21 Ways To Make More Money At An Art Fair

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Tips And Tricks On How To Make Money At An Art Fair

 

 

Making money as an artist can be a difficult journey to navigate, even for the tenured few. And whilst daunting, art markets can be very rewarding…if you know what to do. But don’t worry, Our easy guide on how to make money at an art fair is here to help you through it! 

Whether this is your first or fortieth time at an art fair, we have all the tips and tricks to increase your monetary success. 

 

Firstly, are art fairs worth it?

Well, that’s for you to decide. You may have seen them advertised online or even visited one yourself; but if you would like to become a seller, these markets can be an incredible way to break into the scene. 

 

If you’re already selling art online, selling in person is a smart next step. Trading at different fairs enables you to gain commercial awareness around your work and any previous experience within the art buying domain is useful. You’ll also find that this helps to cement a name for yourself.  From here you will meet an array of people ( including art collectors and galleries) and you’ll begin to discover your target audience. Whilst building up your following you’re bound to meet other traders and artists, another valuable aspect that art fairs give you beside a profit. If you feel comfortable, ask other artists questions and take notes from their success.

 

As with anything, it may take a while to build up to that kind of fluency, but it’s definitely worth a go. Selling online is an easy gateway into the world of commercial art that can be expanded and developed over time. Our art shop page has unique pieces to fit any budget, each artwork is handmade by talented local artists; some who will be seasoned traders and others who will be selling for the very first time. Take a look to find out more!

 

So now that you’re ready to try an art fair, you need to know how to get the most out of it! Check out our list of tips below on how to run a successful art stall and subsequently, how to make money as an artist, even as a beginner. 

 

1. Choosing The Right Art Fair

Choosing the right art fair is as crucial as the art you’ll be selling on the day. If it’s your first market, the best option is to go with a lesser known and budget friendly option. This helps you to get a feel for the process whilst taking the pressure off selling everything. This also might help you make some of your expensive table price back. You want the art fair to be worth the money you put into it.

It’s important to do your research. Ideally, you want to find a market with a good reputation, high foot traffic, and affordable table fees. Visiting art fairs beforehand is a good idea; take a look around and see what it’s like. Ask the stallholders how much the tables are and if they find it was worth it to them. It doesn’t hurt to ask, plus you’re getting bonus points for networking.

Some of the best examples of London art fairs include: The Other Art Fair, Frieze London, The Affordable Art Fair and London Craft Week. Crafty Fox and Solo Craft Fair are great for first-time sellers.

 

2. Applying to Good Art Fairs

It’s highly likely that an art fair will also require some type of application process before your spot at the market is secured. This will cost you time and money, so make sure you follow the first step by making sure this is the right art fair for you. Artists will come across these types of applications time and time again throughout their career, especially where money is involved. Therefore, it’s a good idea to get into the practice of writing them. The White Pube currently has a great resource full of successful funding applications that could be useful to you somewhere along the line. 

This next part sounds obvious, but it’s important to double check the application requirements too, for example, what format your images should be sent as. Simple errors like this could result in a rejection straight away.

As a general rule, your images should be displaying your best and most recent work that relates to each other in some way. Keep the images clear, in focus, bright and good quality. You may also be asked for a ‘booth shot’, so the organisers can see that you’ll be bringing a professional feel to their art market.

 

3. How Much ‘Stuff’ To Bring

How much art should you expect to bring? Firstly it’s important to keep in mind your travel plans to and from the art fair. Does the location have parking? How far is the nearest station? This will impact the practicality of how much you can take.

• Always start with your most popular pieces first. If you already have an idea of the pieces that sell well or are the most profitable, you’ll want to bring a few extra of those. This can also help to inform the rest of your collection by bringing similar pieces.
• Do not try to cater to everyone! Instead, think of the target audience you’re trying to attract, as these are the people who will be more likely to purchase your art and take a longer term interest in your craft. To summarise, you can’t please everyone, so don’t try to. 
• For smaller markets, it can be good to bring a small collection of products, about 5-10 of each item or size, items like prints, jewellery, t-shirts, ceramics. For larger markets, increase this to about 10-20 of each item.
• For large commissionable/custom pieces start low, perhaps under 5 individual items. This works well for pieces such as large original paintings, tapestries, and carpentry.
• Always display a few to make the stall feel “full” but hide the rest and replenish as you go.

 

Download this art fair checklist

 

4. Pricing And Labelling

Clarity around pricing of your products is crucial at art fairs, especially for potential customers. Don’t be that person that doesn’t price items in hopes that people will ask you and start a conversation. If you’re already with a customer and someone else wants to know the price of something, they’re just going to walk on by without disturbing you. With the price already indicated, they’re more inclined to wait until you’re finished if they’re interested in buying.

Additionally, someone might assume something will be out of their budget upon first glance. With your price tag on display they will notice how affordable it is and decide to buy, maybe even 2! Make sure your pricing and art title labels are clear and readable.

Art fairs are also a great place to consider having an exclusive deal. Offers like ‘Just for today’ and ‘3 for £30’ are more likely to gain attention than regular price tags. It may incentivise people to buy it now rather than take your business card away to think about it.

