I just finished 3 days as a vendor in Lake LA at a small carnival. It was the first year this carnival had vendors, and I wasn’t sure how well it was going to go. But it was $30 for all three days and I figured I would go Friday, see how it was, and decide whether to do the other two days after that.
Day one did not go great. I brought in $19 total, which was sadly about what gasoline costs me to drive there and back home again twice. I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt though that maybe most families would come out on Saturday.
Saturday I think I brought in about $49. At this point, I had paid for gas all three days, the space fee, and materials to make what I sold with an $8 profit. I figured I’d do Sunday too because at that point anything else I sold would be mostly profit.
Sunday was long. 1pm to 8pm-ish. I was there at 1230 to get set up and was ready to do business at 1pm. At 3pm the carnival was just opening, despite being advertised as a 1pm start. Some people were very unhappy about the delay.
I had 2 small sales early on in the day and then nothing for hours. I did a lot of socializing with my fellow vendors. Around 630pm, things picked up and I started making more sales, ending with the biggest one of the weekend right as I started packing up.
All told, I brought in $123, which after all my costs (travel, space fee, materials) I actually made about $60. Not great, but better than nothing.
My poor little introverted heart is exhausted though and needs a vacation. A vacation where there’s no other people… Lol.