Southgate Crossing Farmer's Market

 Today I'd like to take a minute to share with you one of the local places that I have my 18 inch doll clothes setup at!  The place is called Southgate Crossing Farmer's Market, and it's an incredible Amish built building!

Southgate crossing was built in the early to mid 2000's to be a Farmer's Market and the first phase of a larger amusement venue.  While the other phased didn't end up taking place due to an economic downturn in the area in 2008, this beautiful building stands proudly within the quaint countryside.

Here in Northern Indiana we have some large Amish communities.  And it's these lovely Amish people that had a hand in building this beautiful building.  From what I have heard there was not one nail used in making this building.  Instead it was made using pegs!

Here is a photo I snapped from the front of the building on my way inside today.  Although this picture doesn't do it justice it gives you a little idea of it's size and beauty!  (It was really cold out today and I was in a hurry to get inside.  So this picture will have to do for today)  

Also, to put the size of Southgate Crossing into perspective I have been told that it is approximately the same height and same width as Noah's Ark was, but is about 10 feet shorter than Noah's Ark.  (There are times, when it's warmer out, that I've stood and looked at the building thinking about how that is approx. the size of the ark that Noah and his family would have been on with all the animals!) 

Let's go inside this incredible building!

As you walk through the main doors, you come into the center of the building.  One of the first things you'll notice when you look up is the beautiful wood beams and the 3 floors with wood "fences" around the second and third floor.  You may also see people standing on those floors taking in the breathtaking beauty of it all!

The first floor of the building has a variety of goods including; multiple eating places from local businesses, boutique clothing, a brewery, and a large selection of Vintage items!  The vintage area takes up close to half of the first floor, so if you love vintage items you'll want to check back regularly to see what items the vintage vendor have brought in to sell.

Once you've browsed the first floor it's time to head upstairs.  There are two large beautiful staircases you can walk up, or if you prefer there is an elevator that can be used.

On the second floor, half of the floor contains handcrafted treasures from talented sewers, painters, artists, etc.  It's on this floor that you will find my booth, TracysDesigns1 18 inch doll clothes!

Today my mom and I were there to change out some of my products and redecorate.  We had it decorated for Christmas and New Year, but now it was time to change things over to Valentine's doll outfits!   (Can you believe it's time to starting thinking about Valentine's day, already?)

After a few hours of work today, we have new decorations hung (lots of hearts), and new Valentine outfits available!  Lots of doll clothes with red, pinks, and whites, and everything from dresses to leggings to ice skating outfits.  Whatever you doll needs to enjoy this winter season!

One of the nice things about this farmer's market is that there is one central location on the first floor to pay for everything you want.  Instead of needing to have a lot of cash on hand like when you shop at local craft shows, here you can grab a basket, do your shopping and then pay for everything at once.  And of course they also accept credit cards, so you don't have to carry a lot of cash if you don't want to!

But you might be thinking, I like the craft shows because I get to meet the crafters who make the items.  The good news is, a few times a year Southgate crossing puts on craft shows, so if you come during those times you'll get to meet some of the crafters themselves!  The next craft show scheduled is February 10, 2024.

Is that all that's going on at this farmer's market?  I'm glad you asked!  The answer is No!   In addition to all the good food and wonderful products, they also have activities going on throughout the week!

On Tuesday nights they have line dancing lessons and then on Wednesday nights they have line dancing.  So, if you're new to line dancing you can take classes to learn on Tues. and then put when you've learned into practice on Wednesday nights!

Maybe dancing isn't your interest.  How about a Concert every Thursday night?  Yes, that's right, most Thursday nights (starting on February 8th) there is a concert by Quentin Flagg who performs Rock and Roll music from the 50's, and 60's along with some Country music and Gospel music!  Come and check out this fun concert that's only $6.00 per person!  It's from 6pm to 7:45pm. 

Would you like more information on Southgate Crossing?  Here's the link to Southgate Crossing's website!

The Craft show is finished. Now what?

 You've enjoyed the craft show, sold items (Yay!!), packed up what's left and you're home.  Now, what's next?

Well, lots of things actually.

1) Totaling your receipts

Now it's time to total your receipts and the money and make sure the numbers match.  Be sure to make a note of how much sales tax you collected so that you will be able to remit that to your state (providing you live in a state that collects sales tax).  *Note: If you haven't, see a CPA for help on getting everything setup legally.  They can help you get everything set up correctly!  You want to be sure that you have everything setup correctly from the start.  (It's actually best to do this before the first craft show.)

Be sure to write down the totals and the total of sales tax collected and keep the info with your receipts so the info will be there when you need it and so you won't have to take the time to total everything again.

2) Assess your inventory

Now go back through your receipts and takes notes about the items you sold.  Some things to consider are:

• What sold the best?
• What items didn't sell?
• Did you run out of anything?
• If yes, how many did you start with?  How early in the show did you run out?  This will help you decide approx. how much you might need for your next show.

