My First Market Ever! How Much $$$ I Made, Prices, Behind the Scenes

Hey ya'll! This was my first market ever. I'm a maker located in East Texas. Currently, I don't have any online shop or anything like that, and am mainly focused on working at in-person markets in my area. Let me know if you're interested in an online shop or anything like that!
My Store:
ko-fi.com/piecesofscrap/shop
Social Media links:
IG: / pieces_of_scrap
FB: / piecesofscrap
Pinterest: / pieces_of_scrap
Pattern Links!
Bear Hat: www.crochetpatterns.in/quicke...
Bees: www.crochet365knittoo.com/cro...
Duckling: IG @crochettbypat
Chunky Mushroom Boys: IG @chonky.crochet
Mini Triceratops: YT Club Crochet
Fruit Coasters: hobbii.com/fruity-coasters
Chickens: www.mariskavos.nl/free-chicke...
Pocket Pets: www.mariskavos.nl/free-cat-am...
Mini Gnomes: YT Theresa's Crochet Shop • Easy Crochet Gnome Tut...
For business inquiries, please contact me at [e-mail]
Music Credits:
From freetouse.com/music
jasmine tea by massobeats
- listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/track/2uo6kb...
lavender by massobeats
- listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/track/2uo6kb...

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Hey ya'll! I opened my online store. Check it out if you're interested in any of my items! ko-fi.com/piecesofscrap/shop

[@juneortiz1104]

I’m glad you shared your journey with us. It’s a learning curve. I think you lost money because it was a small event, it was super hot, and you should up your prices with no fear about anything. I think it was good this first one was small because you can re-think, reprice and be better prepared for the next one. It’s hard work and you’re doing a good job. You will get better and better as you work. You’re learning! Definitely price every item individually . The groupings should be in your strategy when you price but not out there for customers. Use your spreadsheet to plan pricing and price each item accordingly. ❤ We all start somewhere and you’ll be fine.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

I appreciate your feedback 🩷 this was my first market and I encourage you to watch one of my more recent market recap videos to see how far I've come!!

[@laurenhartwick2797]

It is my dream to save up inventory and do a market! I love that I found your channel so new and get to watch it grow 😍 my husband builds cars on KZbin so I really enjoy watching other small channels take off. Also completely understand the heat, was in that heat wave all of August. Can’t wait to see more from you!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks so much (: I'm also really excited to watch my channel grow. Hopefully you'll get to do a market soon too!

[@carrinawiseman-esparza9772]

the mini bees look ready to fight someone 🤣🤣🤣

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Yeah some of them definitely look really angry 😂

[@YarnandWhimsyDesigns]

Congratulations on your first market! You made some beautiful pieces!! Can’t wait to see how your next event goes!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you so much! My next event is indoors so I will have some relief from this Texas heat!

[@cmadigi]

your flower crossbody bags-- WOW!! i really enjoyed this video and its presentation- love that you include pictures of everything clearly marked with price, etc.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you so much!! Thank you for watching (: I tried to implement as much as I could from what I would like to see in other maker's videos that I've watched about markets.

[@claireseymour4902]

Really helpful that you went through your pricing. How do you work out your pay? Also really helpful to see your reflections, both prairie and negative. I haven't done a craft fair yet: I'm still a beginner, but I'm already hooked. 😊

[@pieces_of_scrap]

So I just determine how much I would like to be paid per hour, and then I determine how much time I spent making each item, and then my spreadsheet calculates how much money I would pay myself. To start, I'm just paying myself $10 per hour that I spend crocheting an item. Does that make sense?

[@claireseymour4902]

@@pieces_of_scrap thank you. I think if I started selling, my items would be way too expensive as I'm still a slow crotcheter🙃.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

I'm also probably undercharging for my time, but to be honest, I don't have a problem with that since I enjoy the process so much! I recommend that if you're really interested in selling your items, to start by just offering to sell to smaller crowds, like friends & family doing custom orders, and you can charge a flat fee for your service to them (: That's how I started a couple years ago (before my channel). I started offering custom sweaters around the holidays and would make them for my friends and family and charge what I paid for the yarn I used, shipping, and then a little bit more for my time. Around $40-45 a sweater. It's up to you though (: Just do what you think you can handle, if you're interested!@@claireseymour4902

[@BadKittyNoMilk]

Thank you for sharing. Most people sharing their crochet market profits don’t remove their cost of materials. I wish there was a wholesale yarn shop or website it’s quit expensive. I know some other crochet businesses that sell at markets have a $5 SALE bin it basket. I think even if something isn’t on sale if there’s a SALE sign or a higher price is crossed out and a lower price is written in psychologically, people may be more interested in buying said item(s) I love your mushrooms and Those flowered bags are beautiful good luck.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks so much! Yeah I have been thinking about making a sale bin with my items that I made a long time ago that I'm trying to get rid of, like my scrunchies, headbands, beach bags, and other small things. I've also been thinking about DIY boxes with everything you need to make a plushie or something like that, those seem to do really well too!

