Selling at the farmers' market

[ambimammular]

Okay, I'm gonna do this. I chickened out last year, but I did the paperwork and talked with the Market Master, and I'm in.

I have a folding table and chairs (lest one of my friends hang out with me).
I've got a nice tablecloth and baskets for my crocheted items.
I have a little sign. I'm working on little price markers for the baskets.
I picked up a ton of ones and fives.
Sunglasses, sunscreen.
Business cards.

I don't have an overhead canopy (yet. Let's just see how Saturday goes.)

Do I need a canopy so I look like I'm serious, and not just a kid selling lemon-aid?
Should I keep my prices like they'd be on etsy? or lower them just to get some excitement? Am I getting my expectations higher than they ought to be?
What else am I forgetting?
Any tips from someone who's done it?

[Axecleaver]

A word of advice to a hobbyist, do not try to undercut the professional farmers. The guys trying to make a living at this have a hard time competing with people who are more than happy to sell their wares at a loss. You will have a much more enjoyable experience if you're careful to come pretty close to the other prices at the market.

I don't think you need a canopy, necessarily, but it helps a lot when the sun gets intense.

In NY we passed the Farm Brewery law in 2013, this allows Farm Breweries (a special designation) to sell direct to consumers at farmer's markets. It's really taken off, almost every farmer's market here in the Hudson River Valley includes at least one brewery now. It's great!

[Eric]

It's not clear to me what you're going to be selling at your booth.  Do you sell a lot of vegetables on etsy?  Are you only selling "crocheted items"?  What exactly does that mean?  What price points are you considering?

[ambimammular]

I make crocheted fruits and veggies,
apples, pears, bananas, mushrooms, carrots etc

About a dozen things. I'm in a small town, there are other handmade goods there, but I'll be the only one with yarn things.

They all sell for 6-12 a piece, more for shipping. But there are lots of crocheters on etsy.

[thd7t]

Okay, I'm gonna do this. I chickened out last year, but I did the paperwork and talked with the Market Master, and I'm in.

I have a folding table and chairs (lest one of my friends hang out with me).
I've got a nice tablecloth and baskets for my crocheted items.
I have a little sign. I'm working on little price markers for the baskets.
I picked up a ton of ones and fives.
Sunglasses, sunscreen.
Business cards.

I don't have an overhead canopy (yet. Let's just see how Saturday goes.)

Do I need a canopy so I look like I'm serious, and not just a kid selling lemon-aid?
Should I keep my prices like they'd be on etsy? or lower them just to get some excitement? Am I getting my expectations higher than they ought to be?
What else am I forgetting?
Any tips from someone who's done it?

My wife and I are selling at a craft fair for the first time, next week.  If you think weather (probably mostly sun) will let you go without a canopy, hold off.  If you're worried about it, see if there's a reasonable rate at a rental place or if someone you know can lend you a beach canopy.

[Le Poisson]

I tinker with woodworking and try to sell at a few craft fairs etc. through the year.

I say "try to sell" because mostly I just sit there and wish I was anyplace else. Lotsa browsers, but no buyers out there for handmade/home made. The advantage of etsy is that it is entirely browsed by people looking for home made.

I hear that juried craft fairs do far better than the sales I have attended, but I'm too gunshy to pay $400 for a table. I have a hard enough time losing $100 and a weekend. I have yet to attend a show where the vendors weren't ready to lynch the organizers by the end of the weekend.

But the spirit of the entrepreneur is that with a tweak and twist, it will go better next time, so I keep trying...