A busy stall feels like a good day. But sales are not profit, and a fair takes far more hours than the opening times suggest. Before you book the next market, run the numbers on the last one.
Step 1: Collect five numbers
Example, a one-day winter craft fair:
- Stall fee: 45.00
- Travel and other costs (fuel, parking, food): 20.00
- Hours, including packing, setup, selling and teardown: 9
- Sales on the day: 410.00
- Cost of goods sold (materials and packaging of the items you sold): 128.00
Count the hours honestly. Packing the car the night before is part of the fair.
Step 2: Work out the profit
Profit = sales - stall fee - travel - cost of goods
410.00 - 45.00 - 20.00 - 128.00 = 217.00
Step 3: Divide by the hours
217.00 / 9 h = 24.11 per hour
This is the number that tells you whether to go again. Compare it with what you earn per hour making and selling online. A simple rule: 15 or more per hour is a yes, 8 to 15 is a maybe, below 8 is a no. Set your own thresholds.
Step 4: Know your break-even before you book
In the example, cost of goods was about 31 % of sales (128 / 410). So each 1.00 of sales leaves about 0.69 to pay the fixed costs of 65.00 (stall fee plus travel).
- Break-even sales: 65.00 / (1 - 128/410) = about 95 in sales just to cover the costs.
- Sales needed for 15 per hour over 9 hours (profit 135.00): (135 + 65) / (1 - 128/410) = about 291.
If a new fair charges a higher stall fee, recalculate these two numbers first. A 120.00 Christmas market can still be worth it, but only if you expect clearly higher sales and you count the extra hours.
Step 5: Compare fairs side by side
One fair tells you little. After three or four, you will see which events pay and which only feel busy. Keep one row per event with the same five numbers, and decide by profit per hour, not by sales.
Useful habits on the day
- Bring a stock list so you know what sold and what to remake.
- Write down sales by product at the end of the day while you still remember.
- Put your shop link on your business cards, so the fair keeps selling online afterwards.
Do it in a spreadsheet
The Handmade Seller Business Kit (24 EUR) includes a craft fair planner that calculates profit per hour and a go-again verdict for each event, plus inventory, orders and a pricing calculator. To start with pricing only, try the free Handmade Pricing Calculator LITE.
This article was written with AI assistance and the numbers were checked by recalculation. It is general planning information, not tax, legal or financial advice.