[@schoolvideos24]

Thank you for sharing!! Keep up the great work! I'm sure the next market will be busier if you don't have the 109 degree heat like you did at this one. Super cute designs!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Well my next market is indoors so I'm hoping for a much better turn out (:

[@chancecustoms]

The bags are SOOOO CUTE

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank so much!

[@caroline-lb2rk]

this is awesome and your inventory is so cute!! just a little tip: for the plushies i'd recommend turning them inside out because the way you have it is the "wrong" side as people call it. people usually stick the a "right" and "wrong" side of crochet because the "right" side shows the v's and looks more neat in a way? just thought i'd let you know! :)

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks (: yeah I do that now! This is an old video from when I first started Amigurumi (:

[@caroline-lb2rk]

@@pieces_of_scrap ahhh sorry i never noticed how long ago this video was posted lol! i just saw a recent one and im happy for you with how successful your business is now!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you 🩷😊

[@starbright47]

Hi, u just popped up on my notifications. I'll subscribe. It was interesting and u did so well, Congratulations❣️

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks so much! My next market is tomorrow, so look forward to seeing another market video soon!

[@cozycasasmr4510]

i loooooove the giant eyes on those plushies, it think it's cuter! than smaller eyes. 8mm is not half of 10mm though 😂 it's only 2mm smaller, if you want half the size then get 5mm eyes!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

I know-- what's even funnier is that the eyes I thought were 10 mm are actually 16mm

[@CraftsessiveStudio]

Thanks for sharing your first market experience, look forward to seeing more.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks so much for commenting 💕

[@lyndavaughn5551]

Nice!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks (:

[@loiscampbell3510]

I love your work and think you did very well for your first market. I look forward to seeing more of your art in the future.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you so much!

[@thebeeskneez]

Congrats on your first market! I think those were some good sales. I loved the positivity!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you (: I think it went pretty well considering the low turnout! I'm excited for my next market!

[@sparrowhawkerdesigns]

Thank you for this. Very informative. I'm pretty sure I'm losing money every time I sell ANYTHING. :-)

[@pieces_of_scrap]

It's really easy to undersell yourself! Just make sure your prices are fair to you before you think of what other people will think! A lot of the time, when I undersell my items, it's because I'm trying to be fair to the other person, but really, I should be considering how much of my time and effort went into the item I'm selling and I should strive not to undercut myself!

[@joevic29]

such an informative video! i look forward to your future posts!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@pottymouthedplanter]

wow! awesome creations!!!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks so much!

[@iheartyarnta]

I like your fancy spreadsheet. Thanks for sharing.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

No problem 🩷

[@deebrinson4880]

Everything is so cute, really love the hats.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks so much!

[@lindsayellis-pq1qo]

You should make the flower pins into hair clips or attach them to hair elastics! So cute!!!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

That's a good idea! Thanks!

[@courtneyeddie8458]

Great market video!! I like your makes, those chickens are cute! Im market prepping as well currently making cats 😊

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you ✨💕 I appreciate the support. Keep up the good work, it is a grind!

[@maryelgin9919]

I love your flower bags. Great price for such a unique bag

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you so much! They turned out great and I love every color combination 💕

[@nmarie3012]

Beautiful items ❤❤

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you! 🤗

[@user-ke3ks4ov8l]

thank you for making this video! i can tell you put a lot of work into editing the video and it turned out very well!!! please keep making more videos and i will watch them!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you so much (: I have a new video that will come out first thing tomorrow, so stay tuned 💕

[@user-ke3ks4ov8l]

thank you! I have subscribed!@@pieces_of_scrap

[@franciscab8412]

Beautyful Flower bags 😍

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you!!

[@HiyaItsMeMothman]

Congrats on your first market! Love this video! One thing I suggest personally, I would price the bags higher! And I LOVE your top haha!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you! I actually did end up raising the price of my bags by $10 (:

[@gpdoes]

Hi, enjoyed the video!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it (:

[@joshhoman]

This is cute stuff!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you!!

