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Sell Jewelry at Craft Shows

How to Set up a Jewelry Booth and Display Items

Jul 12, 2008

Jewelry sales at craft shows are directly affected by proper booth set up and display.

Many independent jewelry designers find that craft shows are excellent sales venues for their jewelry business. The prospect of pre-show prep can be daunting, especially for the first few craft shows, but with careful planning, the show can come together nicely.

Jewelry Booth Essentials

There are several essentials that every jewelry vendor should have in order to participate seamlessly in a craft show. Following is a list of must-have booth items:

One or two folding tables. The square footage of the booth should be known ahead of time, so the number of tables required will depend on actual square footage. Depending upon the event’s location, the craft show organizers may allow some vendors to use pre-existing furniture or fixtures to display products.
Money to make change for customers. Base the amount of change on the potential size of the event. Not having enough change can lead to lost customers at the point of sale.
Jewelry displays. Aim to bring displays of varying heights. Jewelry display options include bracelet ramps, earring trees, and necklace busts.
Table cloth(s). These cover tables and hide what is underneath. Customers like to see a neatly organized table without the distraction of empty boxes or cords under the table.
Folding chair. Seating is not always provided.
Nice selection of jewelry. Necklaces typically sell well at craft shows. Earrings are a close second, then bracelets.
Business cards. Customers and even other vendors may ask for one.
A mirror. Customers like to preview jewelry on themselves before making a purchase.

Tips for Craft Show Jewelry Displays

The quality of the jewelry offered, the range of price points offered, and even customer traffic affect jewelry sales at craft shows; however, equally as important as those factors is the way the jewelry is displayed.

Jewelry should be organized in an orderly fashion. Customers like to browse, but may not realize that there are multiple colors of one item or matching sets available if the jewelry isn’t displayed in a logical manner. How the jewelry is organized is not as important as simply having an organization method of some kind. The jewelry collection can be organized in sets, by type of jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc), or even by color.

Finally, place jewelry at various heights on the table using short, medium, and tall displays. This is aesthetically pleasing and adds dimension to the showcase.

Selling Jewelry at Craft Shows: Don’t Forget the Small Stuff

Inevitably, all beginning jewelry vendors will realize they forgot something necessary for the craft show after it is too late to retrieve the item. However, the checklist and tips above should help smooth out the learning curve. Here are three more tips:

For those who sell sterling silver jewelry - bring a polishing cloth for last minute pre-show touch-ups.
For those who design their own jewelry - bring along jewelry making tools just in case a customer requests a last minute tweak to any piece.
For everyone – if possible, bring extra jewelry to the show. As items sell, they can be replaced with extra pieces from inventory.

The copyright of the article Sell Jewelry at Craft Shows in Jewelry Makers is owned by Lena Gott. Permission to republish Sell Jewelry at Craft Shows in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.