Find Money Making Items to Sell at Festivals

Festivals are held all over the world. A festival is any event that is set aside at a certain time of year to celebrate an event or simply to raise money. Many festivals allow people to set up booths to make money. It is sometimes difficult to find money making items to sell at festivals, but you can be successful if you have the right items and do your homework.

Steps

Finding Items to Sell

1. Visit a local festival. Go to a festival and pay attention to what people are buying. Also note which booths are getting a lot of traffic. Once you determine the popular items, find out how much those items are being sold for. This will help you set your prices when you sell at a festival.
   • If you are feeling bold, you can go up to some of the festival goers and ask them what types of items are they interested in buying.
   • Items that usually sell well include jewelry, electronics, furniture, toys, books, candles, tools and knives.
2. Visit a garage sale. Garage sales are great places to find items to sell at a festival. It is best to get to the sale early so you can have your pick of the best items. Look for items such as kitchenware, jewelry, toys, and children's clothing as these items are good for reselling. You can often get good deals on large items like furniture at the end of the day when people are ready to get rid of an item. Always, examine the items and make sure they are still in good condition.
   • If you are buying an appliance, ask if you can plug it in to see if it works before you buy it.
   • Negotiate prices when you can. Start with 50% of the suggested price. The bigger the discount you get on the item, the more profit you can make when you resell the item.
   • Dress modestly when you go shopping. Do not wear any expensive jewelry or shoes. A person may be less likely to give you a good deal if you look like you have a lot of money.
   • Always take cash with you.
3. Make homemade arts and crafts. Many people are looking for unique, handmade items to buy when they visit festivals. If you make blankets, jewelry, pottery, or clothing, a festival is a good place to sell. Selling unique items will set you a part from other vendors.
   • Crafts that you can learn how to make at home and that resell well are candles, decorated cups and glasses, knitted items, friendship bracelets, tote bags, and food (e.g. cookies, cakes, etc.)
4. Go to antique stores. Antique stores carry a variety of items that can be resold for profit. Cheap items that sell well include sterling silver jewelry, antique clocks, named glassware (e.g. Tiffany, Haviland, Steuben, Roseville, Lalique, Belleek, etc.), Hummel Figurines, and Mettlach Beer Steins. If you can, develop a relationship with the antique store owners. They can help you identify good items for reselling and give you a heads up when they receive new inventory.
5. Shop at thrift stores. The best items to make a profit from are books and textbooks, picture frames, video games, brand name clothing, Pyrex and glassware, records and record players, sporting equipment, and any items with the tag still on them. If you find an item that looks good, do a quick eBay search to determine how much the item is currently selling for. This will help you decide if your purchase will be profitable.
   • Shop at high end thrift stores or stores in wealthier neighborhoods. There may be better quality items there.
   • Always clean up your purchases before you resell them at the festival.
   • Many thrift stores have discount days. Buying deeply discounted items can increase your profit.
6. Clean out your home. Go through your home and choose items as if you were having a garage sale. Make sure the items are in good condition and still work. You may not get what you paid for the item, but you can still make money without having to purchase anything.
7. Buy wholesale items. Buying wholesale will allow you to get items at a discounted price. Before you purchase, decide what type of items you are interested in selling. This will help decide which retailers to buy from. DOBA allows you to select the items (e.g. clothes, tools, books, electronics, games) that you are interested in selling. Wholesale Central maintains a list of websites that you can purchase from. The websites are grouped by category.
   • You may have to purchase a minimum amount to get a discounted price.
   • Check the Better Business Bureau for complaints against the supplier before you purchase from them.
   • Some suppliers do not sell to individuals, so you may need a Tax Identification Number under a business name.

Making Money at the Festival

1. Find a festival to sell your items. Festivals can be found in local magazines, newspapers, or by searching on Google for nearby festivals. There are also websites that help you find festivals. Once you find a festival that you are interested in, visit the festival website and review the vendor guidelines. Find a festival that is interested in the products you plan to sell. For example, you would not sell jewelry and candles at a children's festival.
   • Pay attention to the vendor application due date and the type of vendors the festival is interested in.
   • There is usually contact information if you have any questions.
   • Festivals choose vendors based on available space and the products you are selling. It is important that the items you are selling are appropriate for the festival.
   • Do not get discouraged is your vendor application is not accepted, just find a another festival that you are a good fit for.
2. Set your prices. Think about the crowd that the festival attracts and set your prices accordingly. If you set your prices too high, you will not be able to make a profit. Also if you set your prices too low, you can miss out on making more money. You may set your prices higher if the festival is in a higher income area.
   • If you are selling at a festival that caters to families, you may want to set your prices a little lower because your customers may have less disposable income.
   • Setting prices is an art and takes some trial and error to figure out.
3. Advertise your business. You can advertise your business in Craigslist and social media platforms for free. Include pictures of the items you will be selling, where you will be selling, and what time you will be there. You can also make business cards to give to your customers when they visit your booth. Generating traffic to your booth will help you sell more.
   • You can also put a small ad in your local newspaper or in the newspaper's online classified ads.
   • If the festival has a Facebook page, comment on the page about the items you will be selling.
4. Display your items creatively. Highlight the items that you want to sell the most. Make sure your items are easy to see and touch. If you are selling more high end items, your display should be more organized. You can also put a few eye catching items on display and then have the rest in bins that customers can search through. Many people enjoy searching for great deals. You can decide the best way to display your items based on what you are selling.
   • Check out other vendors to see how they are displaying their merchandise.
   • Once you have your booth set up, step away and see what catches your eye. This will help you get an idea what customers will see. If you can, get a second opinion on your display from friends or family members.
5. Get to the festival early. Get to the festival before it begins and set up your booth. You want to be ready when people start arriving. If you are still setting up when customers arrive, they may be less likely to stop and look at your items. You will not have a steady flow of customers throughout the day, but you still should be prepared.
   • Stay until the end of the festival if you can. There will be people who come at the end and still want to purchase items. Some vendors will not stay until the end, but you can benefit from this if you stick around.
6. Have a good attitude. Be friendly to all of your customers, but do not be an overbearing salesperson either. Greet customers when they come to your booth and make pleasant conversation. You do not have to talk about the items you are selling unless the customer has a specific question.

Tips

• You will want to avoid selling an item that is being sold in another booth. Try to check out your competition ahead of time.
• Always check with the people who are running the festival to be sure your booth is approved.
• You can sell a variety of items or develop an expertise and focus on selling specific items.
• If there are certain items that you really enjoy (e.g. toys or vintage jewelry) focus on selling those. Your customers may pick up on your enthusiasm.

Sources and Citations

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