[@joshhoman]

@@pieces_of_scrap So welcome! Have a wonderful life!

[@billiebluesheepie2907]

Overall it was a good first event. Your stall looked lovely and you had lots of differently priced items. I’ve been to places where I’ve had hardly any sales at all and lost money, the weather can make a huge difference (I live in the north of England and I wouldn’t be able to cope, I melt at 20°C - I just looked that up and it’s 68°F!). I’m excited to see what happens at your next few events. Billie x

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Oh dang I really wish it was that cool here! Luckily we just got some rain here last night (I live in East Texas and the weather here has been hovering around 105-109 F for weeks now, and we haven't gotten rain here since mid-July) so hopefully that cools it down some. My next market will be indoors though so that's a relief!

[@jennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn]

Love your spreadsheets :)

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you! My husband put together all the formulas and everything, but I made it look pretty 💁‍♀️

[@trinadusharm1093]

I think you had an amazing day considering the heat!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks! Yeah I really think it was a decent turnout for how hot it was.

[@novalidavenport1994]

Hi! My name is novali and I am also a crochet artist in East Texas! I am doing my first fair at the end of this month in my small hometown (Frankston, if you are from the area) and I am really excited. I make wearables but I am selling with another artist that does amigurumi so I am excited to see how we both do. Thanks for the insight into your event :)

[@pieces_of_scrap]

That's super awesome! I'm not originally from Texas so I'm not completely sure where Frankston is 🙈 But I live near Crockett, TX! Looks like Frankston is north of Palestine, I know where that is! Super cool to meet another maker in the East TX area

[@bambi.j.15]

Thanks for explaining everything! I'm preparing for a Halloween themed market in a month and a half and I'm super nervous but also super excited!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Well I wish you all the luck and success in the world 💕 Will this be your first market?

[@bambi.j.15]

@pieces_of_scrap thank you! Yes this will be my first one. Halloween is my favorite, so I'm hoping to have a lot of fun with it 🎃

[@pieces_of_scrap]

That's so exciting! Just make sure to watch lots of market videos to help you prepare (: that's what I did!

[@amyr9150]

Congrats on your first market! I also sell my crochet on poshmark and was always a big seller for it, it just takes a lot of time to get your items out there. If you keep trying you will!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks (:

[@carolbeck3645]

I think if it had of been a bigger, more known event, you would have done much better selling your items !! You make alot of really cute stuff ! I loved your purses, so pretty !!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks so much! Yeah I think so too!

[@janaegraber3907]

Lovely videos, I am also a beginner and planning on doing markets within the next year :) It helps me to see these types of videos! I love your products and the variety of things!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

I'm glad that it helps! It really encourages me to see other people gearing up to do the same thing! Let me know if you have any questions about doing markets, I'd be happy to share some knowledge in a future video!

[@janaegraber3907]

Oh I was also curious does square feed into that spreadsheet you had or do you manually add those items? I also wanted to mention I thought it was cool the math/idea of profit (- paying yourself etc)

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Unfortunately, no, Square doesn't directly get pulled in the spreadsheet (I wish tho!), I have to manually add them. At this market, I brought a notebook and kept track of all of my sales in order, that included what sold, how many of each (if applicable) and what form of payment the customer used. That way I could make sure I was tracking all of those sales. This is important because when I was calculating what I made from my sales at the market while I was at my booth, I calculated only my Square sales, and then later was pleasantly surprised that I forgot to include my cash, Venmo, Cashapp, and Zelle sales. That added quite a bit more money onto my gross sales total!@@janaegraber3907

[@cathyfarmer3691]

I don’t do markets any more, but summer markets don’t do as well as fall and winter markets, don’t get discouraged, you will do better at you next one. You have some really cute items, they should do well.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks so much (: yeah I know my market in November will do exponentially better than this one!

[@cathyfarmer3691]

I hope you do well on your market, something else you might consider making hair bows for little girls with your flowers, they are so cute and I can just see a little toddler with flower hair bows.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

That's a great idea!! Thank you (:

[@misslovely9802]

Loved how you added the spreadsheet very good vid! Just subscribed

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thanks so much! 💕 Looking forward to sharing more in the future!

