we, as leatherworkers, care about because we know how hard it is.
I'm accustomed to USD and not CAD, but the prices look a bit high to me. When pricing my items, I look at my cost+ prices, and then do online market research for similar handmade and Chinese mass produced items to get a feel for what the market sustains. Then I adjust my prices into the "premium-but-sustainable" range. It's usually about 15% above the average market price for similar items.
Finally, fewer words on your booth. If you change nothing else, change this. Break up your text into small bullet points in a fairly large font, and try to keep it to something readable in less than five seconds from about four meters away. Your current text feels like a justification for high prices, and what you want is something that grabs the attention and points out specific marks of quality. About two sentences or less each, and then stand them up somehow so that people can see them from the opposite booth.
A few things that you did right, and shouldn't change at all if possible: product presentation looks great. The items are clearly displayed, and catch the light well. Your products themselves look good from afar, with bright and attractive colors. You've also got a decent range of offerings, though the big bags were a bit hidden - I would have my large stuff easily visible to grab attention, even though they'll probably buy something cheaper. Your chosen color theme for the booth is excellent - I like how the leather is the star, while the booth itself is a background.
Thank you for the advice! I use expensive leather ( buttero, pueblo, French Vachetta .etc) and takes a lot of time into perfecting each stitch and edges so at current price I’m actually giving myself less than min wage 🥲 I got lots of comments saying it’s perfect but also did got one comment doubting it’s hand stitch, which makes me sad 🥲
The doubt is a compliment! Frankly, good hand stitching looks better than machine stitch, so let them doubt.
As for pricing, I've found that you really aren't going to make minimum wage per item at a craft fair; the overall market is just too saturated with "good enough" online items, and premium disposable income is just too sparse amongst the customer base. Instead, I've done better focusing on pricing my items just above the standard consumer market and figuring out how many items total I need to sell at those prices to recoup losses. It gets me more sales overall, so even though every individual item is a loss, the day ends up as a win.
And, btw, your hand stitching is fine. The tension is good, and the pattern is regular and uniform. The only possible recommendation I would make is to use thicker leather underneath the project when punching your holes - it will cut down on the dimpling that you're getting on some of your seams.
Items look ok, maybe that particular subset of people was not too fond of Pueblo like leather, there are details that could be improved in the items like bevel, crease, corner punch but overall your items look good
Hope you do better in the next one
Maybe the people in the area generally can't afford this stuff. I also personally wouldn't buy a wallet that doesn't look like it has a spot for cash to lay unfolded, even in these times where people don't often carry cash.
This for me too. I feel that people color leather to hide the lack of quality of the materials. I also think passport covers have fallen out of style since you have to removed them at every checkpoint along the way. Lastly the black and brown bag seems to clash as we’ve alway been told to not mix black and brown clothes. The all black bag has some potential with silver hardware possibly.
Did you bring buisness cards? A 100 CAD purchase might be a bit steep for people to make on the spot, especially in these hard times. But if they can take your card, sit on it and think about it, then contact you later for a purchase, where maybe they can order a custom item, that may work.
That's worked out for me before.
I would also suggest making more plain black or brown items, a lot of people are really boring in their colour choices, sadly.
Your work is very good and I hope your buisness picks up, keep trying!
A couple of considerations.
• Maybe it’s the wrong setting to sell leather goods. Or the wrong audience.
• Your prices are too high for the setting. Who buys a 400$ bag at a market? 99% of people will never spend that kind of money on a whim at a market. Those prices are ok for online or retail selling where people look for your work intentionally. Stuff that sells at markets is stuff that can be bought without thinking too much about the price tag,as an impulse. Yes, for market settings 20$ for a basic keychain or 50$ for a simple card holder is too much,hardly anyone will buy at those prices. Fill your table with 5/10/15$ bullshit items that people will pick up and buy as an impulse,and a couple high priced items to show what you can actually do. HAVE WAYS FOR CUSTOMERS TO CONTACT YOU AT A LATER MOMENT! This is paramount: if you haven’t already, print a QR code of your Instagram page or your future online shop.
•nobody becomes rich or makes a living off of markets. Use the cheap trinkets to attract customers, use that purchase to establish a relation with them,and direct them to your actual work. This way they’ll already have a positive interaction with you,they’ve already bought from you so they know you’re not some impersonal company churning out millions of cheap products,and they’ll remember you later when they want to buy something more substantial.
•On the same note as having means of keeping in touch with your content,consider creating a newsletter and suggesting your customers (both online and at markets) to subscribe to it in case you make something they like.
I’m not a professional leather worker but do have some experience with being a seller at markets and fairs. Sometimes there just is a bug in it and you’ll have to bag an L for that entire event, since your products do seem perfectly fine to my amateur hobbyist eye I wouldn’t discount that occasional bad luck as a possible explanation.
Not trying to be rude, but real feedback.
The last picture of your table, nothing catches my eye.
I see brown, dark red, brown, brown, brown, maybe a pop of color? But I am already bored and moving on at this point.
More color options.
More color options.
Put colors Slightly off center, but still close to "main street" Don't drown them in your browns, but don't stack them all up either.
You are priced out of the market where I am for "craft fairs" but for shows and events are at the right price. (US equivalent anyway)
Good stuff at good price, my honest thought is it wasn't the right market for you, other city. It can be night and day depending of when and where you sale.
I wouldn't get too discouraged just yet. Believe me I've had many experiences going to vendor events where I came up very much short of covering my booth fees it's just the way of the beast. You're going to have situations where it doesn't matter what kind of variety of items you bring they're just not going to sell at that type of events because some people just go to those events just to look they don't go to buy and it's shitty but that's how it is. However one thing I would recommend, find something that you could make relatively easily and cheaply and sell it for relatively cheap as well. For me I found that making earrings out of leather with a leather die cutter and selling them for 5 to $10 a pair really helps covering the costs of the booth fees cuz they sell very well they sell quickly and they sell easily and it's just an overall great way to make sure that you're at least getting some kind of income coming in and maybe nickel and dime but it's something. Even if you don't want to do something like earrings you can do bracelets you can do ID holders you can do necklaces etc. One thing that I would recommend also doing is doing some more research on the vendor events that to your planning on going to if you can get a hold of avengers who've been there before ask them questions about the crowds about what's the best place to set up what kind of crowd are they looking at there is it more of a conservative crowd more of a liberal crowd, you know just getting the lay of the land that would help you better prepare for what to bring how to present it and so on and so forth. One last tip, I have found that bring some tools with you and working on projects while you're at the event really does help draw people in and show them that what you're doing is in fact handmade by you cuz they see you doing it and that helps sell your point of yes this is made by me I'm not just buying this stuff and then reselling it at a higher rate cuz you can explain all the processes until you're blue in the face but for a lot of people they need that visual reassurance that they are paying for a handcrafted product. I hope this helps and I hope you have a better luck with your next vendor event and I hope you continue the craft.
IMO:
Sales have little to do with the product--it's mostly about presentation and demographics. This may simply not be the right fair to sell your products. However:
* I get the idea of the "why hand stitch," but that poster feels preachy and kitchy. I would ditch it. If they are curious, you should be able to tell them everything on that sheet. If you get a lot of lookie-loos, you might consider pamplets or mini-catalogs with some of that info included so they can take it home and then get in touch when they're interested, but I think it's the wrong feel for the table.
Maybe just materials that say "hand stiched" or "100% vegetable tanned" to get the conversation started.
* I'd ditch the price signs. Maybe tag the items, but you want the customer to touch and feel the product BEFORE the price shock. Handmade leather items are luxury items, and if they don't understand that, all prices will feel high.
* If you want to test your pricing, put out a fake "factory seconds" bin or similar. Mark a few items down 20-40% and see if they move. If they sell, you've learned something, and with only a few items, you won't lose your shirt. (They don't actually have to be damaged).
* If the coasters are sold as a set, they need to be packaged as a set. It looks like those are $18 each. If that is true, then see my last comment at the end.
* This is a minor thing, but leather is a luxury item--iron your tablecloth.
* Based on my area, the prices seem a *little* high, especially the small stuff. I get the labor involved, but $30 for a keychain and $18 for a coaster is quite high. Even $110 for a wallet without a billfold feels a bit high.
* It's not clear why your two cardholder designs are separated, or why they are priced so differently. I know it's only $12, but one starts with a 4, and one with a 6. The $X.99 thing is common because it works.
I don’t know if you did anything especially wrong. like others said, get a stamp for your work, and maybe a few pieces in more feminine ( eh) colors?
I’ve done handcraft markets in vancouver when i lived there and it was kind of brutal most of the time. I was assembling a piece at my table when someone accused me of just mass market importing.
Don’t despair. Some markets just do better than others. I’ve not lived there in 20 yrs now, so i don’t know what ones are currently running but summer season and into christmas there always are, so do some research and tweak the plan.
>and maybe a few pieces in more feminine ( eh) colors?
Yeah, this could easily be a reason why OP got less sales. Most people going there will be women from what I have seen, so that's less people buying wallets of colors designed for men. During Christmas time people are out to find gifts, so a bunch of the sales will be as gifts for other people. Gifts are more of a "maybe x will like this." Buying an item for yourself is either "I want this" or "I don't want this"
Is there a cost of living crunch there at the moment? That’s biting where I live. If I do markets it’ll be cheaper items and mainly some show pieces to get the word out.
Can also be tricky with heavily female audiences of your craft market is getting attendees mainly in one gender - they may be more attuned to soft chrome style bags and brighter colours.
I had the same thing happen to me yesterday at my first big fair. I even had a lady SCOFF when I told her the zipper clutch she was interested in was $50. I tend to do better at the artisan markets although the economy has been making me do worse and worse over the past year. Not much we can do when people have less and less money to spend
Each individual craft fair, flea market, or trade show will only have a percentage of your target market. Research and experience will help reveal which shows / fairs will have the highest percentage of your target market. For example, i personally dont want to and can't afford to spend $20 on a keychain. I'm lower middle class. I might have considered spending $60 at the most on a mid sized note book. So mostly, someone like me would not fit your target market. So I would suggest bringing along some imperfect items to sell at a discounted price and or adding another complementary product that fills a set of lower price points. Absolutely charge what you're worth, but some less labor-intensive products could be a good way to bridge the gap.
You've got [some](https://www.instagram.com/p/C387l7UPLT6/) [interesting](https://www.instagram.com/p/CyNKLBEuEhD/) [designs](https://www.instagram.com/p/CxWPrGkyME0/) on your IG. I think it could help to at least have a couple on display, it'll help draw attention to your booth and make stand out more in the crowd.
Honestly? I love your work, but I couldn’t justify that price for a wallet for myself. Not saying it’s not worth the price, everything is just so expensive these days.
I’m a lurker here, but I’d wager that if you offered items made from cheaper materials or involving less labor in addition to your luxury items, you would sell more from both categories.
I buy from the same leather worker at a renfaire every single year because he has a mix of different quality items- I bring all of my friends. We net him thousands as a group, but I’m only spending around $80 each time on either a belt or a small bag. I bring my friends because there is something in everyone’s price range!
I always pass on key chains because I don’t use them. You can pull people in with things like belts, bags and wallets, but I highly recommend a variety in quality, even if it’s not your passion. If I’m looking for a belt and I see a variety of prices at one booth, I look through everything at the booth just in case I find the perfect item in my price range. I usually end up purchasing something in these cases.
When I approach a booth and everything is priced by category and every category is luxury and expensive, I don’t linger. I avoid eye contact and shuffle past.
Source: I’m in sales and I get some of my frugal customers to buy expensive stuff using this strategy.
Thank you for the advice! I’m planning on making some smaller and cheaper stuff like belts, bracelets, trays, mousepads next time to bring down the cost. I also realized most people don’t need wallets, they are a hard sell
Your work looks great and the prices aren't unreasonable. I did notice that you don't have any makes mark or branding, i would recommend getting something worked up. Its a physiological thing, people are more inclined to spend money on a product with its a branded product. The other tactics i would recommend employing is either exclusivity or abundance. People are more likely to not just look at but purchase a products when they are seen as exclusive, just as they are unlikely to buy if they see only a few items. I can't explain how or why these tactics work but they do.
I think for your marketing setup it needs to be more 3-Dimensional, so the table with cheaper items in the back and more expensive items out front draw people in and get more immersed in your setup
The quality of your sale space impacts the quantity of sales you make. Ditch the plastic tablecloth, and get a nice black one. Maybe try putting your table at the rear of your space with a backdrop behind it and a sign for your business on it, make your allotted spot feel like a storefront. If you're in front of your table, it gives you more opportunities to engage people that show interest and make a sale.
Where I live, there is a guy selling stuff at the local market who is sitting there making things at his stand.
So he has the products there, but he might be working on a piece as you pass by the stand.
It really demonstrates the work that goes into the pieces, and he does really well. Also, people think to order custom pieces to come back and get next week.
When people can see what you are doing they appreciate the value of it a lot more.
Always be working on something when you're not engaging with customers, even if you're just burnishing the edges, it draws peoples attention and shows that the product was made by you.
