One of the most important aspects of preparing for a craft event is knowing how to organize your inventory.
This information is timely, whether you’re in the studio getting ready, or thinking ahead for a sensible way to keep everything “contained” whatever your mode of transportation (e.g., in a car, truck, bicycle, or wagon), or figuring a way to methodically move or carry things to and from your booth. Here are a few ways to keep your merchandise organized, accessible, and easy to keep track of. I’ve also addressed instances in which each method works, or doesn’t, depending on what handmade products you make to sell.
By product category.
This is usually the most popular method of organization. It is a dynamic form of ensuring everything is where it is (supposed to be); and the categories are unique to your product line.
For instance, if your products are pet clothes and accessories, you could keep “dog booties” separate from “dog aprons” or “cat tents.” This would make setting up a breeze.
Conversely, if each item you make is completely one-of-a-kind, and/or of various dimensions and prices — particularly sculpted art — then consider some of the other methods below.
By size.
This method works best if you have a wide variety of items of various sizes, and similarly-sized items are priced the same — i.e., smaller items for $5, medium for $10, large for $15, and so on.
How you determine the price is up to you. But keep in mind that you will usually want to have similar-sized items within a similar price range, and possibly those of a similar material as well, if you choose this method of pricing.
If your items are all about the same size, one of the other methods will likely work better.
By price.
If your price differentiation is based solely on size, then it makes sense to categorize your items by price, such that you place all $5 items in the same bin or container, and $10 items in a separate bin or container.
However, this method as a whole doesn’t work if there is no correlation between size and price.
For instance, during the busy chaos of selling, it can quickly become confusing to potential buyers to see a 2″ (in) tall product placed together with a 7′ (ft) sculpture, both selling at the same price.
Artisans who make items with fluctuating dimensions, such as sculpture, may want to place the larger items in a prominent area of the booth, to draw in the crowds — while placing smaller and more affordable items close by.
By quality of material.
If you are using different types and quality of material (e.g., acrylic yarn, merino wool) to make similar-type items, then you might want to differentiate based on type/quality of material.
For instance, if your items are scarves of various materials, it would be wise to place silk scarves in a spot separate from handwoven wool scarves.
Similarly, if your items are embellished using different materials, differentiate them accordingly.
By color.
This method of differentiation isn’t very common, unless you have many items of the same color (for reference, see the photo above). Organizing by color works best if that is how you intend to display your items.
Additional things to consider:
Once you’ve chosen one (or more) of the above forms of organization, find different ways to differentiate the respective items. If your items are small enough to fit in containers (preferably those with handles and lids), consider tying bits of yarn or thread around the handles, each color representing a different category; or, if the items are larger, tie the yarn anywhere on the product. If that doesn’t work, using sticky tabs or Post-It notes with descriptions of your merchandise will keep everything in order. As long as you remember how you distinguish your items, things should go well. (And don’t forget to remind those helping you.)
During the event, it helps to have multiples of the same product in the same section of the booth — i.e., in a container under the table where the pieces are displayed, or behind a “partition.”
If you follow these relatively simple methods of organization, you will have a much easier time knowing that everything is in its proper place… until the next event.
How do YOU organize your inventory?