Note: Be sure to write this info down in a notebook, as it will help you have a better idea of how much product you may need for upcoming craft shows.  It's also good to write down the name of the show, so you can compare it to how you do at this show next year! (It can help you plan goals in the future!)

   

3) Other things to consider:

• Did you get any ideas for new products based upon your conversations with customers?
• What products were your customers most excited about?  
• How did you have those items displayed?  
• Is there a way to display them so that they will get even more attention?
• What did people ask you for that you didn't have made? 
• Are those things you would consider making?
• Did any of your customers talk about a problem they may have in relation to using your type of items?  
• Is there a way you could redesign what you're making that would better solve the customer's problem?  
• For example someone came up years ago:  A crocheted hat with a hole for a pony-tail.  A regular hat was great for some but didn't work well for those that wore their hair in a pony tail, thus someone created a hat with a hole near the top to pull your pony tail through!  They solved the customer's problem!  What problem can you solve for your customers?
• At your next shows you will be able to tell customers about the problem and how your product solves the problem they had!

Make notes of all these things in your notebook, so they you can start to implement your solutions!  It's always good to write them down, even if you haven't completely figured out how to solve the problem yet, so that you don't have a lot of ideas floating around in your head that you may forget before having time to explore them more in depth.

3) Rest

    Yes, this is important too.   Take some time to sit down and relax.  You've had a busy day, or 2 busy days if you setup for the show the night before, and there's a lot to keep you busy in the future, so get a cup of your favorite coffee or tea (or for me, it's hot apple cider with caramel) and curl up on the couch with your favorite book or a movie and take some time off.

  

4) Start planning for your next show

Now that you've got an idea of your inventory (step 2), and you've had some time to rest so you don't burn out, you can start to decide how much you may need to have ready for your next craft show.

• Do you already have another show booked?
• How much time do you have for making product before this next show?
• Not just the actual amount of days (say it's in 2 weeks), but how much time will you have to focus on making product?  Taking into consideration your other time responsibilities to figure out how much time you can realistically put into creating your products.
• Based on your most popular items, which of them makes the most profit? Creating more of those items first can be a good idea, that way, if unexpected things come up that take time away from creating, you'll still have the most important items made and ready!

5) Create your products!

    Yay!  It's time for the fun part again!  Create your beautiful products and look forward to your next craft show!  And now that you've done the steps above you have a good idea of what you need to make so you can be confident in what you're making!

How to get into your first handmade Craft show!

    I struggle to open my eyes and wonder, "How can it really be time to wake up" already?   My phone says it's 6:40am on Saturday morning, but how can that be?  Didn't I just go to sleep?  (It's important to note here, that I'm not a morning person, lol.)  Okay, to be fair, I was up until midnight Friday night finishing up sewing two more Christmas party doll dresses! Oh, but the Christmas dresses are so pretty I just had to get them finished so I could bring them to the craft show! 

    It's in those early waking moments on a Saturday morning when I wonder why am I doing this?  But then I get up, get ready, pick up my mom, who helps me at my shows, and go to my booth at the venue.  At 8am customers, with smiles on their faces, eagerly start coming in to find those unique handmade creations! Some are new customer that I get to meet for the first time, and others are repeat customers that come back to my booth year after year to see what new creations I have made that they can give their daughters/granddaughters/nieces this year for Christmas, and suddenly the alarm going off at 6:40am is worth it.

    Saturday's show was fun and I'm glad to be a part of it!  Outside, the weather is getting cooler, the leaves are turning colors, inside some of the vendors have their tables decorated for fall, and are selling fall decor items, while other vendors have their spaces decorated for Christmas!

    This year I was told by those organizing the show that they had 109 vendors, so there was lots of beautiful, creative, products to be found!

If you're a crafter, have you every wondered how to be a part of a local craft show?

Do you love creating items and wish you could sell them at craft shows to make some extra money, but feel overwhelmed with where to start?

Keep readying for some tips I've learned from over 14 years of doing craft shows!

1) Decide on what type of products you want to make.  

    A) If you're having a hard time deciding, start thinking about what type of crafts you already like to do and are good at? Do you like working with yarn, fabrics, beads, paper, food, etc.?  

   Type of Craft: Examples

• Sewing
• Crocheting
• Knitting
• Jewelry Making
• Paper art
• Baking (be sure to check with local/state/national laws when selling food)
• and so many more options.  

     B) Once you've decide the type of craft, then decide what type of items you want to make within that craft: 

Just a few examples of items to make:

• Clothing 
• Kid's toys
• Dog items
• Home Decor
• Jewelry (Necklaces, earrings, rings, etc.)
• Craft items for other crafters to use on their projects (stickers, crocheted lace, etc.)
• Decal items: Mugs, t-shirts (will you offer personalization?)
• Accessories (scarves, purses, hair bows, etc.)