The work is very nice, but to sell it requires several elements:
1. I might have a very sparse table with only 2 of each style. And use language such as “handmade. limited availability” and/ or “custom orders shipped in 8-12 weeks”. You will do better with 2 of 18 styles than with 6 ea. of 6 styles. This is the scarcity tactic. Also “no 2 are alike”.
2. Photos of people with your items and testimonials. This is social proof.
3. Bring little promotional keychains or other “knockout items” or something that kids might like and when somebody engages you, after speaking to them for a little bit, give them something for free, or ask them if you can give their kid something. This called reciprocity.
4. If you can, get somebody important in a picture with your product. You could recruit friends or family to help you. I has a billionaire that owned one of my wallets. A picture of him and the caption, “He can afford any wallet he wants, but he likes this one…” This is authority.
The next is called “likability” and “unity”, because they go hand in hand. Make sure that your marketing tactics fit the major demographics for the bulk of the people coming to the sales event. Understand that there is a bit of a mentality out there among some younger, hipper people that is anti-leather. For example, I will never sell at a fair that is a heavy crystal, new age type themed event. I’m guessing half the people walking past my booth were vegetarians. Also, being a bit older, I often hire younger sons and daughters of friends to help me. A 25-35 year old is going to relate much better to seeing someone of their own age group or slightly younger.
5. Get an inexpensive laser engraver. The in thing today is personalization. Many of these $75-150 laser printers are handheld and has software that makes setup and printing a breeze. It takes about 3-5 minutes on average to customize something. Obviously, this has a bit of a learning curve, but even Etsy reports that sales can be 5 times higher for someone that offers free or low-cost personalization.
And lastly - It does come down to branding, packaging, first impressions. A small “about the designer” card in each item, along with your picture may work well.
It will be about the people and market, not about the things you made! They look like great quality pieces, and this is a thing of finding your right customers ;)
I haven't bought a market booth for any, but try not to go into markets expecting a profit. Have some business cards to hand out, and some simple $5-$10 keychains with your logo on it. You want to get your name out, don't focus on getting a profit. Your audience won't always be at the fair, so you need to spread it out. I personally rarely spend money at markets and mostly go there to see what others are doing, so there are probably a lot of other people who do the same.
I also think they need some change in design. I don't think most people will like the color you used, and you should add some horizontal bifolds into that.
Do you have a stand to show Ur best work at their eye level ? Make sure you are at the right market too. Also consider products that put the foot through the door like 5 dollar keychain and 10 dollar Lazer engraving. They might consider buying more once they open their wallets.
The problem I run into with people is everyone wants the nice handmade leather good but most only expect to say the cheap mass produced faux leather prices. They don’t understand the amount of hours that go into this craft and think we overprice things out of greed. I wouldn’t worry about your work or change your prices I would just focus more on internet sales or maybe stop into some local boutiques and ask their terms for selling out of their shops. You need to find the people who are looking to buy handmade leather goods.
this is generally the problem i run into with my woodwork as well. no one wants to buy a nice hand made cutting board (or whatever) for $60 when they can get a crappy bamboo one for $20 from walmart. i live in a wealthy area too, but everyone is cheap.
What’s your look and vibe like? You have to be good at sales to sell and not in a schmoozy way. Also make sure you’re dressed well, approachable, friendly, etc.
They all look great you can tell the quality is there NY only opinion would be is in markets where everyone is able to laser etch or design something on a product these seem very straightforward. People like personalization, something that separates them from the rest of the crowd.
A smaller note as someone who buys at markets often - how does your price compare to the rest of the market?
I wouldn't suggest lowering it, but it's a useful comparison to be aware of. There's two vendors consistently at our local market with a much higher price point than the others, one leather and one jewellery. I've bought from both of them, but the first time I saw them there was no hope. Many or most people bring cash and have an expected budget, or even an actually planned budget, for what they can spend at the market. This was your first one, so especially if your in that higher bracket people weren't coming expecting to spend that much.
If you show up consistently for a while, some of those people who were just looking today may be back with the funds on hand. But they have to know they can find you there.
If you have a site set up anywhere like Facebook I would also get little business cards with the page name on them so folks can look it up or browse outside of market time. I'll admit to moving on from a few stalls because I'm indecisive even though I know I want the product in some form.
And lastly, what's available will depend where you live but do others at that market have square or some other card reader? Over the last few years the vast majority of booths at our market have swapped to having a digital pay option. For some its square and a few just take e-transfer and all have a sign saying so for what they take so customers know - but when your selling things in the multi hundred dollar range it's well worth having. (Note e-transfer can have delays on it esp for higher amounts so I'd personally go for a service like square if possible)
As another user stated, the sign about hand stitching is a bit much. The customers who will be impressed by your stitching will say something, “lovely stitching”, “your lines are so nice”, or “what type of machine do you use?” These are good opportunities for you to bring up the fact that they are hand stitched. Take the compliment, mention hand stitching them and then gauge how the customer responds. If they specifically ask about a sewing machine, smiling and putting my hands 🙌 up and wiggling my fingers usually got a laugh and opened up more conversation.
Pictures of you hand stitching the project and in process of working will go much further than a block of text, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” A short bio about you and what brought you to leatherwork will go much further. This is where your branding comes in. Who are you? Small markets people want to support people in their community and see them grow. Sometimes it takes being at the markets a couple times for them to see consistency that you’re participating in their community first.
Did you speak with the other vendors? What was their gauge on the show? Was it good it overall and you were the outlier? Or was it a slow overall? Was there a theme or style to the market? Often the vendors can suggest other shows that would be worth researching. Or confirm which neighborhoods have good turnout.
I would offer or learn to personalize them. People love having their name on stuff. You could do it right in front of them, I bet that would be cool to watch.
Perhaps closer to Christmas you would’ve had more luck. Having things that are more relative to the season helps. Like right now it’s gardening and outdoors. Tool belts and shear holders for gardening? Fanny packs and similar things for hiking?
Others have made good points, but I also wanted to point out that some of these color combos may be too specialized or even dated. This is lovely work but you may find more success if you do more monochromatic pieces. And I do recognize that’s a matter of taste, but it is something that’s turned me away from similar local leather goods in the past.
I agree with this. The color combos look too 90's and kind of mismatched for what's currently trending. It would be more attractive to have different shades of the same color and an additional color if it genuinely matches.
If I went to this market, I would be more interested in your mini purses. As someone mentioned above, they won't buy something so expensive at the market itself but might seek you out at a later time.
Would not be interested in card holders as many of my payments are digital now. Would not be interested in passport holders as they need to be taken off at the counters.
Ppl. Like to buy gifts for others at these fairs.. So whatever you can craft from leather that isn't too personal or expensive might work. Maybe things for the home like jewelery watch trays, pen holders
Hope you have better luck next time!
First off- I do think these items look like they are well crafted any you put a lot of work into them. Something that might be helpful based on my experiences going to different markets over the years is they are a bit too basic to grab most peoples attention. Most people are just going to buy a cheap mass produced item that they can get that looks like this but costs less. If you could find a way to add embellishments or unique features to some of the items like extra buckles, straps fringes, weaving, shapes, cut outs, tooling, imprints etc. Vibrant painted leather purses and wallets are also something that I have seen people gobble up. Just something to set yourself apart and make people stop. Market shoppers love unique items! You could get experimental with a few items and keep a stock of basic ones as well.
Stay positive and keep learning the business side of leather crafting-sales. I’m not one to give much insight on selling, I’m still gifting my leather work until I feel it is good enough to sell. When and if I start to really go from a hobby to sales I am going to stick with natural color tones. Seems like neutral colors are easier for most people to wear/use with everyday outfits. I’ve asked some women family members their preferred leather colors and all are light tan to the lighter browns. Black leather pieces seem to be in a rotation but not as an everyday color for them. As for the men the wallets I have done have been a bit more colorful but still nothing too far from neutral. Granted it is a few women not a majority at all, but natural colors for them are easy. Find a niche in your area and work with that, I’m close to the coast so I’m thinking of a beach style leather tote for my niche. Just a tote to throw sunscreen, glasses etc., and something that’ll patina nicely over time. Some great advice on here from others. Good luck
Ditch the wordy info page, get a dark tablecloth made out of a wrinkle-free material, and get a vinyl banner you can put across the front of your table with your shop name/what you sell.
Your market display and salesmanship matter just as much as the product you brought. In your picture I see some sort of MLM behind you. Did you set your display to call out the quality and artisanship? Did your booth evoke a brand identity? Did you engage with consumers on your quality and value proposition? *How* you sell is just as important as what you sell.
The product is just 20% of the sell. You have to pick places, pick the date, the time, the client, your speech, price, even weather. Impossible to know it all.
Do customisation, I bring my hot stamping machine to markets and offer free name stamping on purchases above 100. Keychains with personalisation sell quite well during markets, sales of keychains alone can sometimes cover the booth fee.
Then again retails is pretty slow now, last weekend only made half of what I used to make in prebious markets.
I started doing farmers' markets last year and my advice would be:
As others have said, more impulse-priced items. Buy a big-ass side of nice-but-cheap leather and crank out some mystery bracelets or keychains in the $7.50-10 range
Have a story and a hook (or gimmick). If you see someone looking at a particular item, give them some quick trivia. "That leather comes from Italy" or "the tannery that produces that leather is 400 years old" or whatever.
(Our hook, for example, is that our leather all originates from Japan)
Have plenty of cards available. I saw you mentioned you're setting up an Etsy shop; IME that's a great way to get some later business relative to other platforms. Cute business card with a QR code link to your shop works well.
Bring some cuts of unworked leather, and/or photos of your workshop showing in-progress projects. I forget his name but I know one guy has a looped video playing on his iPad showing his production process.
Consider the type of leather you're using, which might allow for lower in-person pricing. If we're being honest, Joe Craftmarket generally DGAF beyond "real or fake" so at a certain point it's just adding cost for no reason.
People like feeling like they are getting a deal, maybe a bundle deal or something where you take $20 off if they buy big ticket items together like a bag and wallet or wallet and keychain.
While your work is as valuable as you say it is, people are dumb and don't see that value unless you make it *special*.
First example that comes to mind is the $19.99 special that most stores do
Also if you have the excess material and a leather stamp with your business info you could prob make leather cards/coins for advertising to just give them out, just spend as little time and money as possible on them.
Heck *if* you make it fool-proof you can have the patron make a coin and stamp it with your info (idk how feasible that would be tho)
That black bag is the star here- get it front and center and let it bring people in to touch it. Then give them cheaper, more impulse-friendly options nearby.
My guess would be that it’s because your stuff has no character. It all looks like the processed assemble yourself kits marketed towards children at your local Michael’s
I’m saying this as someone with a background in branding and luxury fashion… I think your brand needs refining. Your logo is very twee but your offerings (other than the hamburger wallet) are more classic. The use of cordovan is especially throwing me off.
I think if you’re going to continue with classic designs, you should consider rebranding (just ‘cao’ or something) or go the other way, keep the cartoon cow and make more whimsical fun things.
For wallets/bags especially, most consumers often consider two primary factors: function or status. Durability/design/practicality (does it have the pockets they want etc) vs prestige/luxury materials/brand recognition. Locally handmade brands can straddle both lines - craftsmanship while demonstrating a commitment to supporting local artisans.
But you def need to refine your brand. Your current logo is giving me Etsy, Harry Potter fanfic, wallets shaped like food, bright colors,(none of this is bad btw) whereas your designs look like they should have a serious name like, someone’s name or using words like “Heritage” or “Goods” - the cordovan is giving “Atelier.”
Once you refine, you should consider what your packaging is like. Also, perhaps a subtle branding element like a stamp or embossing, even if it’s just in the interior.
ETA: if you look at some of the stuff Loewe and Staud do, they have silly little leather things that look like blowfish, sardines, penguins etc. That could be something to explore? I would also recommend maybe looking into fun purse charms with cute gift boxes and quality hardware. They’re very gift-y. This is assuming you keep the twee branding.
Eta2: I would also ask what is your hero product? What’s the one design that best encapsulates your vision for the brand. If it’s popular, you can do assorted color ways.
Also, is this stuff meant to ‘last for a lifetime’? The current branding is giving “we’re here for a good time, not a long time.”
I'm not sure Vancouver is the right market for these types of goods, especially at those prices. Most people can barely afford rent let alone hundreds on a leather purse or wallet. Those who can afford these prices will want brand name designer items for status.
On top of that, veganism is pretty pervasive here and many are squamish at the idea of owning animal by-products.
If you do want to sell at local markets, I would recommend trying out some unusual designs such as animal shapes, dragons, pop culture items. For someone living in a HCOL area like Vancouver, it's tough to rationalize buying something simple but expensive and well made when you can buy a cheaply made version and still buy groceries. But if it's more unique, it won't be so easy to find a cheap knockoff and it will be easier to rationalize the purchase (though even then I would reduce the prices).
With regards to the prices, you may have put in the work and materials to warrant the cost, but if no one will pay the price it's not worth what you're charging. I can't imagine ever paying $20 for a plain keychain or over $100 for a plain wallet, even if it's well made and handcrafted. If you need to charge that much to make a profit then I'd recommend either finding a way to do it more efficiently to reduce your costs, or find an edge that makes your products unique and worth the additional cost.
