Today we are at the Paramus Catholic Fall Craft Show in Paramus, NJ. It is a tight space – only 8′ x 10′ so we are crammed in and can’t even display everything. That is quite a far cry from our first show back in August in Ho-ho-kus where are booth could only be considered anemic.

I thought it would be fun to share five things that I have learned along the way.

1. Getting to know the other vendors is key. They know which shows are good and which ones are tougher to make worth your time. They also help pass the time when it slows down.
2. Customers like to touch your stuff. I have found I do much better when the can pick things up and examine them.
3. I can talk to just about anyone. Not everyone is like that. I make myself available for a chat, but have learned to follow the customer’s lead. And they definitely aren’t likely to ask you the price of something so making sure everything is marked is critical.
4. It is really important to explain what things are. My table runners are obviously table runners to me, but in the absence of a dining room table to display them on, it hasn’t always been clear. I learned this the hard way when someone asked me what a pillow was for. Seriously.
5. Some people will make goofy comments. You can’t let it bother you. My favorite is, “I could make that for less.” I also loved the lady at the last show that asked me where I got my fabric, what the line was called, and which pattern I used.
6. Bonus learning: Don’t get worked up when people try to sneak a photo of something on their camera phone. I usually just offer to hold the item up so they can get a better picture. I take it as a compliment, and something it guilts them into buying something small.

Happy crafting!