 

 

5. Art Fairs And Public Liability Insurance

This piece of advice is very simple yet fundamental to most art fairs. It’s important that when you’re selling products to the public that you’re insured. Most craft markets won’t let you trade without one, so check before you go that you have it!

We recommend A-N Artist Insurance, they are an affordable option for many artists, curators, and arts organisations, with annual plans starting at just £38 (or £16 if you’re a student), which includes £10 million coverage for Public and Products Liability.

 

6. Set Achievable Goals For Your Art Stall

As with all new ventures, it’s good to have something to work towards. Make a realistic sales goal for yourself to try and achieve. You’ll feel increasingly positive if your aim was to sell 2 pieces and you sold 4, instead of setting a goal that was too high that you couldn’t reach.

Realising the outcome of your goals requires you analysing your total costs from beginning to end. Obviously the main goal is to make money at an art fair, but after you add everything together you may find that you’ve made a loss. Sometimes, the money you expect to make at an art fair can be way out. Either way you should give yourself a pat on the back and consider what you did accomplish. Keeping track of these goals is important to finding areas to improve for the next art fair and in turn, making more money the next time you go! Some other art fair related goals might include building your email subscription list, learning to talk about your art, meeting your target audience, networking with galleries and building your confidence.

 

7. Determine Your Aesthetic

Now this tip extends beyond making more money at an art fair. You can get very creative here and really cater to what kind of target audience you want to attract. Although watch out, do not over complicate matters! Stick to one theme and carry it through to other aspects of your branding, keeping displays clear, simple and tidy. It’s easy to feel like you want anyone who walks in to be able to find something they like at your table, but you must stay true to your aesthetic.. 

Creating a certain experience and feeling around your products allows shoppers to immediately understand what your art is trying to convey. By doing this at an art fair, you’re more likely to be remembered by visitors and they’ll associate a particular booth style with your art. People who align with your art are more likely to understand what you’re doing and want a piece of it. If viewers don’t understand what it is you do you might not get that sale. Returning customers are more likely to be the people who identify with your aesthetic and art style.

 

8. Get Your Visual Branding Right

Following on from the point above, you will find that branding at an art fair becomes a very important factor. Even if you’ve got a blank, tiny pea-sized table, you should be able to get your brand’s image across successfully with a bit of work. You want visitors to firstly be drawn towards your stand and have a lasting impact that they’ll remember once they’ve left the market. Creating a brand’s image is basically down to three things: Colours, font, and style. 

 

9. Market And Advertise Your Brand

Once you have a branding style decided, it’s time to market yourself! Make your name/trader name visible and bring plenty of business cards – no brainer. Services like VistaPrint have a wide variety of marketing materials, plus they’re budget friendly and easy to order.

Big tip in terms of marketing: get yourself online, if you’re not already. It’s absolutely crucial to have a website in today’s digital age. Even if you’re not so tech-savvy, websites can be so simple to set up and cheap to make (even free!). Some of the best and easiest website builders out there are Squarespace, Weebly, Wix, and Shopify. All of them even allow you to have your own art shop right on the website, increasing the potential income you can make from your art.

Admittedly, having an online shop directly on your website can have fees that you may not be prepared to pay out for as a beginner. That’s why amazing marketplace platforms like Etsy, Society6, ArtFinder are available and extremely popular amongst sellers. There are fees associated with these sites, but the costs are significantly smaller than having your own online shop.

If you’re not in the position to print and package all your art prints and pieces by hand from your home or studio, you might consider Print on Demand marketplaces that do all of that for you! When a customer purchases something from your online art shop, a POD prints, packages and ships the work directly to the customer on your behalf. Printful, Society6, Zazzle, Red Bubble are all great options

At the very least, if not a website or marketplace shop, you should be utilising Instagram for any visual art or craft brand. Instagram is a brilliant way to lay out all your beautiful artwork in one highly visible place. It’s also a great way to track engagement, who your followers are, and what people like. Having Instagram means you can let your following know when you’ll be at an art fair and promote yourself!

 

 

 

 

10. Be Organised

Being organised at an art fair can make the experience a lot less stressful. Make a ‘To-Do’ and ‘To-Bring’ list before you set off. This way you can avoid that awful realisation that you forgot something crucial. The next few points cover some key things you cannot miss off your lists!

Download this ready-made Art Fair Checklist and To Bring List!

 

11. Bring Cash And A Card Reader

You’ll want to have enough of all cash denominations on hand as well as the option to pay by card. Covering all the payment options increases the amount of people who can buy on the day. Services like iZettle, are super simple, intuitive and fast. It connects to iPhones and android, so spare a thought for the mobile data you might need to use, since wifi isn’t always reliable or accessible.

 

12. Plan Your Product Packaging

People may be buying from multiple stands at an art fair and they can’t hold it loose in their hands. You will need to decide what your customers will take their purchases home in and have enough for what you’re expecting to sell. Paper bags are a great eco-friendly option, but also consider more protective elements if the item is fragile. We have some great packaging options in our art shop too. You could even slap your logo on the front of it too to boost your marketing reach.