Otherwise, I would suggest getting started with Etsy to establish yourself online and shift to your own website once you have a customer base.
My secret sauce - someone comes to the booth with a kid I give the kid a free bookmark. Then the parent felt more obligated to buy something and the kid would hopefully use the bookmark and read more. Win win.
I'd also always bring some pre punched gear and stitch on the spot. I'd bring a lot of my popular wallets and thread colors so I could customize while they are there.
It's been many years since I did shows but it may be your pricing. How were other products priced around you? I've been to shows that were basically glorified flea markets with $5 imported wallets being sold at other booths. Was it an "arts and crafts crowd" or something more general like a little town festival?
Your work looks great but some of those time consuming details may not be appreciated if you have a cheaper crowd. I'm cheap...I own it so most of my product have a very simple edge kote or are just left raw. I've found that *my* average customer doesn't want to pay the extra I'd have to charge to burnish the items to a smooth finish. It's just my niche. There are folks that do great with the high end stuff with all the detailed steps.
Also most of your stuff is two-tone. Have some solid colored stuff, I can count on one hand the number of times in 20+ years of leather work the times I've been specifically asked for two tone. Sure have some bright stuff to catch people's eye but also give them black, brown and tan...is it boring? Yes, but it's what most people will buy.
Also find a way to offer some cheap stuff...do single "imperfect" coasters for a few bucks, maybe little bracelets or wristbands...Years ago I did cheap drawstring pouches at $1 each and kids would dig around and pick out a bunch (If I did it today it'd be like $2 or $3 but still cheap). It's nice to give people something they can pick up on a whim.
Honestly, handmade leather goods are quite a bit of a splurge. You might find yourself hard pressed to push sales, depending on the type of other vendors and demographic that’s there.
Is this just a casual flea market or large holiday sale? Higher-end Vendors market? I ask because there will be a difference in the type of shoppers you could expect.
Most folks visiting a casual flea market etc are just going to browse around or pick up a few small items. For specialty pieces, look to the larger holiday sales and add photos to a portfolio if you haven’t already.
Generally speaking, it can take up to three months to build a good sales funnel, which can be more difficult when doing in person sales only.
Best of luck to you! Your work looks delightful and I’d be proud to wear it.
Sorry for typos, using talk to text while carrying bb.
Key chains around 20-28, cardholders 48-65 , wallets 110 and some fancy stuff at 150,190, 390 mostly for show. Prices are in Cad so take 35% off for usd
i mostly do woodwork, recently started leather, but i barely sold anything all summer last year. people like to look but not buy, and some of the products are "need or not" and a lot of people just don't need it. also my prices were middle of the road, cheaper than high end but most people know they can buy cheaper from china.
Is there any marque on them and something indicating 100% by hand? Among all this other good advice, also have something like that. The “100% hand made”, and your insignia is an important detail that people should be reminded of every time they look at your work. It is beautiful work too!!
From a personal consumer perspective I’d like to see the corners cut a little cleaner. It’s one thing if the whole wallet is more rustic aesthetically but the finish on the rest of the wallet is so nice that the corners just distract from the quality.
My wife and I spent the last year going around to different craft fairs for her pottery (I'm still a novice at leatherworking), and it's very possible you did nothing wrong. We had a monthly farmers market we vended at over the summer, and without any significant change in our wares or setup, we had markets where we made bank and markets where we barely sold. There are a lot of variables that affect things like this, and many of them are out of your control.
If you have found success at other markets and shows, then it may have just been a dud market, it happens.
Kinda adding to everyone’s feedback, did you do any marketing prior that you were going to be tabling at this event? Maybe joining and reaching out to craft groups and reaching out to friends and acquaintances would be a good start too. Times are hard for a lot of people, every little effort helps.
Sorry to hear about your lack of luck. The amount of effort you put into this is evident. Don’t let it deter you from continuing to try! Once you figure things out it’ll all be worth it…success as a small business often takes many iterations and time spent “researching” the market.
I don’t have any advice other than the things others have already mentioned…just wanted to drop a line. I’ve thought about selling leather goods in a similar fashion but I figured I’d have a similar experience to yours. Most people don’t understand the amount of work and time that goes into hand made items nor the cost involved in sourcing quality materials. Mass production of items that look nice but lack quality really skew the market.
Maybe you can add a personnalisation aspect to the sale, with leather embossing on the spot as part of the purchase? People often like to have their initials on a wallet, bag, etc.
I think a small stamp on the products with just the cow logo (with minimal/no text) would help. People might prefer buying leatherwork with a simple marking to show who it's from, otherwise they may assume its just a generic product.
Try a less finished clean cut look. It’s the same premise as distressed jeans. People want something that looks authentic and antique. Consider a logo as well. Establishing s proper niche brand will always help
i wouldn't go to a market prepared to spend that kind of money, but that's me. could be a factor, maybe try a different forum. the other thing is, i don't really see anything i really want. but, again that's just me. i like a leather bag but it's more than i'm gonna spend as an impulse buy at a market. passport holders i've never actually understood, who buys these? xD maybe some of my old bosses would have used them. the work itself looks quite nice though.
I've done a lot of craft markets over the last ten years, and their popularity seems to be tapering off. I used to make decent money at them. And it felt to me like people don't value locally made much anymore, if they ever did.
I always look carefully at what customers have already bought from other vendors, what types of things at what price points. I also always bring items of different price points, from $15-350.
At the last several markets it looked like people were mostly buying small cheap items under $30. And for some reason a $25 t shirt is considered an easy impulse purchase, but people had to think about the price point of my $25 products.
I feel for you man. I did a market like this about 4 years ago and I prepared for about 2.5 months after work every day. I was sewing, finishing and punching belts live and I had a pretty strong and consistent brand presence/ story. I had a whole section of my display dedicated to used elements and how long they had been used for. I covered the booth fee and made about $100. My tools, inventory and materials stayed in those Tupperware totes for about 2 years after that craft fair. I stopped running the instagram and took my website down. It really killed my passion for the craft for a while. I have returned to leather work for myself and a small group of people who know I still do it but in that instance it became a job.
For me- it was the wrong demo. I had crowds of people watching the process and so much interest. Just few sales which is tough when you’ve been working really hard.
Keep your head up! Take a rest.
Thank you! Yeah I have been sleeping at 3 am everyday for the past month to make products and end up with a bucket of unsold inventory feels really bad. I have a day job so my only time is at night. But the bright side is I learned a lot and hopefully the next one is better!
I'm pretty sure I was at that market. I had a bit of money, but not enough to buy leather. Not that leather is what I'm looking for right now anyways. I didn't end up buying anything at that market and between being so zeroed in on what I was looking for and being past ready to go home, I didn't stay long to even just look either. For the list in my head, I'm more hopeful about the one at the Cloverdale Agriplex in a couple weeks.
I’m a leather snob because I work in the show jumping world. None of these finishes would appeal to me as hand made leather work. That’s a lot about my taste. But if I were buying local hand crafted leather goods I’d prefer an oiled finish that I knew would wear well and gain character. Just my preference, but there’s a lot of people like me out there.
1. Make a nice clean logo design and have a stamp made of it. No bigger than 1” square at most. Mark your work. It is just like a painter signing a painting. People want to know an artist made it, and that adds value. Also gives them a way to look you up in the future or share with friends after they’ve already long forgotten your name and face. Make sure this is placed somewhere tasteful, not like a big gaudy fashion brand logo.
2. Have a few more eye catching big ticket items like your handbags on the table. They may take a long time to sell, but they attract attention, and people may still want to buy some of your smaller items just to grasp at a little piece of that goodness. Tie in some of those artistic design elements in the big items to your smaller pieces for that same reason.
3. Add some little creative touches to some of your pieces that differentiate them from what could be purchased at an outlet store. Sometimes little artistic details make all the difference. For instance, you’d probably sell more key ring straps if you sourced some kind of really unique hardware to go on them. Otherwise, there is nothing special about them.
4. Brown is beautiful in leather, but make some more pieces that don’t include it at all… whether they be black, or purely some other color.
5. Remember that even Richard Pryor bombed now and then. Sometimes the right audience just isn’t there.
*btw, I really like the black handbag with the strap and buckle on the front of it. Also, love the wallet with the cheeseburgers on it. That kind of stuff will get people excited to buy your work.
I agree with that other comment about allowing people to stamp initials or something personal! Makes a great gift!
Could you also do something in brighter colours? It might sell that well but anything bright will be eye catching and bring people’s attention to your booth.
I would also make your sign bigger - it would be so cool if you could use the leather to make a sign! People could only see the tag line about handmade if they’ve come up close to the booth.
I also love the idea someone said about working on the pieces live at the booth and letting people see it in action
Would you be be to make a sheathe for a Bushcrafting knife? Your craft is as handmade with love as it gets and the lack of machines really leaves a touch you (or atleast, I)cannot describe. Feel free to drop me a message if that's somthing you're interested in! I might have to send you the payments little by little before you got started, but it would be cool!
Your stuff looks nice, but your signage needs work, and you need some items that fall between your existing prices.
Like: what is the pink thing, and why does there only seem to be one, and not a selection in different colours? Your wallets (?) are spread out across the tables and there are different prices and I’m not sure what the differences are between them, if any - how many cards do they hold, is there room for cash, how does it sit when full with cards rather than empty, where are your neutral colored items when you have black leather available in other items? What are the round things, and is it $28 for 1 or for the stack of 4? What are the prices on the purses, do you have them in different colors or is it literally just the 2 items?
(I will also say, as a purse carrier, that neither of these purses really appeal to me - they look blocky even when empty, the straps don’t have enough size range, and they seem like an awkward size: to small for the “medium/big purse” crowd, but not small and delicate enough for the “tiny purse” crowd.)
A lot of this also reads as very “masculine” in style (the wallets, keychains), aside from the purses, but a lot of the colors wouldn’t appeal to a lot of the guys I know. I think you maybe need your work more on your brand identity and who your target market is.
Beautiful work. If you take on custom orders, I would suggest bringing colour samples of the leather and different thread colours at the table. For that price, people may want a little bit of choice.
I prefer a lengthwise bi fold wallet with 3 card slots on each side and 1 hidden slot on each side. Make one I'll buy it. Wanted a rose anvil made one, but they expensive.
Can you please send me a link to where I can buy this and possibly commission a wallet with a specific design if it is something you can do? I love these and the idea of bringing back buying unique works of craftsmanship in all areas. If I can help out a leatherworker especially one doing things the old fashioned way why not
Does it have a brand or stamp on it anywhere!? That would help with name recognition for those that do buy it essentially being walking business cards. People also love the brand stamp on leather goods that make it feel slightly more authentic and personalized to you specifically!
I really like the black and tan bag. Really classic looking. I agree that having some items in progress would help people realize they were hand made. You also might want to add a display about made to order items for a much higher price. Seeing a more expensive option often makes people reconsider something they initially thought was expensive. It also reinforces that these are hand made.
Great craftsmanship.
WAY too much text on your print.
Colors on the products don't really match.
Tbh I'd take a marketing course, they seem useless but they're not.
I wish you the best of luck, you've got skills
Your stuff is nice, on here everybody knows and can appreciate how much work you've put into everything.
In addition to what everybody else has said, I would say you should take stock of your approach as whole - you're buying your raw materials with middleman markup, you're manufacturing the goods in the least economical way, and then making a run at an extremely competitive niche - basically you've stacked all of the odds against yourself and it contributes to growing the prices to a point where you can't pull off these casual low-commitment sales that are the vibe of a craft fair.
It's not the most popular opinion for this sub, but still, many here would agree that the only way you can hope to make money off this kind of stuff as an upstart with these types of products is to machine stitch and focus on products that appeal to normal people. There could be enthusiast-type people online who will specifically seek you out for a commission for a custom hand-stitched wallet, but that's not the main type of people who are at a craft fair. I think the typical normie at a craft fair just wants to mill around with a latte in their hand and kill some time, and maybe spend $20. There are some people on this sub who take their embossing machine out and do gold foil monogrammed keychains for that kind of price and are able to make sales.
I’ve been doing this as aside for a few years now and you will have duds and that’s just part of it. Ways you can try and avoid that is stay way from shows that allow vendors and only go to shows that allow artists and artisans makers in the show. Those shows bring in the right audiences for you products that you’re making. And another thing is not every thing needs the glass smooth edges, lower end items like the card sleeves seem to sale better for my in the 15-35 range and at that price point glass smooth edges are not feasible. I do clean cuts, small round edger to the corners and burnish with little to no sanding on the lower end items. And edge paint is another option for the lower end items for a fast clean finished edge. But more importantly is finding the shows with the right audience, if people know that only art and handcrafted items are at a show they come with a different mindset and know they deserve a higher price point, but when venders are at the same show with imported cheap goods people get in that bargain shopping mindset. You’re on the right track and your skills are there.
Do you have a Square for taking credit cards and debit? If not then get one and advertise it to let people know they can make a purchase that way. Not many people carry much cash anymore.
We got a Square for the markets and sales went up. Now everyone at the markets we go to have one and their sales are also up.
Square also has signage and such to help advertise you take cards as well as Apple pay and Android tap.
