I guess I'll throw in my 2 cents here. I have spent the last year since I retired from teaching doing local markets and craft fairs, mostly with a duo of lady promoter/crafters who have really turbocharged the local craft fair scene that was on life support post-covid. I mean they have really put their all into support, organization and promotion, and it shows in market attendance. The culture of camaraderie and friendship they have cultivated among us "regulars" makes for fun, community-oriented market days that I always look forward to. And they know to limit the number of vendors in each category; sometimes I am the only wood-turner, which is nice. How a given market is organized, promoted and run really does make all the difference.
Anyway, in that time I have observed the people who attend markets intently, watching as they stroll past, and especially if they wander over for a look-what do their eyes stop on? For me, it is usually on the highly-figured bowls in the $50 to $100 range (with ambrosia maple being an obvious quick seller along with black walnut). If I see interest in a bowl in that range, if I put it in their hands and tell a story about it, as often as not it results in a sale. "That beautiful staining and the holes are caused by the ambrosia beetle." "This bradford pear tree was cut down just a couple of blocks away from here." "This bowl came from a tree that was blown down by Hurricane Helene," etc. So salesmanship does play a part, though I never try to lure someone into buying something if they are obviously just browsing or not interested (NO used car salesman tactics!). And I will often yield on price a bit if they are nice about it. I figure $85 for a bowl marked $100 is better than no sale, and sometimes yields good will that results in repeat customers, or friends and family coming next time who want something similar.
As for layout, I have discovered that you have to get people's attention with more vertical displays, nice banners and signs, maybe a couple of special pieces rotating on one of those little rechargeable turntables, some prominent QR codes with your website, social media, etc. A nice candy bowl with mints also attracts people over, if nothing else for a free mint and a compliment. My card holder goes right beside it. And IMO, jet black is the best color for table-cloths to show off our wooden wares; everything just looks better sitting on black, which is why the majority of vendors in every category use it. A warm smile with a friendly greeting never hurts when people look your way, and talking enthusiastically about the different woods on my table often results in a sale even with some who didn't seem interested at first.
It is true that most people want your basic craft-fair stuff (bottle openers, coffee scoops, candle/incense burners, etc., and mostly under $30). And yes, I had my best shows last fall through Christmas, with a good show yielding $400 to $600, and maybe a couple hundred more in custom orders. At the other end of the spectrum, I had my most disappointing show yet in May when I not only sold nothing, but then got rained out. As a result, I pulled out of that one monthly market until the fall, as my observation was that it was largely regulars who came to buy their consumables (homemade breads, fresh produce, etc.-typical farmer's market stuff), and just weren't buying much expensive crafty stuff.
That said, I also turn a lot of specialty items with interesting figure when I can, larger more expensive items that are the real reason I turn (big salad/fruit bowls, showy platters, live-edge bowls, square stuff in all sizes, some lidded boxes, etc.). These can vary in price from $40 for smaller items all the way to over $300 for large fancy platters or live edge bowls. And yes, I usually take most of the big stuff home, though it attracts people to my display who may buy something more affordable. But one thing I can't turn enough of is my large black walnut live-edge bowls from Hurricane Helene. I market them as "storm bowls," and they are usually sold in the $200-$250 range before I get them to a show. It also appeals to local buyers that most of my wood is felled locally by a friend whom many of them know for his arborist work in their own yards. Marketing buzz-words really sell too assuming they are authentic: locally-sourced, handcrafted, food-safe finish, etc.
And weather is everything: people flock to a big market in nice weather, and just as quickly desert it when it gets blazing hot at a summer show. Speaking of which, if there is an option for an inside space in that kind of weather, spend a little extra to get it. Customers will come in to escape the heat, you will make more sales, and you won't finish the day with heat exhaustion. Not to mention, hauling in and erecting the usual tent and weights in hot weather leaves me wrung out and pouring sweat before I even get started! A lot of our big markets with the group mentioned above take place at a local converted textile mill with an inside, air-conditioned events center. I always choose this option in our hotter months!
Also, if I pre-sell a few large items and cross out the price with a big "SOLD!," it sometimes results in custom orders when I tell a potential customer that I only have a few blanks left from a particular tree. I bring an order form that I created, and will put a customer on my build-list with no deposit required. Most follow through after being sent pics of the completed piece. If they change their mind, it just goes on my table and no hard feelings. Looking ahead, I am prepping for 9 fall/holiday markets. One at the end of this month is more "art" oriented, so I am turning more "artsy" unusual stuff, and I plan to display an "artist's statement" that hopefully won't sound too pretentious. At the end of September I am doing a huge show in that textile mill with a hundred other vendors that is more culinary-focused (called Taste of the Carolinas), so I hope to have more kitchen and dining-oriented items (wine glasses, chip and dip trays, "wobble bowls" with a few packs of microwaveable popcorn included, etc.). And then of course I will start turning Christmas-themed items. I couldn't keep my cedar Christmas trees on my table last season. The ladies who do Christmas villages snap up anything like that. Different specialty items for different types of shows helps with sales. I'm not a big fan of turning the little craft-show stuff, but I try to keep some on my table for people who don't have much to spend. I get as much satisfaction from selling a little 3-inch spalted maple or walnut bowl as I do the big stuff, and try my best to cater to those who want nice wood, but can't spend more than $20 or $30.
After my last Christmas show last year, I spent a solid month just resting my back and shoulders before cleaning up, doing pm's and reorganizing the nightmare my shop had become. I am finding that I love the cyclical nature of market life (which my decades of teaching prepared me well for). Spend all week or a month holed up in my shop like an introverted hermit, and then enjoy chatting with everyone who stops by whether or not they buy anything; I truly enjoy that aspect of it!
Anyway, these are just some of my observations from a very intense year of learning how my local markets work. Every region and market is different, and the learning never stops. I hope it helps someone.
