Is this craft fair worth it?
Enter the booth fee, your costs and your prices. See how many items you need to sell to break even, what you'd keep at the sales you expect, and what that pays you per hour.
The fair
What the day costs you before you sell anything.
Your products
Use an average across what you'll bring.
Your expectations
Optional, but this is where the answer is.
Estimates only, not tax or business advice. Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.
How the craft fair calculator works
1. Fixed costs. The booth fee, travel and anything else you spend for the day. You pay these whether you sell one item or a hundred.
2. What you keep per item. Your average price, minus the making cost, minus the card fee on the share of customers who pay by card.
3. Break-even. Fixed costs divided by what you keep per item, rounded up. Sell fewer and the fair cost you money; every item after that is profit.
4. Your time. A fair that only breaks even still cost you a full day. Add the hourly rate you want and the calculator shows how many items cover that too.
A common rule of thumb among makers is that your sales should be several times the booth fee. That's a useful sanity check, but it ignores your margins and travel. This calculator gives you the actual number for your products.
Questions
How do I know if a craft fair is worth it?
Add up everything the day costs you, then divide by what you keep from each sale after making costs and card fees. That's how many items you must sell just to break even. Compare it with what you realistically expect to sell (ask the organiser about footfall, or think back to similar events), and check what's left per hour of your time.
What if I sell products at very different prices?
Use a weighted average: roughly what a typical customer spends per item. If you sell £5 cards and £40 prints, think about how many of each you usually sell. For an exact figure per product, use the handmade pricing calculator.
Should I count my time?
Yes. Set the hourly rate you want and the calculator shows how many items cover the costs and pay you that rate. If that number is far above what you expect to sell, the fair may still be worth it for exposure or new customers, but you'll know what it's really costing.
How many items should I bring?
Bring comfortably more than your expected sales of your best sellers, so you don't sell out by lunchtime. Our free craft fair checklist covers stock, float, display and everything else to pack.
Do card fees matter at a craft fair?
They add up. Card readers usually charge a percentage of each card payment. Check your reader's current rate and enter it with the share of customers who pay by card.