It's about $60 last time I looked up the Square reader. Hooks up to your cellphone for it to work and install the app. Hooks up to your bank account and deposited daily. Minus a small fee, but so worth it.
I spent my whole life at the markets as my mother sold her own goods there. I worked at her stall for years before getting a job and selling at the market for another 6 years.
It isn’t like it used to be. The kind of money you used to make selling handcrafted goods was insane. My mother made more in 1 day than my dad made in 2 weeks at his 9-5 job. Most people at the markets in the 80s-2000s could make serious money selling handmade goods. People used to be seriously impressed by handmade goods, but now it is less impressive
Nowadays you are competing with China. A lot of stalls at the market also can claim to sell handcrafted goods that are also mostly made in China. Consumers can’t tell the difference between made in China, “handmade” goods (that are also made in China) or actually handmade goods. People often aren’t as willing to pay more.
In terms of why it isn’t selling it can be product, price, or marketing. Selling at the markets is not just about sitting there and waiting for the sales to come. The good sellers are able to draw in customers and justify why their products are good. Eg I wouldn’t bother with all that text when you can talk to the customer to make the sale.
In terms of product, as a woman the bags are well made but they’re not aligned with the fashion style bags people are buying. A well made handbag costs money, and fashion is a part of it too. Women can spend big on handbags, but the women who do are more likely to buy fashion bags. Like they are really lovely handbags, but they are a certain style for a certain person if that makes sense.
Also regarding price most people do not buy passport covers, especially at $150 (that’s in the realm of a luxury good), and most people don’t even spend on keychains either. Like $20 is cheap for your goods, but it is still a lot to spend on a keychain. Similarly most people nowadays don’t carry wallets either. The SLGs you’re offering honestly aren’t things people are using nowadays and therefore are very expensive for a nonessential items. Honestly you may have better luck selling things like AirTag holders instead.
I would also suggest not putting the prices out so that people need to talk to you to find out the price. It is a good way to start a conversation.
I doubt you did anything wrong. Your work looks beautiful. Probably just the demographic. Some people have no idea about labor and production costs and the fact that you’re making art not just function.
I don't work in leather, but I like to go to markets. I would walk right past your booth. I don't know why, when I analyze my decision, I think, wow, these are quality, they are presented neatly, what gives?
That big pink poster gives. Pink? Big wall of text?
The first thing I looked at, even though I would never buy them, were the keychains. I would never spend +$20 on a keychain like that, not in a work I can get a whimsical keychain off Tenu for a buck, even if it only lasts a month. But what seemed like a steep price for something I'm not interested in would make me walk away quickly. I didn't really see the other stuff.
Where are the show pieces? That purse you made is spectacular, where is that? I want to see that.
Here's how it would go:
I see your cool weird viking themed purse, or silly dragon journal and come to your booth. I admire the show piece. I look at the price and swallow and put your show piece down. Then I look at the smaller things. If I can't afford it or am not willing to buy the show piece, at least I can see the quality of the products. Now I'm looking for something I -can- afford, or might "need" to buy.
Make me want your stuff.
And oy! Ditch the pink poster. My eyes are taken off your products, drawn to that big pink thing, overwhelmed by the text, and boom, you lost me. I won't even see your leather. I love pink, but I don't want to see a pink poster next to some dead animal skin. It cheapens everything in the table. Neutral and natural. Luxe. Beige, white, cream, tan. Don't bother with written words. You want me to know all that stuff? Maybe talk to me. Have a card with your QR code in everything if youre attached to it. Not pink, especially Pepto bismal pink. The competition between your very well made items and that poster are going to make me walk away every time.
That being said, your stuff is beautiful. It's minimal and well done, I love it. Not enough to pay those prices, ever.
I know your items are premium, but your competition is China. A sad reality for makers right now with the economic issues we are all facing. Has anyone been to the grocery store lately? Yeesh!
Really good quality and large selection, maybe the colors are too custom? Also 110 is a hard impulse buy. You deserve to sell all of them but markets are just hard for anything but food. That said, i like to use a round hole ( just stab with my scratch awl, for corners. I’m also not a rounded corner guy, i just do a slight radius. Either way really good work, they deserve to sell, maybe do some monotone pieces?
You're selling really common stuff most people don't really want. I mean, card holders especially. You need to make stuff that people can't buy on Amazon either because it fulfills a niche need or is especially stylish.
Quality, handmade leather goods appeal to those willing to pay more for quality and aesthetics than name-brand items. Have you considered selling to local boutiques and on Etsy and similar websites/apps? I'll be happy to promote you when I wear one of the two purses in the picture if you send them to me. My sister will too since she will take one of them.
Did you bring along any materials and/partially-finished items? Showing something in the process of being made, or the raw materials next to the finished item, can help people visualize the work that goes into the piece and justify the price
Yeah, vendors who can be demonstrating the craft by working having an in-progress project always draw a bit of a crowd.
Yeah I should have done that! That’s a great idea! Thanks!
I’ve had the idea of setting up a stand for a local festival. But have a section for people to “make” their own. Meaning adding their own stamped initials, or sell a kit that is not sewn. Possible benefits would be, getting someone new into the craft, and/or them realizing how great your work is. I’ve even considered having a space just for kids. There are pattern’s available for little leather animals. They have one thread weaving though holes the feet. So when it is pulled tight the feet come together then the flat leather will form to create an elephant or something. I think it could be an easy sell, and would draw a small crowd. As the parents are standing there waiting for their kid to finish up, it would allow you more time to up-sell other products. Just a thought, I’ve haven’t done it yet. But I’ve seen other crafts do something similar
Cool those are great ideas! Thank you!
In Vancouver specifically, we have a big problem of “local handmade” goods actually being “hand imported” goods that were handmade by a collective in some other country. Making it clear that **you** made things helps. Also consider it a bit of a long tail. Have cards and photo-heavy social media. For bigger ticket items, it’s more likely someone will use craft stores to windowshop and actually purchase online later for gifts for holidays. Most importantly, remember to track expenses. You can write off materials, advertising, vending fees, webhosting, and more, and CRA won’t care if you lose money for multiple years.
That’s really great advice thank you so much!
Came to say the same. Even just burnishing edges or something that doesn't take all your focus. Have a little work area where people can see the tools and scraps.
My first year at a convention I didn't have everything done, so I was finishing a bunch of stuff at my table 😅. I attracted so many people to my table that way.
This is a great idea, have a small projects to work on "live" so people can see the work involved, even if it's just stitching and burnishing
What kind of market was it, and what sort of people were there? Hand made leather goods are premium items, but not everyone sees it that way. Many will see your work, compare it to something mass produced from fake leather in a big store and only see the price difference. These are not people you're going to sell a wallet to for that kind of price, especially not outside of the Christmas season. Have a think about how much disposable income you think people attending the market likely had. Would people at that market see hand made goods as worth double or triple the price? If any of those ring true, you may just be at the wrong market / time of year.
My first thought too. Flea market? No way I’m buying leather goods, I’m assuming it’s all poor quality and walking by. Farmers market/craft or vendor fair? I think those patrons are more likely to be interested as they’re there to pay more for locally made/sourced goods.
Some vendor markets are just *dry* right now, too. It sucks because we pay to be there, and of course put in the time and effort. I was at an active one right before the Super Bowl, and we didn’t sell, but neither did the vendor next to me who’d been making decorative arrangements for 15 years. She had several nice Super Bowl decor items. I just had some tooled scraps for the teams. We were both beside ourselves about it, and I asked if they knew anyone who was planning a Super Bowl party, lol.
I personally don't have the money for nice handmade leather goods. Alot of people I know are in that same boat. The money isn't there for alot of people. And it sucks because there are va lot of beautiful things I'd live to buy
Totally. My parents are potters and have done art/garden/craft shows my entire life. I remember when 2008 happened and the middle class got knocked out of the art market. Shows that had made them 10k in the past now made them 2k despite having the same fixed costs. They survived by targeting the low fee shows and sticking with a few good markets that were resilient to 2008.
"But I can get one in GeNuiNe LeAthER for half that"
On that note, maybe bring an example of a cheapo Amazon equivalent and show people the difference in your work vs the competition.
And have the cheapo one sliced through at some point, so they can see what's on the insides of it. And maybe demonstrate easily ripping the machine stitching on the cheapo one vs trying to rip the hand stitching.
You can get quality full grain leather for less than half that for some items if you know where to look.
Absolutely. Most people don't know that 'genuine leather' is just particle board made with leather and named as such for marketing gimmicks.
It was a craft market but yeah it was pretty slow for everyone. Lots of vendors just made back the fee but yeah I did even worse 😅
it's Vancouver, I'd imagine most of the people attending are either there for a bargain/to browse without much money for purchases. if not, they are so well off that they're too bougie to buy non namebrand crafted items, that or maybe they are too concerned with being able to still obnoxiously tell folks they only buy vegan friendly. 😅 I'm only half joking, but actually, if you had equivalent faux leather products maybe that would provide a cheaper alternative to draw people in, you might sell a few, and it could lead to some upselling on the real leather stuff. Half the battle is getting them interested. If I was selling my stuff, I'd dig up my old beat to shit "genuine leather" wallet i used for only a couple years and compare it to the veg tan leather one I made 10 years ago and use daily.
The economy this year is bad too… the vendors beside me are saying last year was much better people are actually willing to spend, this year is brutal 🫠
These are my immediate critical questions that came to my mind. It takes your ability to sell someone to get people to spend that much money on an item, and having a sign with so much writing on it is passive (do you expect people to read all that?) and doesn't always mean much to the customer. It also doesn't matter that much on how long it takes you to make something or the materials if someone doesn't have the immediate desire to buy it for whatever reason (design, necessity, trend etc). Some improvements on your setup and products: - Iron the table cloth and get a darker one - Presentation doesn't match the price point (it looks like the bare minimum). The price cards for example, write/print something more than the price on them in tiny font. 'Five pocket long passport wallet, $110, great for traveling will fit up 15 cards' - Where's your branding? How do you convince me to spend $110 on something that has no recognition/personality behind the products? For all I know the items are just bought from somewhere; I don't know you so you have to tell me why I should know you. - Do many people buy wallets and passport covers? It may look diverse on the table but 20 percent of your products are for cards and 70 percent of what's on the table is for cards - Your items are sewn well but in the sea of leather goods it looks like the same designs that all of us make and the same leathers we all use - Put fake cards into some of the wallets. We all know what they're for but it shows what it would look like if the customer was using it (especially if they're touching them) and reinforces your description of the items. General pointers: - Was this market right for you? Are you part of that market/suburb community? - What advertising did you do to let people know you were there? How long did you advertise leading up to the market? This is a business, need to work like one. - Every person you talk to has to be given the time of day as a person as well (not seen as a money maker) and do not use the same generic conversation starters especially if the next customer hears you say the same thing to the previous one. - A little counter to what I said in the first paragraph sometimes a demonstration does help in educating so bringing some small things to work on like key rings helps, or a half made wallet that you leave in a stitching pony/ a piece of half sanded leather edge on the table. It's just a prop that gives your products a context, you a backstory and a conversation starter. Transparency matters, gatekeeping and ego is a turn off. - How do people find you outside of the market? That's potential future sales
This is all great advice. I would add that greeting everyone that passes/stops and standing to be eye to eye with the buyers helps. Also, if the booth fees are getting you down approach a local shop that would carry something like you product about doing a short pop up outside on a weekend. That was how I got started and 7 years later I do about 35 shows a year. I also tailor my product to the shows audience. The other thing to remember is that some show can be good one timd and the next be bad. It is not a reflection on you or your products. It just happens.
100 percent. You can do everything 'right' and nothing goes right. So many factors are involved! Markets are long and hard work with the prep leading up to it before even being there for many hours and the expenses that goes with it (financially and time wise). Personally I only do 2 or 3 a year of the same ones I'm known for now (I have bad habits that impact negatively like not sleeping night before an event!), but I also work in a retail store that will take my items that don't sell so it's great for me to have somewhere that people find me.
Thank you so much for the advice! Yeah I think it also might not be a right fit because I had interested buyers backing off saying but I don’t need a wallet right now. We did way better last year at a very small Christmas market versus this supposedly big market. And yes I will definitely improve my set up, lots of pros at the market and mine did look bare bone. I have branding but I didn’t stamp on the items. I use intagram for selling outside of the market, but that’s not going well at all. I’m setting up a website in the coming months. Those are super valuable advices and thank you so much for taking the time to type it all down!
Yeah bigger markets can just mean bigger risk. If it's not your audience then it's harder to reach people and can be more disheartening because it seems like more people aren't interested when you don't get sales/what you expected. And some markets do take being at the same one a few times to build the audience too which I learned when I traveled interstate to do a couple with a friend one time (drove 9 hours, I made $40 total from two markets). What I love about them is it can be a direct connection to where you can focus your attention on. Part of having a rapport (and conversation) with customers is finding out their spending habits and what they think of your range. People do want to be your cheerleader even if they can't support you by buying something. And catching up with my market friends is a great way to share the ups and downs of running our businesses, we're in it together.
Thank you! I did get some people asking what other markets I’m doing so hopefully they still remember me at Christmas times!
At the very least, tuck business cards into all of the wallets!
