What can you do if you love arts and crafts but don’t have the interest or ability to be a professional crafter? If you know all the best shows, markets and places to find quality crafts, you could become and agent for crafters.
An agent charges a fee or takes a percentage of the sale price (usually 5-15%) to find venues for crafters to sell their wares. Instead of spending their time figuring out how to get their pieces into catalogs, stores and shows, you do that work for them and let them spend their time creating more great arts and crafts.
The first step to becoming a crafters' agent is to become familiar with the various venues for selling crafts both locally and nationally. Research local markets, Christmas bazaars and stores that sell handmade items. Compile a list of websites and catalogs for craft sales. Contact festival organizers in your neighborhood and around the country. Other potential venues for crafts include church festivals, community festivals (including music festivals and holiday events), street fairs, expos, flea markets, mall kiosks and any place you might find arts and crafts for sale. Once you have your list, contact these venues, letting them know that you are a crafters' agent interested in placing some of your clients' products with them. Speak to the buyers who work at local shops and national chains and who are constantly on the lookout for new products to sell at their stores. If you can provide them with unique and interesting products made by your clients, you could earn a hefty commission on large or repeat orders.
Over time you will develop an eye for placing the right kinds of crafts in the right kinds of venues. As event organizers get to know you as an agent who can bring them quality products to sell, your network of potential sales venues will grow, making you even more valuable to your crafty clients.
Other services you can provide to clients as their agent include handling the paperwork and monetary aspects of their business. As the crafter's representative, you will negotiate contracts with stores, fill out paperwork necessary to get a booth at a craft show and submit applications and photos of their work to festival organizers across the country. You will also make sure payments for festival space get to the event organizers on time and that payments for sales get to your client- with your commission taken off the top, of course.
Once you build up enough clients, you can even create your own website, catalog or event to sell all the great products you represent.
Many agents also publish a yearly craft book featuring all of their clients, which they include as part of the yearly fee paid by crafters to be a member of their agency.