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Should I Book This Craft Fair?

Before you pay for a booth, see what this event would need to sell to cover its costs — and to reach the profit and hourly pay you want. Everything uses your numbers. Nothing here predicts how many shoppers will come or what you'll sell.

Your typical order

These apply to every event you compare.

What one customer typically spends with you in one purchase, before any sales tax. Use your own sales records if you have them.

What the products in one typical order cost you. Use your own records or estimate. Enter 0 only if that cost really is $0.

Bags, wrapping, tags. Leave blank if none.

Applied to every order. If some customers pay cash, this may overstate your fees.

Your targets (optional)

What would make an event worth it to you? Leave these blank to see only what it needs to cover its costs.

Your own number, after event and product costs. Enter 0 to aim for break-even.

What you want to earn for each hour you enter for the event.

Event A

So you can tell events apart.

Event costs

Enter 0 if there's no fee.

Fuel, mileage, parking, tolls. Leave blank if none.

Time this event takes (optional)

Add your hours to see your total time and hourly results. Once you enter any time, blank time fields count as 0.

Hours the event is open.

Packing, signs, admin. Add making time too if you want it counted.

Needs more information

Start with your typical order and this event's booth fee to see what it would need to sell.

What this event needs

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Results use only the numbers you entered and assume every order matches your average. They don't predict attendance or sales. Amounts are before sales tax.

All calculations are estimates based on average platform fees. Real profits may vary depending on category, ads, and shipping.

Free worksheet for your next step

Use this worksheet to turn material costs and time into a real price.

  • PlannerHandmade

    Craft Fair Profit Planner

    A printable, fill-in-by-hand planner with 13 planning sections for event budgeting and booth costs, inventory planning, product pricing, sales goals, break-even calculations and estimated event profit. Prepare for event day, review actual results after the fair and choose your next actions. Worked examples are teaching assumptions, not current marketplace fee rates, universal benchmarks or guaranteed outcomes.

    Open the planner →
  • ChecklistHandmade

    Craft Fair Packing Checklist

    A printable packing and setup checklist for craft fairs, maker markets and holiday markets — pack, set up, open and pack down without relying on memory.

    Open the checklist →
  • WorkbookHandmade

    Craft Fair Post-Event Review Workbook

    A printable workbook for after a craft fair or market — record your results and time, note what sold and what you noticed, and decide for yourself whether to book the event again.

    Open the worksheet →

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter your numbers in each field above — the calculator updates instantly as you type, so there's nothing to submit.
  2. Use your real figures when you have them, or sensible estimates while you're planning. If a field doesn't apply, leave it at zero.
  3. Compare the results, then change one input at a time to see how each lever (price, cost, fees, volume) moves the outcome.

Formula

Kept per order = average order value − product cost − packaging − (average order value × payment fee %) · Orders needed = event costs (+ your target) ÷ kept per order, rounded up · Sales needed = orders needed × average order value

Worked example

Example numbers: average order $30, product cost $8, packaging $1, payment fee 3%. Booth $150 and travel $25. Time: 6 selling hours, 2 setup, 1 travel, 1 prep. Profit target $200.

  1. Payment fee per order = $30 × 3% = $0.90; kept per order = $30 − $8 − $1 − $0.90 = $20.10
  2. Event costs = $150 + $25 = $175
  3. Orders to cover costs = $175 ÷ $20.10 = 8.71 → 9 orders (about $270 in sales)
  4. Orders to reach the $200 profit target = $375 ÷ $20.10 = 18.66 → 19 orders (about $570 in sales)

Answer: 9 orders to cover this event's costs · 19 orders to reach the $200 profit target, using these example numbers

How it works

This tool works in orders rather than items, because at a booth one customer often buys more than one thing. You enter what a typical order is worth and what it costs you, then the costs of one event. It shows how many orders the event would need to cover those costs, and to reach a profit target or hourly pay you set yourself.

If you have a reason for a sales number, such as past results at the same event, you can add it as an estimate and check it against your targets. You can also compare up to three events side by side. Highlights compare the numbers you entered; they don't rank events overall.

How to interpret your results

  • Dollar values are shown per sale, per order, or per item unless a result is explicitly labelled monthly, weekly, or daily.
  • Percentages (margin, ROI, conversion rate) are easier to compare across products and price points than raw dollars — use them when you benchmark.
  • A positive result means you're ahead after the costs and fees you entered. A negative result means the current numbers don't work — change a lever (raise price, cut a cost, lower ad spend) and recalculate.
  • Treat the output as a planning estimate, not a guarantee. Fees, taxes, and conversion rates shift over time — re-run the numbers whenever a key input changes.

Common mistakes

  • Using the price of one item as the average order value when customers usually buy more than one.
  • Leaving out travel, lodging or display costs that you would only spend because of this event.
  • Entering a sales estimate without a reason for the number.
  • Forgetting that the hourly figure covers only the hours you entered, not time spent making products.

Related Guides

Go deeper with plain-English guides on the same topic.

FAQ

Does this tell me whether to book a craft fair?
It shows what the event would need to sell to cover its costs and reach your own targets. If you add a sales estimate, it checks that estimate against your targets. The decision stays yours — the tool can't predict attendance or sales.
How is this different from the Craft Fair Break-Even Calculator?
The Break-Even Calculator counts how many products cover your event costs. This tool works in orders, adds your profit and hourly-pay targets and your total time, and lets you compare up to three events.
What should I use for average order value?
Ideally, your own past sales: total sales divided by the number of customer purchases. If you don't have history, try a few values and see how sensitive the result is.
Why orders instead of items?
At a booth, people often buy more than one item. Counting orders matches how sales happen and how payment fees apply. Use the Break-Even Calculator if you'd rather count items.
Does it include sales tax?
No. Enter amounts before sales tax. The Craft Fair Profit Calculator can help with tax after the event.
Is the hourly figure my real wage?
It's your estimated profit divided by the event hours you entered. It doesn't count time making your products unless you add it to prep hours.

Why trust this calculator?

This tool uses standard mathematical formulas and commonly accepted calculation methods, shown openly in the Formula section above so you can verify the math yourself. Results are estimates based on the information you enter and do not account for every individual circumstance. For important financial, tax, legal, medical, or business decisions, please double-check with a qualified professional before acting on the numbers.

What to calculate next

Numbers don't work? Check what your prices cover. See how bundle pricing changes what an order is worth. After the event: work out what it actually earned.

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