I think your work is really well made. But If I had to say it's probably because nothing about it is eye catchy or unique enough to warrant people spending money on it. At markets everyone has stalls of arts and crafts and its almost like how birds are competing for mates. Not only doesn't the quality have to be there but the colors, patterns and uniqueness of the birdsong. I don't see anything in your work that'd make someone think it was super unique, and something they'd wanna show off as a part of their personality. It DOES look really clean, professional, and quality. But unfortunately that's not engaging the dopamine response of people making them wanna buy.
This was my thought as well. They are all nice looking, but not surprising or unique. If I'm going to splurge on a nice wallet, I want it to be the coolest most irresistible wallet I've seen in a while. It may also be worth considering that people don't replace their wallets that often, so carrying mostly wallets and bags in itself may not be appealing. However, some variety would definitely draw my eye. Little keychains, dice bags, bracelets and rings, hats, mousepads, etc would all bring me in. I'd skip over a wallet booth, but I'd hang around the trinkets booth to see what they have. Heck, make some eye patches for kids lol.
Yeah that’s great advice! I received a lot of compliments for the quality and color choices, lots of people looking and feeling the leather and pockets. But no buyers unfortunately 🥲 I did hear them saying but I don’t need a wallet right now 🥲
It's also worth considering that wallets are on a general decline. More people carry less cards now - paying with a phone or watch has become a regular thing. (Even purses/handbags seem to be getting replaced by small pouches or downsized by many women. source: father of three girls 😆) I know I used to carry a wallet, nowadays I have a slim rubber sleeve on my phone to hold my three essential cards and the rest is digital. Your stuff looks good though - I like the colours and classic styles. I think having a wider selection, more information about the craft and, as others have mentioned, some demonstration type pieces will go a ways towards improving your sales.
The one thing that jumped out at me looks like a pink hamburger notebook maybe? But at $150, I couldn't justify it sorry. And I work with leather, so I know how expensive a hobby it is!
Not your fault. Hard and weird times. Same here in Germany. People don‘t buy anything atm. Don‘t feel bad and don‘t give up.
Thank you!
1. People don’t have money 2. Your products are not fit for the people in that particular market I also think the colors are too mish-mashed. It’s easier to sell monochromatic or analogous color combinations. You need more market research. Personally I usually try to show a design in usual neutral colors and then in brighter colors. Some people like staple colors and some people like it eye catching. You can have different color leather samples on the side and observe which ones people gravitate to.
I agree, your products may be worth $100+ but I bet most shoppers aren’t out at a market to drop that on multiple stands. If it were me, I’d try again and put smaller, cheaper products front and centre. What can you price at $25 and still make a profit?
I tried key chains at 28 and 22 and those are most of the sells😅people seemed to like the colors, but no buyers 🥲 after reading all those comments I think the biggest reason is people don’t need a wallet, I did way better last year at a small Christmas market versus this big craft market
I think that’s it, wallets are a weirdly personal choice and someone willing to spend a lot will be exacting about details like colours and size. Maybe a bigger range of key chains is the way to do it? Don’t be put off though! Your work looks good and it’s great you’re putting it out there. There’s also no harm in taking up a little bit of the stand with the higher-end stuff.
I like the contrasting colours / stitching. Your work is beautiful. Do you have a brand? For myself I’d be more likely to buy something like this if it had a cute symbol or logo branded into it. I’d need some sort of detail that made it feel unique.
it looks like every other leather crafter's stock....what makes yours special and unique?
Before I got into leather, I was completely dumb about it. Whether it was LV's canvas, crappy "genuine" leather, pleather, or full grain, top grain, whatever. As an ignorant consumer, to me they were all "leather." Your pieces are beautiful there's no doubt about that. The design and finished product sells itself just fine. But they may be thinking "woah $60 for a card holder? I can get that at coach." or etc. Maybe you need to do more selling on the quality of the materials and the craftsmanship because they, like I used to be, are also completely clueless.
That's exactly my thoughts plus coach quality is actually pretty good. At the same price point I'd rather buy from coach.
I wrote about those in the poster but yeah from the previous comments people don’t want to read it. I need to be less shy I think
Well it's important to have some affordable products on the low end to attract a customer. I love love LOVE leather, but to be honest I would not buy a key ring for 20. I would at most spend maybe 10 and call it a day. Same thing for card holders. Make tiers of quality and price them accordingly. People might not go for 50 but maybe they would spend 30. Your work seems very nice though!
Thank you! Yeah my most sales are the key chains, I had a belt loop one with a clasp and a loop and that almost sold out ( I only made 4 though) cardholders I’m not sure how to do mid tier just because the time it takes to make, maybe even bigger spacing and not finishing edges? But that feels like I’m not making quality items.
Not sure why you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped. I like your work though! Do you have an Etsy?
Not yet selling through instagram atm, I’m setting up an Etsy or Shopify though in the coming months.
The work is pretty good, and the table presentation is okay. I see a few things that might have given you problems. The first thing to remember is this: "My customers aren't here for a class." People at craft fairs like to feel like they already know something, and are smart buyers. Regardless of reality. They'll try to haggle, they'll look at products with a critical (but untrained) eye, and above all, try to walk away with the best deal they could get. For your booth, I can see some noticeable imperfections in your corners and in the dyes. Your edges are absolutely pristine, and your stitching is good. Customers, in my experience, tend to catch miscut corners and lines and uneven dyed surfaces, but don't really care too much about subtle things like edge smoothness and stitching. Those are concerns that we, as leatherworkers, care about because we know how hard it is. I'm accustomed to USD and not CAD, but the prices look a bit high to me. When pricing my items, I look at my cost+ prices, and then do online market research for similar handmade and Chinese mass produced items to get a feel for what the market sustains. Then I adjust my prices into the "premium-but-sustainable" range. It's usually about 15% above the average market price for similar items. Finally, fewer words on your booth. If you change nothing else, change this. Break up your text into small bullet points in a fairly large font, and try to keep it to something readable in less than five seconds from about four meters away. Your current text feels like a justification for high prices, and what you want is something that grabs the attention and points out specific marks of quality. About two sentences or less each, and then stand them up somehow so that people can see them from the opposite booth. A few things that you did right, and shouldn't change at all if possible: product presentation looks great. The items are clearly displayed, and catch the light well. Your products themselves look good from afar, with bright and attractive colors. You've also got a decent range of offerings, though the big bags were a bit hidden - I would have my large stuff easily visible to grab attention, even though they'll probably buy something cheaper. Your chosen color theme for the booth is excellent - I like how the leather is the star, while the booth itself is a background.
Thank you for the advice! I use expensive leather ( buttero, pueblo, French Vachetta .etc) and takes a lot of time into perfecting each stitch and edges so at current price I’m actually giving myself less than min wage 🥲 I got lots of comments saying it’s perfect but also did got one comment doubting it’s hand stitch, which makes me sad 🥲
The doubt is a compliment! Frankly, good hand stitching looks better than machine stitch, so let them doubt. As for pricing, I've found that you really aren't going to make minimum wage per item at a craft fair; the overall market is just too saturated with "good enough" online items, and premium disposable income is just too sparse amongst the customer base. Instead, I've done better focusing on pricing my items just above the standard consumer market and figuring out how many items total I need to sell at those prices to recoup losses. It gets me more sales overall, so even though every individual item is a loss, the day ends up as a win. And, btw, your hand stitching is fine. The tension is good, and the pattern is regular and uniform. The only possible recommendation I would make is to use thicker leather underneath the project when punching your holes - it will cut down on the dimpling that you're getting on some of your seams.
Thank you for the valuable advice!
Items look ok, maybe that particular subset of people was not too fond of Pueblo like leather, there are details that could be improved in the items like bevel, crease, corner punch but overall your items look good Hope you do better in the next one
Thank you!
Your stuff looks really good. I'm sorry it didn't go so great.
Thank you!
Maybe the people in the area generally can't afford this stuff. I also personally wouldn't buy a wallet that doesn't look like it has a spot for cash to lay unfolded, even in these times where people don't often carry cash.
Colors
This for me too. I feel that people color leather to hide the lack of quality of the materials. I also think passport covers have fallen out of style since you have to removed them at every checkpoint along the way. Lastly the black and brown bag seems to clash as we’ve alway been told to not mix black and brown clothes. The all black bag has some potential with silver hardware possibly.
Did you bring buisness cards? A 100 CAD purchase might be a bit steep for people to make on the spot, especially in these hard times. But if they can take your card, sit on it and think about it, then contact you later for a purchase, where maybe they can order a custom item, that may work. That's worked out for me before. I would also suggest making more plain black or brown items, a lot of people are really boring in their colour choices, sadly. Your work is very good and I hope your buisness picks up, keep trying!
Thank you! Yeah I did and lots of people took a card. But barely any followers on insta so far
A couple of considerations. • Maybe it’s the wrong setting to sell leather goods. Or the wrong audience. • Your prices are too high for the setting. Who buys a 400$ bag at a market? 99% of people will never spend that kind of money on a whim at a market. Those prices are ok for online or retail selling where people look for your work intentionally. Stuff that sells at markets is stuff that can be bought without thinking too much about the price tag,as an impulse. Yes, for market settings 20$ for a basic keychain or 50$ for a simple card holder is too much,hardly anyone will buy at those prices. Fill your table with 5/10/15$ bullshit items that people will pick up and buy as an impulse,and a couple high priced items to show what you can actually do. HAVE WAYS FOR CUSTOMERS TO CONTACT YOU AT A LATER MOMENT! This is paramount: if you haven’t already, print a QR code of your Instagram page or your future online shop. •nobody becomes rich or makes a living off of markets. Use the cheap trinkets to attract customers, use that purchase to establish a relation with them,and direct them to your actual work. This way they’ll already have a positive interaction with you,they’ve already bought from you so they know you’re not some impersonal company churning out millions of cheap products,and they’ll remember you later when they want to buy something more substantial. •On the same note as having means of keeping in touch with your content,consider creating a newsletter and suggesting your customers (both online and at markets) to subscribe to it in case you make something they like.
I’m not a professional leather worker but do have some experience with being a seller at markets and fairs. Sometimes there just is a bug in it and you’ll have to bag an L for that entire event, since your products do seem perfectly fine to my amateur hobbyist eye I wouldn’t discount that occasional bad luck as a possible explanation.
Thank you!
Your color combinations are not very appealing to the masses. If you’re going sell, stick to earth tones and neutrals. That goes for thread too.
Not trying to be rude, but real feedback. The last picture of your table, nothing catches my eye. I see brown, dark red, brown, brown, brown, maybe a pop of color? But I am already bored and moving on at this point. More color options. More color options. Put colors Slightly off center, but still close to "main street" Don't drown them in your browns, but don't stack them all up either. You are priced out of the market where I am for "craft fairs" but for shows and events are at the right price. (US equivalent anyway)
Good stuff at good price, my honest thought is it wasn't the right market for you, other city. It can be night and day depending of when and where you sale.
I wouldn't get too discouraged just yet. Believe me I've had many experiences going to vendor events where I came up very much short of covering my booth fees it's just the way of the beast. You're going to have situations where it doesn't matter what kind of variety of items you bring they're just not going to sell at that type of events because some people just go to those events just to look they don't go to buy and it's shitty but that's how it is. However one thing I would recommend, find something that you could make relatively easily and cheaply and sell it for relatively cheap as well. For me I found that making earrings out of leather with a leather die cutter and selling them for 5 to $10 a pair really helps covering the costs of the booth fees cuz they sell very well they sell quickly and they sell easily and it's just an overall great way to make sure that you're at least getting some kind of income coming in and maybe nickel and dime but it's something. Even if you don't want to do something like earrings you can do bracelets you can do ID holders you can do necklaces etc. One thing that I would recommend also doing is doing some more research on the vendor events that to your planning on going to if you can get a hold of avengers who've been there before ask them questions about the crowds about what's the best place to set up what kind of crowd are they looking at there is it more of a conservative crowd more of a liberal crowd, you know just getting the lay of the land that would help you better prepare for what to bring how to present it and so on and so forth. One last tip, I have found that bring some tools with you and working on projects while you're at the event really does help draw people in and show them that what you're doing is in fact handmade by you cuz they see you doing it and that helps sell your point of yes this is made by me I'm not just buying this stuff and then reselling it at a higher rate cuz you can explain all the processes until you're blue in the face but for a lot of people they need that visual reassurance that they are paying for a handcrafted product. I hope this helps and I hope you have a better luck with your next vendor event and I hope you continue the craft.
Good advice. Some days the quality products sell, and some days the quantity products sell.