    There are so many items to choose from, but it's a good idea to make decisions about what you want to make before you start looking into finding shows, as you will be asked what products you sell.  Some shows will only allow a certain number of the same types of items to be presented, so you need to already have this info decided.  

    *However, don't worry, it doesn't mean you will always have to make and sell that type of item if you find there doesn't seem to be a market for it.  

    When I started I was embroidering on items (baby bibs, blankets, towels, basically anything I could embroider on!).  At first it was fun, but I found they didn't sell very well for me, and wasn't really something I enjoyed making long term.  So I started making other items to see what I would enjoy and what other people were looking for.  Eventually, I found that I really enjoyed making 18" doll clothes!

    So, start with something you think you'll enjoy and give it a try!  Don't let fear of the unknown keep you from starting your dreams!

2)  Find a show.

    A) Here are some easy ways to find out about shows in your area:    

• Have you attended shows in your area as a customer?  Talk to other vendors, there.  They can point you to the person in charge who will likely have info on their show for next year (lots of shows are done annually at churches and schools).  
• Search on facebook for local or state craft show groups.
• Local Newspapers may list upcoming craft shows in their local events column.
• Friends: Ask your friends about craft shows they have attended in the past

    B) Once you've found out about some shows, the next step is to contact the administrator of the event for information, and ask for an application.

3) Fill out the application

    A) The applications are usually pretty easy to fill out.   They will ask for info like your name and address, the name of your business, and a description of the items your are selling.  Some will ask for photos of your work if this is your first time doing the show.  

    The application will also include the rules of the show, so be sure to read everything.   Okay, don't get scared, the rules are usually reasonable.  

    For example, most shows don't allow open flames.  So, for example, if you're a candle maker, you need to know that you can't light your candles for people to experience how they burn.  You will need to figure out another way to let customers know the benefits of your candles.

    B) Cost.  The cost depends on the show and your location.   Usually larger shows that have been running annually for years and are well attended are going to cost a lot more for a space than smaller and newer shows.    

• Small shows can be a good place to start if you haven't done a show before, so you can get hands-on experience of setting up at a show, an idea of how much product you'll need to make, and get used to talking with browsers and customers (especially if you're an introvert).  
• The positive side is that they don't usually cost very much (maybe $20 to $40) a show.
•  The negative side is that they do not usually have a large attendance of customers coming through, so sales may not be very good. (When I started, there were a few of these shows that I did not make enough money to even cover the cost of the booth space).
• Large shows: 
• The positive of large shows that is usually bring in a lot more customers, which means more potential in sales.  
• However, they do usually cost quite a bit more per space. 
• You do need to have a lot more products made so that you don't completely sell out at a show.  These shows don't want their vendors to sell out before the end of the show, as there will be people coming through all day long.   While not all specify in their rules that you have to have enough product to not sell out, I have read some applications that do specify this.  (Of course, you don't want to sell out before the end, anyways, as that means you've lost out on sales.)  
• So take into account for large shows, if you can get enough product made by the time of the show.

    C) Timeframe: Depending on the size of the show, most applications will be available at the end of the current show (and returning vendors get first option to come back), or a few months before the show's event date.   Start looking for the shows as soon as possible as they will fill up.

4)  Make your Product!!!!!

    Okay, finally the really fun part: make your items!  Have fun!  Be creative!  

But there are some questions that may be coming to your mind:

    A)  How many items do I make?

• The reality is when you're first starting out, a lot of that is a guessing game.   I would say depending on your items, you probably want to have a few of each item, though.  Keep in mind, some customers will look at everything at a show before going back to make their purchases.  So, you want to have some in stock for when they come back looking for it!

    B) How much should I charge for my creations?

• There are so many formulas online for what to charge for a handmade product.  And I won't go into all of that here, as it would take at least one blog post all itself.  But I will say, that you need to figure out the cost of the items your making, take into account the cost of your booth space and other expenses (gas to travel to the show, food to eat while you're at the show, etc.), and how long it takes you to make the items.  Having these numbers will give you a better idea on what prices you need to charge for your beautiful creations.  Remember, you don't want to put all that work into your items just to lose money.

5)  Setup for the show

     Setup times for craft shows are usually the day before, or early the morning of the show.  It's a good idea (if you have the room) to mark out the space of your booth at home some weeks before the show and practice how you'd like to setup your booth space.   This will give you an idea of how much time it will take you to setup and also let you know if need anything else for your displays.   

    Get there early, especially for your first show, to give yourself plenty of time so as not to be stressed out and to be sure you're finished setting up before the show starts.  

You want everything ready for your customers!

6)  Enjoy the show!

Congratulations!  You are ready for your first craft show! 

Be sure to have on hand:

• pens
• receipt book
• tape
• extra paper in case you need to make another sign
• bags to put the items in when purchased    

Have fun and enjoy your first craft show/s (even if your alarm has to wake you up early, too!)!