[@misslovely9802]

@@pieces_of_scrap you should do a how you make your videos like how you edit and what you record with I have always wanted to start a KZbin channel but not a clue where to start 😊

[@pieces_of_scrap]

I would, but it's actually much too in-depth for me to explore right now, since this is not my full time job. The knowledge I have about filming and editing actually comes from years of experience from me going to college for it as well as it being my full time job to do those things. I currently record all of my footage using my phone, due to my camera being broken right now. I edit using Adobe Premiere, which is a software that is kind of expensive for people who are just starting out, so I don't think it would be helpful for me to go into it, plus there are already tons of videos out there about it! I hope this helps a little, sorry to disappoint.

[@bonnieperkins1419]

Very informative. I also have all these odds and ends but have never sold any. Don't even know how to o start.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Oh, no worries! I actually watched this video by Creatively Erica and it was extremely helpful for my planning purposes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gILGm6uZndiceJI Let me know if that helps!

[@TheCatlady63]

👍

[@lidaknitsandcrochets]

Looks like a nice stock!! The profit column does count up to 67,77 dollars! Unless you used a different column to decide your profit.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

The column does add up to that amount, but in the total it subtracts my booth fee. So overall, the profits I listed in the video are correct. Hope that helps!

[@lidaknitsandcrochets]

@@pieces_of_scrap oh! Sorry my bad, missed that! Thanks for the reply! Good luck on the next market 🌻🤩

[@44Lisbeth]

i love your bags :) i haven't done a marked yet but i will deff. consider what you say about pricing, thank you for sharing

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you so much!

[@kimberlywatts9289]

👍🏻❤️

[@crochetcreationsbyjessica9256]

You did good for your first market. Unfortunately we moved recently and there are no markets within 30 miles of us also we don't have a car. So I am selling my stuff online on Mercari. There are lots of handmade things on Mercari. And I'm doing pretty good. Being patient is the hardest part. But I do miss the interaction at markets. Great video.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you! I have been looking into ko-fi.com as well, looks like there's good potential on there. They don't take as much as Etsy does, only 5% transaction fees, whereas Etsy takes almost 10%. And if you get a gold tier subscription with Ko-Fi, its $6 a month and then there are no transaction fees. It would be cool to do in the future when I have more interest in online sales from my followers!

[@crochetcreationsbyjessica9256]

@@pieces_of_scrap It sounds similar to Mercari. Mercari only takes $2.50 in fees. Yes Etsy is high that's why I didn't go with them. I'm looking into a Shopify shop also.

[@barbarahatfield8027]

I find you did you pretty good in all .and now you know more for the next time …… well 25$ is 25 at least it’s not -25 lolll . Like your video first time I’m seeing it . Hope to your other idem you will make 😊

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you (: overall, it was a really good learning experience at the very least.

[@susanjones-szabo9595]

Your stuff is lovely and so well made. A small event is a great way to learn how to run a booth without a ton of pressure. Did you make the spreadsheet yourself?

[@pieces_of_scrap]

That is very true! I feel like I gained a lot of valuable knowledge for next time! My husband helped me create the spreadsheet I use from scrap. He works with Excel daily and has a lot more experience with it than I do.

[@kassandracruz-stokes4296]

I’m actually preparing for a market near me, I’m not really into making clothes and blankets bc of the amount of time it takes 😅 but I do Amigurumi and I have a good amount I think I definitely need more though so I’m just trying to make as much as I can in these two weeks i hope it goes well it’s a pretty big market so i guess we’ll find out lol

[@pieces_of_scrap]

That's super exciting! Will this be your first market?

[@MagicLoopYarnworks]

I MUST know where you got the flower bag pattern because it is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!!!!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

I appreciate all the encouragement 💕 I don't have a pattern for the bags-- I kind of just winged it with inspiration. Here's a link to a pin that inspired them: pin.it/2PNuiFH

[@aksez2u]

If I understand correctly, you made $25.00 on top of paying yourself for your time? That's not too bad! Have you thought about raising your prices a little bit and offering a cash/Venmo discount? It seems like your prices are very fair and there might be room to tack on a dollar or so. You probably don't need any advice - it seems like you are really on top of things 😁 Good luck!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Actually, no. If I count paying myself for my time, I lost $14, and it's mainly because I underpriced 2 items that I sold multiple of. I have thought about it, but I actually just build those costs into my price. I include taxes and any fees when I price my items. Thanks so much for your feedback (:

[@dinatempleman4074]

Thanks for the prep video. Always good to see how others are doing market prep. I'm not sure I understand your material costs. Are you having costs be the price of a whole skein of yarn, when you only use a small portion of that yarn or ?

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Hi! Thanks for the comment! I actually have a formula in my excel sheet that calculates the price of the materials I used for me. I estimate about how many yards I used for a certain product, and then a formula calculates the cost of that amount of yarn. I could go more in depth in a future video to show how my excel sheet works!