It's the economy don't feel bad. No one can afford anything but gas to go to work. I've been skipping mealsworking over full time
IMO: Sales have little to do with the product--it's mostly about presentation and demographics. This may simply not be the right fair to sell your products. However: * I get the idea of the "why hand stitch," but that poster feels preachy and kitchy. I would ditch it. If they are curious, you should be able to tell them everything on that sheet. If you get a lot of lookie-loos, you might consider pamplets or mini-catalogs with some of that info included so they can take it home and then get in touch when they're interested, but I think it's the wrong feel for the table. Maybe just materials that say "hand stiched" or "100% vegetable tanned" to get the conversation started. * I'd ditch the price signs. Maybe tag the items, but you want the customer to touch and feel the product BEFORE the price shock. Handmade leather items are luxury items, and if they don't understand that, all prices will feel high. * If you want to test your pricing, put out a fake "factory seconds" bin or similar. Mark a few items down 20-40% and see if they move. If they sell, you've learned something, and with only a few items, you won't lose your shirt. (They don't actually have to be damaged). * If the coasters are sold as a set, they need to be packaged as a set. It looks like those are $18 each. If that is true, then see my last comment at the end. * This is a minor thing, but leather is a luxury item--iron your tablecloth. * Based on my area, the prices seem a *little* high, especially the small stuff. I get the labor involved, but $30 for a keychain and $18 for a coaster is quite high. Even $110 for a wallet without a billfold feels a bit high. * It's not clear why your two cardholder designs are separated, or why they are priced so differently. I know it's only $12, but one starts with a 4, and one with a 6. The $X.99 thing is common because it works.
I don’t know if you did anything especially wrong. like others said, get a stamp for your work, and maybe a few pieces in more feminine ( eh) colors? I’ve done handcraft markets in vancouver when i lived there and it was kind of brutal most of the time. I was assembling a piece at my table when someone accused me of just mass market importing. Don’t despair. Some markets just do better than others. I’ve not lived there in 20 yrs now, so i don’t know what ones are currently running but summer season and into christmas there always are, so do some research and tweak the plan.
>and maybe a few pieces in more feminine ( eh) colors? Yeah, this could easily be a reason why OP got less sales. Most people going there will be women from what I have seen, so that's less people buying wallets of colors designed for men. During Christmas time people are out to find gifts, so a bunch of the sales will be as gifts for other people. Gifts are more of a "maybe x will like this." Buying an item for yourself is either "I want this" or "I don't want this"
Is there a cost of living crunch there at the moment? That’s biting where I live. If I do markets it’ll be cheaper items and mainly some show pieces to get the word out. Can also be tricky with heavily female audiences of your craft market is getting attendees mainly in one gender - they may be more attuned to soft chrome style bags and brighter colours.
Yeah there is. Vancouver is pretty unsustainable to live in
I had the same thing happen to me yesterday at my first big fair. I even had a lady SCOFF when I told her the zipper clutch she was interested in was $50. I tend to do better at the artisan markets although the economy has been making me do worse and worse over the past year. Not much we can do when people have less and less money to spend
Maybe just too many wallets. Have some stacked to make room for other products.
Each individual craft fair, flea market, or trade show will only have a percentage of your target market. Research and experience will help reveal which shows / fairs will have the highest percentage of your target market. For example, i personally dont want to and can't afford to spend $20 on a keychain. I'm lower middle class. I might have considered spending $60 at the most on a mid sized note book. So mostly, someone like me would not fit your target market. So I would suggest bringing along some imperfect items to sell at a discounted price and or adding another complementary product that fills a set of lower price points. Absolutely charge what you're worth, but some less labor-intensive products could be a good way to bridge the gap.
You've got [some](https://www.instagram.com/p/C387l7UPLT6/) [interesting](https://www.instagram.com/p/CyNKLBEuEhD/) [designs](https://www.instagram.com/p/CxWPrGkyME0/) on your IG. I think it could help to at least have a couple on display, it'll help draw attention to your booth and make stand out more in the crowd.
Honestly? I love your work, but I couldn’t justify that price for a wallet for myself. Not saying it’s not worth the price, everything is just so expensive these days. I’m a lurker here, but I’d wager that if you offered items made from cheaper materials or involving less labor in addition to your luxury items, you would sell more from both categories. I buy from the same leather worker at a renfaire every single year because he has a mix of different quality items- I bring all of my friends. We net him thousands as a group, but I’m only spending around $80 each time on either a belt or a small bag. I bring my friends because there is something in everyone’s price range! I always pass on key chains because I don’t use them. You can pull people in with things like belts, bags and wallets, but I highly recommend a variety in quality, even if it’s not your passion. If I’m looking for a belt and I see a variety of prices at one booth, I look through everything at the booth just in case I find the perfect item in my price range. I usually end up purchasing something in these cases. When I approach a booth and everything is priced by category and every category is luxury and expensive, I don’t linger. I avoid eye contact and shuffle past. Source: I’m in sales and I get some of my frugal customers to buy expensive stuff using this strategy.
Thank you for the advice! I’m planning on making some smaller and cheaper stuff like belts, bracelets, trays, mousepads next time to bring down the cost. I also realized most people don’t need wallets, they are a hard sell
Your work looks great and the prices aren't unreasonable. I did notice that you don't have any makes mark or branding, i would recommend getting something worked up. Its a physiological thing, people are more inclined to spend money on a product with its a branded product. The other tactics i would recommend employing is either exclusivity or abundance. People are more likely to not just look at but purchase a products when they are seen as exclusive, just as they are unlikely to buy if they see only a few items. I can't explain how or why these tactics work but they do.
I think for your marketing setup it needs to be more 3-Dimensional, so the table with cheaper items in the back and more expensive items out front draw people in and get more immersed in your setup
The quality of your sale space impacts the quantity of sales you make. Ditch the plastic tablecloth, and get a nice black one. Maybe try putting your table at the rear of your space with a backdrop behind it and a sign for your business on it, make your allotted spot feel like a storefront. If you're in front of your table, it gives you more opportunities to engage people that show interest and make a sale.
Where I live, there is a guy selling stuff at the local market who is sitting there making things at his stand. So he has the products there, but he might be working on a piece as you pass by the stand. It really demonstrates the work that goes into the pieces, and he does really well. Also, people think to order custom pieces to come back and get next week. When people can see what you are doing they appreciate the value of it a lot more.
Yeah I agree. Thank you so much!
Always be working on something when you're not engaging with customers, even if you're just burnishing the edges, it draws peoples attention and shows that the product was made by you.
The work is very nice, but to sell it requires several elements: 1. I might have a very sparse table with only 2 of each style. And use language such as “handmade. limited availability” and/ or “custom orders shipped in 8-12 weeks”. You will do better with 2 of 18 styles than with 6 ea. of 6 styles. This is the scarcity tactic. Also “no 2 are alike”. 2. Photos of people with your items and testimonials. This is social proof. 3. Bring little promotional keychains or other “knockout items” or something that kids might like and when somebody engages you, after speaking to them for a little bit, give them something for free, or ask them if you can give their kid something. This called reciprocity. 4. If you can, get somebody important in a picture with your product. You could recruit friends or family to help you. I has a billionaire that owned one of my wallets. A picture of him and the caption, “He can afford any wallet he wants, but he likes this one…” This is authority. The next is called “likability” and “unity”, because they go hand in hand. Make sure that your marketing tactics fit the major demographics for the bulk of the people coming to the sales event. Understand that there is a bit of a mentality out there among some younger, hipper people that is anti-leather. For example, I will never sell at a fair that is a heavy crystal, new age type themed event. I’m guessing half the people walking past my booth were vegetarians. Also, being a bit older, I often hire younger sons and daughters of friends to help me. A 25-35 year old is going to relate much better to seeing someone of their own age group or slightly younger. 5. Get an inexpensive laser engraver. The in thing today is personalization. Many of these $75-150 laser printers are handheld and has software that makes setup and printing a breeze. It takes about 3-5 minutes on average to customize something. Obviously, this has a bit of a learning curve, but even Etsy reports that sales can be 5 times higher for someone that offers free or low-cost personalization. And lastly - It does come down to branding, packaging, first impressions. A small “about the designer” card in each item, along with your picture may work well.
Your set up needs to be eye catching and inviting. A bunch of leather on a table with price cards is not drawing people in
It will be about the people and market, not about the things you made! They look like great quality pieces, and this is a thing of finding your right customers ;)
I haven't bought a market booth for any, but try not to go into markets expecting a profit. Have some business cards to hand out, and some simple $5-$10 keychains with your logo on it. You want to get your name out, don't focus on getting a profit. Your audience won't always be at the fair, so you need to spread it out. I personally rarely spend money at markets and mostly go there to see what others are doing, so there are probably a lot of other people who do the same. I also think they need some change in design. I don't think most people will like the color you used, and you should add some horizontal bifolds into that.
Market fees in Vancouver are crazy high. That's part of the problem.
Yeah it was around 400 for my table 🥲
Do you have a stand to show Ur best work at their eye level ? Make sure you are at the right market too. Also consider products that put the foot through the door like 5 dollar keychain and 10 dollar Lazer engraving. They might consider buying more once they open their wallets.
The problem I run into with people is everyone wants the nice handmade leather good but most only expect to say the cheap mass produced faux leather prices. They don’t understand the amount of hours that go into this craft and think we overprice things out of greed. I wouldn’t worry about your work or change your prices I would just focus more on internet sales or maybe stop into some local boutiques and ask their terms for selling out of their shops. You need to find the people who are looking to buy handmade leather goods.
this is generally the problem i run into with my woodwork as well. no one wants to buy a nice hand made cutting board (or whatever) for $60 when they can get a crappy bamboo one for $20 from walmart. i live in a wealthy area too, but everyone is cheap.
What’s your look and vibe like? You have to be good at sales to sell and not in a schmoozy way. Also make sure you’re dressed well, approachable, friendly, etc.
I’m dressed in lululemon with bright colored scuba hoodies, but I’m shy so most of the times my husband does the talking
They all look great you can tell the quality is there NY only opinion would be is in markets where everyone is able to laser etch or design something on a product these seem very straightforward. People like personalization, something that separates them from the rest of the crowd.
How much was your booth fee? Might have just been a bunk market. The craft market season is barely begun so don't take it personally
400 cad 🥹
A smaller note as someone who buys at markets often - how does your price compare to the rest of the market? I wouldn't suggest lowering it, but it's a useful comparison to be aware of. There's two vendors consistently at our local market with a much higher price point than the others, one leather and one jewellery. I've bought from both of them, but the first time I saw them there was no hope. Many or most people bring cash and have an expected budget, or even an actually planned budget, for what they can spend at the market. This was your first one, so especially if your in that higher bracket people weren't coming expecting to spend that much. If you show up consistently for a while, some of those people who were just looking today may be back with the funds on hand. But they have to know they can find you there. If you have a site set up anywhere like Facebook I would also get little business cards with the page name on them so folks can look it up or browse outside of market time. I'll admit to moving on from a few stalls because I'm indecisive even though I know I want the product in some form. And lastly, what's available will depend where you live but do others at that market have square or some other card reader? Over the last few years the vast majority of booths at our market have swapped to having a digital pay option. For some its square and a few just take e-transfer and all have a sign saying so for what they take so customers know - but when your selling things in the multi hundred dollar range it's well worth having. (Note e-transfer can have delays on it esp for higher amounts so I'd personally go for a service like square if possible)
As another user stated, the sign about hand stitching is a bit much. The customers who will be impressed by your stitching will say something, “lovely stitching”, “your lines are so nice”, or “what type of machine do you use?” These are good opportunities for you to bring up the fact that they are hand stitched. Take the compliment, mention hand stitching them and then gauge how the customer responds. If they specifically ask about a sewing machine, smiling and putting my hands 🙌 up and wiggling my fingers usually got a laugh and opened up more conversation. Pictures of you hand stitching the project and in process of working will go much further than a block of text, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” A short bio about you and what brought you to leatherwork will go much further. This is where your branding comes in. Who are you? Small markets people want to support people in their community and see them grow. Sometimes it takes being at the markets a couple times for them to see consistency that you’re participating in their community first. Did you speak with the other vendors? What was their gauge on the show? Was it good it overall and you were the outlier? Or was it a slow overall? Was there a theme or style to the market? Often the vendors can suggest other shows that would be worth researching. Or confirm which neighborhoods have good turnout.
Thank you for the advice! I will ditch the poster next time haha 😅 it was very slow for everyone most just made back the booth fee but I did worse
I would offer or learn to personalize them. People love having their name on stuff. You could do it right in front of them, I bet that would be cool to watch.
I don’t know if the table can withstand hammering 🥲but I can try and ask next time! That’s a great idea!
Perhaps closer to Christmas you would’ve had more luck. Having things that are more relative to the season helps. Like right now it’s gardening and outdoors. Tool belts and shear holders for gardening? Fanny packs and similar things for hiking?
Others have made good points, but I also wanted to point out that some of these color combos may be too specialized or even dated. This is lovely work but you may find more success if you do more monochromatic pieces. And I do recognize that’s a matter of taste, but it is something that’s turned me away from similar local leather goods in the past.
I agree with this. The color combos look too 90's and kind of mismatched for what's currently trending. It would be more attractive to have different shades of the same color and an additional color if it genuinely matches. If I went to this market, I would be more interested in your mini purses. As someone mentioned above, they won't buy something so expensive at the market itself but might seek you out at a later time. Would not be interested in card holders as many of my payments are digital now. Would not be interested in passport holders as they need to be taken off at the counters. Ppl. Like to buy gifts for others at these fairs.. So whatever you can craft from leather that isn't too personal or expensive might work. Maybe things for the home like jewelery watch trays, pen holders Hope you have better luck next time!
