A large and important factor for determining the success of a craft show would be the people attending and shopping there. No matter how good someone’s booth is or how well-organized the whole event becomes, it will all be for naught if the people in the area are just not that interested in it. But there are times when a person simply gets a bad experience with craft shows, which would result in them not wanting to go back.

But what exactly are these experiences? The first and most common reason why people get turned off by craft shows is because they went to a series of subpar ones. Imagine what it probably feels like in their shoes; you were so eager to see unique masterpieces, only to be met with dozens of identical, factory-made trinkets. Even if the original was truly great, duplicates simply do not have the soul of the object.

Alternatively, some of these people may have gone into a non-juried show with no real talent. Nothing against non-juried shows, but almost anyone can get a booth from a non-juried craft show, after all. This problem won’t happen too often, luckily; if a craftsperson’s items suck, then he or she won’t be earning a lot of money.

A lot of craftspeople will not openly admit the fact, but one of the main contributors to having less people going is the fact booth owners tend to be less than friendly. A common culprit that sparks hostility happens when a customer gets the nerve to try and haggle for the price of the craftsperson’s masterpiece. So to my fellow craftspeople, try to resist getting insulted by a customer who haggles; just understand that many people simply don’t know better. Be firm but friendly in your decision to stick to the number on the price tag.

Lastly, there are those that get turned off when craft shows get too crowded. Don’t join craft fairs if the walking space for the customers are too small. This will of course contribute to that claustrophobic feeling, so it must be avoided. But if you’re already attending a show that is not as spacious as you want, then do what you can to keep your booth as space-saving as you can.