[@shehryarhassan]

so preety girl❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Awww thanks 🩷

[@barbarahatfield8027]

So how did it go and what’s left . I like all crochet idem . .I like set up

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Most everything I showed at the very beginning is still left. I sold 2 triceratops, 2 bees, 2 baby hats, a duckling, and a flower pin.

[@Panda-od9uj]

Like how people are making cockatrice from LoZ and calling it just a chicken.

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Haha, not sure what you mean by LoZ, I trying looking it up and couldn't find what you were referring to?

[@Panda-od9uj]

@@pieces_of_scrap it's from a video game called Legend of Zelda which is awesome because now I can crochet a flock of these guys with some free patterns 🤗

[@pieces_of_scrap]

@@Panda-od9uj haha! I should've known that 😂

[@JsMomma7]

Thank you for breaking down your profit like that ... but since this was your first market you also gained experience and you also can't put a price on that. You'll be prepared for the next one a little better. Would it help with the square to put a limit like says no sales under $25 for debit or credit cards?

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Yeah I was thinking (and my husband also suggested) that I would encourage people to pay me with Cash/Venmo/Cashapp/Zelle to get a slight discount of a dollar or so to avoid paying those fees; but to be honest, I'm not really worried about the fees/taxes, because I build those things into my prices using my spreadsheet. And I agree! It was definitely a valuable learning experience!

[@ccutehoney]

Your prices are too low unfortunately. I just did my first market and lost money but i made some awesome connections, and made some trades with other vendors which was so helpful!

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Yeah, I am going to increase my prices before the next market. Right now I'm only selling at a 5% profit, but I will be increasing to 20% before my next market. Thanks for your comment 🩷🩷

[@ccutehoney]

@@pieces_of_scrap your work is too good!! Some of your pieces are fantastic! (this comes for a yarn worker of over 20 years 😂 I started at 13 )

[@helenkeller7127]

I think you could charge more for a lot of items! Those bags take time. I’d gladly pay 10-20 more for that(:

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Thank you so much! I actually have the bags up on my Ko-Fi shop for $55 each (: ko-fi.com/piecesofscrap/shop?fbclid=PAAaZYG2Gj3cz86FMpw9UxzPm_-3RvbcCwIdqu2yK_uwriG7YHnbrSqeNAxHQ

[@juanpierrevisagie4825]

How did you make the bookmarks with the tonsils ❤

[@pieces_of_scrap]

I used a braid stitch and free-handed without a pattern (:

[@juanpierrevisagie4825]

@@pieces_of_scrap thank you!!!💖

[@laurieishmael1001]

Do you make blankets?

[@pieces_of_scrap]

I am able to make blankets, but that would be by commissions only (in other words, they would be by special request)

[@annamariadimaria5007]

Could you do a tutorial?

[@pieces_of_scrap]

What kind of tutorial? I could do a tutorial in the future for a pattern I create!

[@annamariadimaria5007]

Yes that would be great - everything you make is so beautiful - you're very talented.@@pieces_of_scrap

[@WendyKarma]

Plus income tax at the end of the year.

[@rosy111]

i'm tired of seeing makers, especially crocheters and knitters, underselling their work. When you undervalue yourself, you undervalue all of us

[@pieces_of_scrap]

I don't think that's necessarily true. I think that some people just enjoy what they do and want to sell things just to make room for new projects to work on! There will always be plenty of people out there that will pay you for what you're worth, you just have to find those people. The more you market yourself, the better success you will have. Don't get too down on those people who "undersell" their work. It doesn't take away from what you do, especially if you have your own niche. I think that is what makes each maker unique, and what makes each maker valuable.

[@Mazy_Carrot_Lover]

Totally agree. Hard to compete with slave labour prices. Some people actually don't have the luxury to undersell their work because it's maybe the only skill they have and way to make money and aren't equipt to know how to find a way around this competition. If it's already just a hobby, then charge the money these things are worth and if it doesnt sell, donate or gift it. ❤

[@jeanneroser9762]

Hand crafted items are always difficult to market! U almost always don’t get ur time in making the item. Or paying urself hourly. I looked at it as a side hobby and the money I made went right back into purchasing more raw goods. Plus I love crocheting!!🧶🥰

[@pieces_of_scrap]

Yep that's how I feel right now, all of the money I earn, I've been putting right back in to buy the supplies to make new things. But it's a good thing we both love crocheting so much! It becomes like a free hobby! 💕