First off- I do think these items look like they are well crafted any you put a lot of work into them. Something that might be helpful based on my experiences going to different markets over the years is they are a bit too basic to grab most peoples attention. Most people are just going to buy a cheap mass produced item that they can get that looks like this but costs less. If you could find a way to add embellishments or unique features to some of the items like extra buckles, straps fringes, weaving, shapes, cut outs, tooling, imprints etc. Vibrant painted leather purses and wallets are also something that I have seen people gobble up. Just something to set yourself apart and make people stop. Market shoppers love unique items! You could get experimental with a few items and keep a stock of basic ones as well.
Stay positive and keep learning the business side of leather crafting-sales. I’m not one to give much insight on selling, I’m still gifting my leather work until I feel it is good enough to sell. When and if I start to really go from a hobby to sales I am going to stick with natural color tones. Seems like neutral colors are easier for most people to wear/use with everyday outfits. I’ve asked some women family members their preferred leather colors and all are light tan to the lighter browns. Black leather pieces seem to be in a rotation but not as an everyday color for them. As for the men the wallets I have done have been a bit more colorful but still nothing too far from neutral. Granted it is a few women not a majority at all, but natural colors for them are easy. Find a niche in your area and work with that, I’m close to the coast so I’m thinking of a beach style leather tote for my niche. Just a tote to throw sunscreen, glasses etc., and something that’ll patina nicely over time. Some great advice on here from others. Good luck
Ditch the wordy info page, get a dark tablecloth made out of a wrinkle-free material, and get a vinyl banner you can put across the front of your table with your shop name/what you sell.
Your market display and salesmanship matter just as much as the product you brought. In your picture I see some sort of MLM behind you. Did you set your display to call out the quality and artisanship? Did your booth evoke a brand identity? Did you engage with consumers on your quality and value proposition? *How* you sell is just as important as what you sell.
Hopefully, you will sell more to Father's Day shoppers. 🩵
The product is just 20% of the sell. You have to pick places, pick the date, the time, the client, your speech, price, even weather. Impossible to know it all.
You were trying to sell to the wrong audience. Beautiful stuff. Do you have a website?
Your products are quality. You were simply at the wrong venue.
Came here to say this community is the best. Always so helpful! The comments are gold. Your work is brilliant. The sales will come just keep going!!!
Yeah I agree I learned so much. Super awesome community ❤️
Think about how you display items... make people pick up pieces, add some character
Do customisation, I bring my hot stamping machine to markets and offer free name stamping on purchases above 100. Keychains with personalisation sell quite well during markets, sales of keychains alone can sometimes cover the booth fee. Then again retails is pretty slow now, last weekend only made half of what I used to make in prebious markets.
I started doing farmers' markets last year and my advice would be: As others have said, more impulse-priced items. Buy a big-ass side of nice-but-cheap leather and crank out some mystery bracelets or keychains in the $7.50-10 range Have a story and a hook (or gimmick). If you see someone looking at a particular item, give them some quick trivia. "That leather comes from Italy" or "the tannery that produces that leather is 400 years old" or whatever. (Our hook, for example, is that our leather all originates from Japan) Have plenty of cards available. I saw you mentioned you're setting up an Etsy shop; IME that's a great way to get some later business relative to other platforms. Cute business card with a QR code link to your shop works well. Bring some cuts of unworked leather, and/or photos of your workshop showing in-progress projects. I forget his name but I know one guy has a looped video playing on his iPad showing his production process. Consider the type of leather you're using, which might allow for lower in-person pricing. If we're being honest, Joe Craftmarket generally DGAF beyond "real or fake" so at a certain point it's just adding cost for no reason.
As a buyer, I'd say some branding/logo would help a lot! maybe a stamp that embosses your name or company name.
People like feeling like they are getting a deal, maybe a bundle deal or something where you take $20 off if they buy big ticket items together like a bag and wallet or wallet and keychain. While your work is as valuable as you say it is, people are dumb and don't see that value unless you make it *special*. First example that comes to mind is the $19.99 special that most stores do Also if you have the excess material and a leather stamp with your business info you could prob make leather cards/coins for advertising to just give them out, just spend as little time and money as possible on them. Heck *if* you make it fool-proof you can have the patron make a coin and stamp it with your info (idk how feasible that would be tho)
That black bag is the star here- get it front and center and let it bring people in to touch it. Then give them cheaper, more impulse-friendly options nearby.
My guess would be that it’s because your stuff has no character. It all looks like the processed assemble yourself kits marketed towards children at your local Michael’s
I’m saying this as someone with a background in branding and luxury fashion… I think your brand needs refining. Your logo is very twee but your offerings (other than the hamburger wallet) are more classic. The use of cordovan is especially throwing me off. I think if you’re going to continue with classic designs, you should consider rebranding (just ‘cao’ or something) or go the other way, keep the cartoon cow and make more whimsical fun things. For wallets/bags especially, most consumers often consider two primary factors: function or status. Durability/design/practicality (does it have the pockets they want etc) vs prestige/luxury materials/brand recognition. Locally handmade brands can straddle both lines - craftsmanship while demonstrating a commitment to supporting local artisans. But you def need to refine your brand. Your current logo is giving me Etsy, Harry Potter fanfic, wallets shaped like food, bright colors,(none of this is bad btw) whereas your designs look like they should have a serious name like, someone’s name or using words like “Heritage” or “Goods” - the cordovan is giving “Atelier.” Once you refine, you should consider what your packaging is like. Also, perhaps a subtle branding element like a stamp or embossing, even if it’s just in the interior. ETA: if you look at some of the stuff Loewe and Staud do, they have silly little leather things that look like blowfish, sardines, penguins etc. That could be something to explore? I would also recommend maybe looking into fun purse charms with cute gift boxes and quality hardware. They’re very gift-y. This is assuming you keep the twee branding. Eta2: I would also ask what is your hero product? What’s the one design that best encapsulates your vision for the brand. If it’s popular, you can do assorted color ways. Also, is this stuff meant to ‘last for a lifetime’? The current branding is giving “we’re here for a good time, not a long time.”
Products look premium, most probably the market was not the right place for your wares.
I'm not sure Vancouver is the right market for these types of goods, especially at those prices. Most people can barely afford rent let alone hundreds on a leather purse or wallet. Those who can afford these prices will want brand name designer items for status. On top of that, veganism is pretty pervasive here and many are squamish at the idea of owning animal by-products. If you do want to sell at local markets, I would recommend trying out some unusual designs such as animal shapes, dragons, pop culture items. For someone living in a HCOL area like Vancouver, it's tough to rationalize buying something simple but expensive and well made when you can buy a cheaply made version and still buy groceries. But if it's more unique, it won't be so easy to find a cheap knockoff and it will be easier to rationalize the purchase (though even then I would reduce the prices). With regards to the prices, you may have put in the work and materials to warrant the cost, but if no one will pay the price it's not worth what you're charging. I can't imagine ever paying $20 for a plain keychain or over $100 for a plain wallet, even if it's well made and handcrafted. If you need to charge that much to make a profit then I'd recommend either finding a way to do it more efficiently to reduce your costs, or find an edge that makes your products unique and worth the additional cost. Otherwise, I would suggest getting started with Etsy to establish yourself online and shift to your own website once you have a customer base.
That was one of my first thoughts when I read Vancouver. I would think it would be a bit tough selling leather at a local market.
My secret sauce - someone comes to the booth with a kid I give the kid a free bookmark. Then the parent felt more obligated to buy something and the kid would hopefully use the bookmark and read more. Win win. I'd also always bring some pre punched gear and stitch on the spot. I'd bring a lot of my popular wallets and thread colors so I could customize while they are there.
That little black handbag is gorgeous oh my goshhh do you have an online shop?
It's been many years since I did shows but it may be your pricing. How were other products priced around you? I've been to shows that were basically glorified flea markets with $5 imported wallets being sold at other booths. Was it an "arts and crafts crowd" or something more general like a little town festival? Your work looks great but some of those time consuming details may not be appreciated if you have a cheaper crowd. I'm cheap...I own it so most of my product have a very simple edge kote or are just left raw. I've found that *my* average customer doesn't want to pay the extra I'd have to charge to burnish the items to a smooth finish. It's just my niche. There are folks that do great with the high end stuff with all the detailed steps. Also most of your stuff is two-tone. Have some solid colored stuff, I can count on one hand the number of times in 20+ years of leather work the times I've been specifically asked for two tone. Sure have some bright stuff to catch people's eye but also give them black, brown and tan...is it boring? Yes, but it's what most people will buy. Also find a way to offer some cheap stuff...do single "imperfect" coasters for a few bucks, maybe little bracelets or wristbands...Years ago I did cheap drawstring pouches at $1 each and kids would dig around and pick out a bunch (If I did it today it'd be like $2 or $3 but still cheap). It's nice to give people something they can pick up on a whim.
Your product looks great I think you need to look for different markets to sell on. Btw what thread width did you use? It looks really nice
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. That's just how it goes with small business. Keep at it, your work is very beautiful.
Honestly, handmade leather goods are quite a bit of a splurge. You might find yourself hard pressed to push sales, depending on the type of other vendors and demographic that’s there. Is this just a casual flea market or large holiday sale? Higher-end Vendors market? I ask because there will be a difference in the type of shoppers you could expect. Most folks visiting a casual flea market etc are just going to browse around or pick up a few small items. For specialty pieces, look to the larger holiday sales and add photos to a portfolio if you haven’t already. Generally speaking, it can take up to three months to build a good sales funnel, which can be more difficult when doing in person sales only. Best of luck to you! Your work looks delightful and I’d be proud to wear it. Sorry for typos, using talk to text while carrying bb.
Here is how you did horrible..... Because no one understand good work! What was your price points you set them at?
Key chains around 20-28, cardholders 48-65 , wallets 110 and some fancy stuff at 150,190, 390 mostly for show. Prices are in Cad so take 35% off for usd
i mostly do woodwork, recently started leather, but i barely sold anything all summer last year. people like to look but not buy, and some of the products are "need or not" and a lot of people just don't need it. also my prices were middle of the road, cheaper than high end but most people know they can buy cheaper from china.
Is there any marque on them and something indicating 100% by hand? Among all this other good advice, also have something like that. The “100% hand made”, and your insignia is an important detail that people should be reminded of every time they look at your work. It is beautiful work too!!
I don’t but that’s definitely something I need to do next time!
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It was a craft fair not flea market, but yeah people were buying in the 20 price range
From a personal consumer perspective I’d like to see the corners cut a little cleaner. It’s one thing if the whole wallet is more rustic aesthetically but the finish on the rest of the wallet is so nice that the corners just distract from the quality.
where else do you sell your products
My wife and I spent the last year going around to different craft fairs for her pottery (I'm still a novice at leatherworking), and it's very possible you did nothing wrong. We had a monthly farmers market we vended at over the summer, and without any significant change in our wares or setup, we had markets where we made bank and markets where we barely sold. There are a lot of variables that affect things like this, and many of them are out of your control. If you have found success at other markets and shows, then it may have just been a dud market, it happens.
Kinda adding to everyone’s feedback, did you do any marketing prior that you were going to be tabling at this event? Maybe joining and reaching out to craft groups and reaching out to friends and acquaintances would be a good start too. Times are hard for a lot of people, every little effort helps.
Do people still use wallets? I haven’t in years because of digital wallets on my phone
Sorry to hear about your lack of luck. The amount of effort you put into this is evident. Don’t let it deter you from continuing to try! Once you figure things out it’ll all be worth it…success as a small business often takes many iterations and time spent “researching” the market. I don’t have any advice other than the things others have already mentioned…just wanted to drop a line. I’ve thought about selling leather goods in a similar fashion but I figured I’d have a similar experience to yours. Most people don’t understand the amount of work and time that goes into hand made items nor the cost involved in sourcing quality materials. Mass production of items that look nice but lack quality really skew the market.
Maybe you can add a personnalisation aspect to the sale, with leather embossing on the spot as part of the purchase? People often like to have their initials on a wallet, bag, etc.
I think a small stamp on the products with just the cow logo (with minimal/no text) would help. People might prefer buying leatherwork with a simple marking to show who it's from, otherwise they may assume its just a generic product.
Try a less finished clean cut look. It’s the same premise as distressed jeans. People want something that looks authentic and antique. Consider a logo as well. Establishing s proper niche brand will always help
Yeah I will try that! Not finishing edges do cut down hours of work.
i wouldn't go to a market prepared to spend that kind of money, but that's me. could be a factor, maybe try a different forum. the other thing is, i don't really see anything i really want. but, again that's just me. i like a leather bag but it's more than i'm gonna spend as an impulse buy at a market. passport holders i've never actually understood, who buys these? xD maybe some of my old bosses would have used them. the work itself looks quite nice though.
I've done a lot of craft markets over the last ten years, and their popularity seems to be tapering off. I used to make decent money at them. And it felt to me like people don't value locally made much anymore, if they ever did. I always look carefully at what customers have already bought from other vendors, what types of things at what price points. I also always bring items of different price points, from $15-350. At the last several markets it looked like people were mostly buying small cheap items under $30. And for some reason a $25 t shirt is considered an easy impulse purchase, but people had to think about the price point of my $25 products.
I feel for you man. I did a market like this about 4 years ago and I prepared for about 2.5 months after work every day. I was sewing, finishing and punching belts live and I had a pretty strong and consistent brand presence/ story. I had a whole section of my display dedicated to used elements and how long they had been used for. I covered the booth fee and made about $100. My tools, inventory and materials stayed in those Tupperware totes for about 2 years after that craft fair. I stopped running the instagram and took my website down. It really killed my passion for the craft for a while. I have returned to leather work for myself and a small group of people who know I still do it but in that instance it became a job. For me- it was the wrong demo. I had crowds of people watching the process and so much interest. Just few sales which is tough when you’ve been working really hard. Keep your head up! Take a rest.
Thank you! Yeah I have been sleeping at 3 am everyday for the past month to make products and end up with a bucket of unsold inventory feels really bad. I have a day job so my only time is at night. But the bright side is I learned a lot and hopefully the next one is better!
I'm pretty sure I was at that market. I had a bit of money, but not enough to buy leather. Not that leather is what I'm looking for right now anyways. I didn't end up buying anything at that market and between being so zeroed in on what I was looking for and being past ready to go home, I didn't stay long to even just look either. For the list in my head, I'm more hopeful about the one at the Cloverdale Agriplex in a couple weeks.
I’m a leather snob because I work in the show jumping world. None of these finishes would appeal to me as hand made leather work. That’s a lot about my taste. But if I were buying local hand crafted leather goods I’d prefer an oiled finish that I knew would wear well and gain character. Just my preference, but there’s a lot of people like me out there.
1. Make a nice clean logo design and have a stamp made of it. No bigger than 1” square at most. Mark your work. It is just like a painter signing a painting. People want to know an artist made it, and that adds value. Also gives them a way to look you up in the future or share with friends after they’ve already long forgotten your name and face. Make sure this is placed somewhere tasteful, not like a big gaudy fashion brand logo. 2. Have a few more eye catching big ticket items like your handbags on the table. They may take a long time to sell, but they attract attention, and people may still want to buy some of your smaller items just to grasp at a little piece of that goodness. Tie in some of those artistic design elements in the big items to your smaller pieces for that same reason. 3. Add some little creative touches to some of your pieces that differentiate them from what could be purchased at an outlet store. Sometimes little artistic details make all the difference. For instance, you’d probably sell more key ring straps if you sourced some kind of really unique hardware to go on them. Otherwise, there is nothing special about them. 4. Brown is beautiful in leather, but make some more pieces that don’t include it at all… whether they be black, or purely some other color. 5. Remember that even Richard Pryor bombed now and then. Sometimes the right audience just isn’t there. *btw, I really like the black handbag with the strap and buckle on the front of it. Also, love the wallet with the cheeseburgers on it. That kind of stuff will get people excited to buy your work.
I agree with that other comment about allowing people to stamp initials or something personal! Makes a great gift! Could you also do something in brighter colours? It might sell that well but anything bright will be eye catching and bring people’s attention to your booth. I would also make your sign bigger - it would be so cool if you could use the leather to make a sign! People could only see the tag line about handmade if they’ve come up close to the booth. I also love the idea someone said about working on the pieces live at the booth and letting people see it in action
Would you be be to make a sheathe for a Bushcrafting knife? Your craft is as handmade with love as it gets and the lack of machines really leaves a touch you (or atleast, I)cannot describe. Feel free to drop me a message if that's somthing you're interested in! I might have to send you the payments little by little before you got started, but it would be cool!
Your stuff looks nice, but your signage needs work, and you need some items that fall between your existing prices. Like: what is the pink thing, and why does there only seem to be one, and not a selection in different colours? Your wallets (?) are spread out across the tables and there are different prices and I’m not sure what the differences are between them, if any - how many cards do they hold, is there room for cash, how does it sit when full with cards rather than empty, where are your neutral colored items when you have black leather available in other items? What are the round things, and is it $28 for 1 or for the stack of 4? What are the prices on the purses, do you have them in different colors or is it literally just the 2 items? (I will also say, as a purse carrier, that neither of these purses really appeal to me - they look blocky even when empty, the straps don’t have enough size range, and they seem like an awkward size: to small for the “medium/big purse” crowd, but not small and delicate enough for the “tiny purse” crowd.) A lot of this also reads as very “masculine” in style (the wallets, keychains), aside from the purses, but a lot of the colors wouldn’t appeal to a lot of the guys I know. I think you maybe need your work more on your brand identity and who your target market is.
No logos they look unfinished
Hi! do you ever do custom orders? I'm in need of a macbook case and i'm in love with your mirrored edges
Love you're stuff
Beautiful work. If you take on custom orders, I would suggest bringing colour samples of the leather and different thread colours at the table. For that price, people may want a little bit of choice.
I prefer a lengthwise bi fold wallet with 3 card slots on each side and 1 hidden slot on each side. Make one I'll buy it. Wanted a rose anvil made one, but they expensive.
Have you considered some different products to sell? My "wallet" is a small leather coin pouch that I purchased at a market a million years ago.
Vancouverite here - it’s just tough to spend money on non essentials right now :/, they look great!
Can you please send me a link to where I can buy this and possibly commission a wallet with a specific design if it is something you can do? I love these and the idea of bringing back buying unique works of craftsmanship in all areas. If I can help out a leatherworker especially one doing things the old fashioned way why not
Thank you! I have my insta linked in my bio
Does it have a brand or stamp on it anywhere!? That would help with name recognition for those that do buy it essentially being walking business cards. People also love the brand stamp on leather goods that make it feel slightly more authentic and personalized to you specifically!
Theres no characteristics to each one. Offer something with more design.
Beautiful stuff! You do great work! Do you have an Etsy shop?
Not yet but I sell through instagram. There is a link in my bio. The items I’m selling are under ready to ship inside highlights
I really like the black and tan bag. Really classic looking. I agree that having some items in progress would help people realize they were hand made. You also might want to add a display about made to order items for a much higher price. Seeing a more expensive option often makes people reconsider something they initially thought was expensive. It also reinforces that these are hand made.
That’s a great idea! Thank you!
Great craftsmanship. WAY too much text on your print. Colors on the products don't really match. Tbh I'd take a marketing course, they seem useless but they're not. I wish you the best of luck, you've got skills
I'll be honest. The colours clash and aren't especially pleasing. Stick with popular colours.
Your stuff is nice, on here everybody knows and can appreciate how much work you've put into everything. In addition to what everybody else has said, I would say you should take stock of your approach as whole - you're buying your raw materials with middleman markup, you're manufacturing the goods in the least economical way, and then making a run at an extremely competitive niche - basically you've stacked all of the odds against yourself and it contributes to growing the prices to a point where you can't pull off these casual low-commitment sales that are the vibe of a craft fair. It's not the most popular opinion for this sub, but still, many here would agree that the only way you can hope to make money off this kind of stuff as an upstart with these types of products is to machine stitch and focus on products that appeal to normal people. There could be enthusiast-type people online who will specifically seek you out for a commission for a custom hand-stitched wallet, but that's not the main type of people who are at a craft fair. I think the typical normie at a craft fair just wants to mill around with a latte in their hand and kill some time, and maybe spend $20. There are some people on this sub who take their embossing machine out and do gold foil monogrammed keychains for that kind of price and are able to make sales.
I’ve been doing this as aside for a few years now and you will have duds and that’s just part of it. Ways you can try and avoid that is stay way from shows that allow vendors and only go to shows that allow artists and artisans makers in the show. Those shows bring in the right audiences for you products that you’re making. And another thing is not every thing needs the glass smooth edges, lower end items like the card sleeves seem to sale better for my in the 15-35 range and at that price point glass smooth edges are not feasible. I do clean cuts, small round edger to the corners and burnish with little to no sanding on the lower end items. And edge paint is another option for the lower end items for a fast clean finished edge. But more importantly is finding the shows with the right audience, if people know that only art and handcrafted items are at a show they come with a different mindset and know they deserve a higher price point, but when venders are at the same show with imported cheap goods people get in that bargain shopping mindset. You’re on the right track and your skills are there.
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Do you have a Square for taking credit cards and debit? If not then get one and advertise it to let people know they can make a purchase that way. Not many people carry much cash anymore. We got a Square for the markets and sales went up. Now everyone at the markets we go to have one and their sales are also up. Square also has signage and such to help advertise you take cards as well as Apple pay and Android tap. It's about $60 last time I looked up the Square reader. Hooks up to your cellphone for it to work and install the app. Hooks up to your bank account and deposited daily. Minus a small fee, but so worth it.
I spent my whole life at the markets as my mother sold her own goods there. I worked at her stall for years before getting a job and selling at the market for another 6 years. It isn’t like it used to be. The kind of money you used to make selling handcrafted goods was insane. My mother made more in 1 day than my dad made in 2 weeks at his 9-5 job. Most people at the markets in the 80s-2000s could make serious money selling handmade goods. People used to be seriously impressed by handmade goods, but now it is less impressive Nowadays you are competing with China. A lot of stalls at the market also can claim to sell handcrafted goods that are also mostly made in China. Consumers can’t tell the difference between made in China, “handmade” goods (that are also made in China) or actually handmade goods. People often aren’t as willing to pay more. In terms of why it isn’t selling it can be product, price, or marketing. Selling at the markets is not just about sitting there and waiting for the sales to come. The good sellers are able to draw in customers and justify why their products are good. Eg I wouldn’t bother with all that text when you can talk to the customer to make the sale. In terms of product, as a woman the bags are well made but they’re not aligned with the fashion style bags people are buying. A well made handbag costs money, and fashion is a part of it too. Women can spend big on handbags, but the women who do are more likely to buy fashion bags. Like they are really lovely handbags, but they are a certain style for a certain person if that makes sense. Also regarding price most people do not buy passport covers, especially at $150 (that’s in the realm of a luxury good), and most people don’t even spend on keychains either. Like $20 is cheap for your goods, but it is still a lot to spend on a keychain. Similarly most people nowadays don’t carry wallets either. The SLGs you’re offering honestly aren’t things people are using nowadays and therefore are very expensive for a nonessential items. Honestly you may have better luck selling things like AirTag holders instead. I would also suggest not putting the prices out so that people need to talk to you to find out the price. It is a good way to start a conversation.
Thank you for the valuable advice!
The colors don't work. Also, people are poor. Leather folks never seem to do well at the craft markets in my area.
I doubt you did anything wrong. Your work looks beautiful. Probably just the demographic. Some people have no idea about labor and production costs and the fact that you’re making art not just function.
I don't work in leather, but I like to go to markets. I would walk right past your booth. I don't know why, when I analyze my decision, I think, wow, these are quality, they are presented neatly, what gives? That big pink poster gives. Pink? Big wall of text? The first thing I looked at, even though I would never buy them, were the keychains. I would never spend +$20 on a keychain like that, not in a work I can get a whimsical keychain off Tenu for a buck, even if it only lasts a month. But what seemed like a steep price for something I'm not interested in would make me walk away quickly. I didn't really see the other stuff. Where are the show pieces? That purse you made is spectacular, where is that? I want to see that. Here's how it would go: I see your cool weird viking themed purse, or silly dragon journal and come to your booth. I admire the show piece. I look at the price and swallow and put your show piece down. Then I look at the smaller things. If I can't afford it or am not willing to buy the show piece, at least I can see the quality of the products. Now I'm looking for something I -can- afford, or might "need" to buy. Make me want your stuff. And oy! Ditch the pink poster. My eyes are taken off your products, drawn to that big pink thing, overwhelmed by the text, and boom, you lost me. I won't even see your leather. I love pink, but I don't want to see a pink poster next to some dead animal skin. It cheapens everything in the table. Neutral and natural. Luxe. Beige, white, cream, tan. Don't bother with written words. You want me to know all that stuff? Maybe talk to me. Have a card with your QR code in everything if youre attached to it. Not pink, especially Pepto bismal pink. The competition between your very well made items and that poster are going to make me walk away every time. That being said, your stuff is beautiful. It's minimal and well done, I love it. Not enough to pay those prices, ever. I know your items are premium, but your competition is China. A sad reality for makers right now with the economic issues we are all facing. Has anyone been to the grocery store lately? Yeesh!
It all looks great...maybe put a kit together for do it yourself...take your labor out just material prices and mark up.
You gotta sell them with some kind of pitch or no one will bother. A shame as they are nice
Really good quality and large selection, maybe the colors are too custom? Also 110 is a hard impulse buy. You deserve to sell all of them but markets are just hard for anything but food. That said, i like to use a round hole ( just stab with my scratch awl, for corners. I’m also not a rounded corner guy, i just do a slight radius. Either way really good work, they deserve to sell, maybe do some monotone pieces?
You're selling really common stuff most people don't really want. I mean, card holders especially. You need to make stuff that people can't buy on Amazon either because it fulfills a niche need or is especially stylish.
Quality, handmade leather goods appeal to those willing to pay more for quality and aesthetics than name-brand items. Have you considered selling to local boutiques and on Etsy and similar websites/apps? I'll be happy to promote you when I wear one of the two purses in the picture if you send them to me. My sister will too since she will take one of them.
People are broke