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Craft Show Inventory Planner

Enter your products, prices, and show size to get recommended quantities. Stop guessing how much to bring.

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How to Plan Inventory for a Craft Show

This free craft show inventory planner helps vendors decide exactly how much stock to bring based on show size, number of days, product prices, and past sales data. Enter your products with their price points and optionally how many you sold at your last show. Select the show size and number of days, and the planner recommends a quantity for each item — including a 20% buffer for unexpected demand and display stock.

The core formula is: Base Quantity multiplied by Show Multiplier multiplied by Day Factor plus Buffer. Small local fairs use a 1.0x multiplier, mid-size craft shows use 1.5x, large conventions use 2.5x, and major cons like Gen Con or Anime Expo use 4.0x. Multi-day shows use a day factor of 1.7x for two days and 2.3x for three days, since attendance drops on later days.

How Much Inventory Should I Bring to My First Craft Show?

For your first show, use conservative base quantities: 30 units for low-price items ($5-$15), 15 units for mid-price items ($20-$50), and 5 units for premium items ($75+). It is better to slightly understock and take ship-later orders than to overstock by hundreds of dollars. Track everything so your second show is far more accurate.

The Price Tier Strategy

Different price points sell at very different rates. Low-price items ($5-$15) are impulse buys and should make up 40-60% of your total unit count. Mid-price items ($20-$50) are your bread and butter at 30-40% of units. Premium items ($75+) move slowly but drive the highest per-unit profit — plan for 10-20% of your total count and display them prominently.

What to Do When You Sell Out Mid-Show

Even with careful planning, your best seller might run out on day one of a two-day show. Instead of losing those sales, take ship-later orders at your booth. Customers pay on the spot and you ship the item after the show. This strategy also lets you intentionally bring 10-15% less inventory to save on transport while still capturing full demand through order-taking.

Related Resources

  • Plan Inventory for a Craft Show Without Guessing — Full guide with the formula, 80/20 rule, and feedback loop
  • How Much Inventory to Bring to a Craft Show — Product-specific quantity breakdowns
  • Craft Show Profit Calculator — Make sure the show is worth attending before you pack