 

13. Use Props And Staging

Linking back to creating an overall aesthetic, you should definitely consider using some display assistance for your stall. Things like boxes, table shelves, display stands/risers, sign holders and picture frames for your prints can increase your visibility and professional feel.

Think height. Your table display should always have an element of height. Whether that’s a box, or a table shelf, something to bring the eye up and around the products on your table.

To keep costs low, look around your house first before you head out to buy anything. If you’re selling jewellery, you’ll definitely need a mirror. Other more decorative elements include table plants or ornaments, only if it makes sense to your brand style. It helps to picture what the item on sale will be used for/where it will be situated in order to use decoration to enhance the product.

 

14. Consider Your Own Lighting 

Art like prints, paintings and drawings heavily relies on lighting. You never know what the lighting situation will be like in your art fair spot, or whether you’re near any sockets. So consider bringing an additional lamp and a long extension lead just in case. Even if you don’t end up using your light, another seller might.

As our Dark Yellow Dot founder Lauren Little explains “I once brought a lamp but when it was plugged in, it didn’t reach the area I needed it to illuminate. I had no light! Someone generously gave me their clip-on lamp that they weren’t using. Needless to say, that was a lifesaver”. 

 

15. Do A Dress Rehearsal of Your Booth

This is another way to prepare at home or studio before the day of the art fair! Get the measurements for your assigned art market table and map it out on any surface you have access to. This will be incredibly helpful in your set-up on the important day, saving time to get on with other jobs that can directly earn you more money. 

You’ll realise that something you had planned in your head doesn’t quite work in real life. Give yourself time to do this. If you’re missing things or could use an extra display element you will have time to grab one instead of realising on the day.

 

16. Start your Email List

It’s a good idea to start collecting emails from interested customers as you go along. You can let people know about your upcoming markets, exhibitions, new products and any related art news. This helps to keep your audience engaged and increase the chances of selling products after the art fair has finished!

Simply leave out a clipboard with space for the public to write down their details. Or if you’re feeling really tech-savvy you could create a QR code that takes people directly to your email sign-up page on your new website!

 

17. Bring Something Productive To Do

In quieter, down times (which there will be) it could be a good idea to lure people in by showing an insight into your art process. Try sketching or using some watercolour on the side of selling your work.  Plus it’s much better than being on your phone, seemingly disinterested.

Being on your phone is off-putting to visitors and potential buyers. Instead, save some prewritten captions to your phone so you can easily copy and paste the text if you need to post on social media during the art fair. Schedule the post for later so you don’t have to be thinking of captions and typing on your phone in the middle of the day when you’re supposed to be selling your work. Document your booth using video content or live streams, this allows you to have engaging content for your followers and you’re able to repost the footage and perhaps use it for promotional ads later. Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram Stories, Reels, and Live are the most effective places to post video content. Take a picture of your table just after you’ve set up and before the crowds start rolling in. 

 

18. Bring Snacks & Water

It’s always a good idea to bring some food and water along with you, it will be a long day! We recommend healthy, energising snacks or bite-sized foods to munch on throughout the day, instead of big lunches or meals. It’s can be a little awkward when someone starts talking to you and you’ve got a mouth full of hot fragrant food. You want to keep the professionalism up at the same time as your energy levels.

 

19. Look The Part

Market yourself and stand out by putting some thought into your outfit for the day. Represent your brand by wearing your products, or matching your aesthetic. Wear something that makes you feel good and professional. That energy will radiate onto your customers and provide them with a good experience. A top tip for art fairs is to wear comfortable shoes as you may be on your feet most of the time.

 

20. Get There Early And Have Fun! 

No one likes being late to an important event. 45 minutes to an hour should be plenty of time to get your display in order, but factor in your individual circumstances. The dress rehearsal you would have done beforehand will help with this. If you’ve got extra time, get to know your neighbours and have a look around. Remember, art fairs can be a great place to network and make friends. Spare a bit of time to find out where the bathrooms and exits are to avoid any desperate situations.

Once you’re all set up and ready, it’s go time! Remember to smile and have fun people-watching whilst selling your creations.

 

21. Evaluate Your Experience 

Throughout the day, keep a notebook and pen handy to jot down items that people seemed the most interested in and comments they made. This includes taking notes of items that people picked up the most but didn’t purchase. Try to figure out why and build upon this for the future. 

After all is said and done, reflect on your experience to improve your next market. You’re bound to come to many realisations about art fairs which helps if you decide to attend another. 

 

Things to ask yourself after the art fair:

• Did this art market cater to my target audience?
• Which type of items sold the most at your stall and throughout the market?
• What made the other stalls more or less successful than yours? 
• How can you improve your table display? 
• Do you need to bring help next time?

 

If you found this article useful, share it around to help other artists looking for to make money at an art fair! You can also sign up to the mailing list for posts like this. And if you have any unanswered questions, drop us a message on our Instagram or Twitter (@darkyellowdot)  and we’ll do our best to help out!

Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to share your art with us by submitting your work or tag #darkyellowdot on Instagram @darkyellowdot