Best Selling Crafts

It's smart to look not only at gross sales (the total invoice value of sales before deducting any expenses), but also net income (your gross sales minus all business expenses). Gross sales figures for different types of craft businesses will tell you which are the best selling crafts, that is who is selling the most in terms of dollar figures at an art and craft show, but net income figures will tell you who is actually bringing home the most money once they're covered all of their expenses. These are not necessarily the same people.

If you are proficient with several different types of craft media and trying to determine which types of crafts are the best selling crafts and, therefore, the smartest medium to focus on for your craft business, consider these statistics from the CODA Survey (note: although the CODA Survey is getting a bit dated, the craft industry is so rarely studied, it is still one of the better sources of data on the craft industry)

Gross Sales from Crafts (highest to lowest)	Net Income from Crafts (highest to lowest)
1. glass	1. glass
2. metal	2. metal
3. mixed media	3. other
4. other	4. leather
5. wood	5. enamel
6. clay	6. clay
7. textiles	7. wood
8. leather	8. plastics
9. plastics	9. mixed media
10. enamel	10. paper
11. organic	11. textiles
12. paper	12. organic

Jump down to read customers' comments about the types of crafts they like to buy

Comparing the gross sales and net income figures is important because, not only do you want to sell your crafts, you want to sell them at a good profit. So, the gross sales will give you a good idea of what are the best selling crafts in terms of the different media you may choose to work with, but the net income completes the story, showing you which professional crafters are taking home the most money at the end of the day.

For example, glass crafts are at the top of the gross income list; therefore, according to this survey, glass workers have the highest gross sales of all craft workers. They have the most cash in their cash boxes at the end of a show. This, however, is not the whole story. Glass crafts are also on the top of the net income list, meaning that glass crafters also take home the most income once they subtract expenses.

Comparing gross and net income gives you a clearer picture of the most profitable crafts than you would get simply by looking at the best selling crafts, or gross income.

For example, leather crafts appear toward the bottom (number 8) of the gross income list, meaning that leather workers make less in gross sales than many other crafters. However, when you look at the net income list, you'll see that leather crafts are number 4 in the top net income earners. That information tells you that although leather crafters may make less in total gross sales, they end up taking home more money after expenses than many other types of crafters who may sell a lot more but have higher operating expenses.

Some commonalities with the best selling crafts at the top of the gross and net income lists are:

• The highest earning crafts are not common crafts. Not everyone knows glassblowing or metalsmithing. They are skills that are not commonly held by the general public, so people don't look at these crafts thinking, "I could do that myself."
  
• The top selling craft media have more barriers to entry that ones that are lower on the lists. Barriers to entry are factors that make it difficult for competitors to start a similar business. The best selling crafts require specialized equipment (few people have metalsmithing or glass blowing equipment sitting around their basement) or specialized training. These are not crafts you pick up quickly and learn in an afternoon, and that makes it harder to competition to enter the field.
  
• While mixed media could mean any number of things, it implies that the crafter is proficient working with at least two different types of media. This makes their crafts more unique, and less easily copied by competitors or the general public because would-be competitors (or customers who might tend to think "I could make that myself.") would have to learn to work in and obtain tools and equipment for two different craft media in order to create similar items (this need to master two or more crafts may also explain the lower reported net incomes for mixed media artists).
  
• The materials that are used are generally seen to be valuable by the general public. Paper is at or near bottom of both lists. The material is not valued in the same way as other materials. Although you may make some incredibly beautiful items that require a great deal of skill to create, if you work in a medium that is not valued by the general public, you may struggle to make a good income.
  

Use these statistics as one piece of the puzzle when deciding on the direction of your craft business, but also choose to make items that are clearly well made and require a certain level of skill and proficiency, develop your own look and identity and consider focusing on a specific niche that differentiates your products from others. For example, if you make handmade soaps, you may consider using all organic ingredients; that would fit with an increased consumer awareness of health and environmental issues and differentiate you from all of the other handmade soap sellers.

While it's smart to look at statistics and trends, don't get too number bound. Assessing the best selling crafts as well as the most profitable crafts is smart before you launch your craft business; however, it also important to work in a medium that you enjoy. Whatever media you choose, you'll be working with it for a long time. If you choose something based partly on good business sense and partly on your passion for the work, you won't struggle to find the passion needed to sustain your business through any challenges you may face.

What Do You Like to Buy at Craft Shows?

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