Although crime has been around since the dawn of man, there’s no reason why you have to make yourself an easy target for the next criminal. Thieves WILL target craft fairs in anticipation of naïve people who are unusually trustworthy.
How can you protect yourself, your money, and your inventory? Consider these easy tips.
• Keep your money on your person. Don’t have a money box or bag you “hide” in your booth.
• Be especially alert at set-up and break-down when there is a lot of commotion.
• Jewelers with gold and precious stones: You should have at least one or more additional people with you at shows. If you feel you are being cased during a show, alert the staff.
• Trust your instincts.
• Consider using dummy bags to carry your merchandise or money in.
• Don’t register in your hotel under your show name.
• Don’t take a first-floor hotel room or a room near the elevator or stairs.
• Fill up with gas the last morning of the show so that when you leave, you will go far before having to stop.
• Keep a disposable camera in your booth, and take a picture of someone you think is causing your stall. Bad guys don’t want to be seen and remembered.
• During daily set-up and take-down, always keep your merchandise on your person or securely locked to an immovable object.
• Don’t allow anyone to take what is rightfully yours.
• Accept Credit Cards, thereby reducing carrying a lot of cash.
• Be careful about hiring non-show people who happen to be around at set-up and offer to help you for a
twenty.
• We always recommend removing your work from your booth at night, even though most shows provide overnight security.
• Don’t leave tempting items in your cabin overnight: cameras, radios, briefcases, etc.
• Lock your vehicle! Remember to lock the back and side doors of your parked trucks and vans.
Once the craft fair ends, what do you do next? The answer is – A LOT! Read on in the rest of the parts:
We hope you enjoy this full craft fair guide to sell your crafts at craft fairs; this is the Part Twelve, find the full parts here:
