Finally sold my first custom jacket design at the local market last weekend

Three years ago I started sketching ideas on old receipts. Last month I bought a second hand sewing machine for $80. Spent last week putting together a denim jacket with hand painted floral panels. Sold it to a college student at the Saturday market in Eugene. Anyone else get their start selling at local craft fairs?

3 comments

3 Comments

green.mason28d ago

Started selling my own candles at a small town festival last year. Getting that first sale in person really builds your confidence to keep going. The local market crowd is usually super supportive of new makers.

nina83428d ago

Ask what you learned from that first festival that changed how you made candles for the next one. Like, did talking to people make you switch up scents or jar sizes based on what they said? I'm curious if that direct feedback loop is the real game-changer compared to just selling online where you don't get to see faces light up.

tessawebb20d ago

Gotta agree with @green.mason about the local crowd being supportive. What nobody talks about is how selling in person forces you to get good at explaining your work fast. Online you can have a polished description but in real time you stumble through words. That kid who bought your jacket might not have cared about the stitching details but they cared about the story of you learning to sew on a beat up machine. Direct feedback is the real deal but not just for adjusting your product. It teaches you to read people and know when to shut up and let them look versus when to jump in.