How do I know if a craft show was profitable?

Subtract all expenses (booth fee, travel, materials, food, card reader fees) from your total sales. If the number is positive, you made money. But profitability is more than that. Factor in your time: if you spent 20 hours prepping inventory, 10 hours at the show, and made $100 profit, your effective hourly rate was $3.33. Use the profit tracker above to log every show so you can compare and spot patterns.

What expenses should I track for a craft fair?

Booth or table fee, travel (gas, tolls, parking, or airfare), lodging if overnight, materials and inventory cost (what you spent making what you brought), food during the show, card reader fees (Square takes 2.6% + $0.10), signage and display materials, and any helper pay. Most vendors forget to count their food and display costs, which can add $50 to $100 per show.

How many items do I need to sell to break even?

Divide your total expenses by your average item price. If your booth costs $150, travel is $50, and materials are $200, your break-even is $400 in total expenses. At $25 per item, you need to sell 16 items just to break even. The pre-show estimate tab in the calculator above does this math for you.

How do I compare shows to decide which ones to return to?

Track the same metrics for every show: total expenses, total sales, profit, and ROI percentage. ROI is the best comparison metric because it accounts for different expense levels. A show where you spent $200 and made $600 (200% ROI) is better than one where you spent $800 and made $1200 (50% ROI), even though the raw profit was higher at the second show. The history tab compares all your shows automatically.

What ROI should I aim for at craft shows?

Most experienced vendors aim for at least 100% ROI (doubling their investment). Below 50% and you should question whether the show is worth your time. Above 200% is a great show you should definitely return to. First-time shows often have lower ROI because of display and setup investments you will reuse.

Should I count my time as an expense?

For show comparison, no. Keep labor separate from show-specific costs so your ROI comparison stays clean across events. But for your overall pricing strategy, absolutely. If your hourly rate at shows drops below $15/hour after expenses, you may be underpricing. Use our commission calculator to check your pricing.

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Estimate your break-even before a craft fair, log actual sales after, and compare which shows are actually making you money.

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How to track craft show profitability

Most craft vendors track sales but not profit. They know they made $800 at a show but not whether they actually took home money after the booth fee, gas, parking, hotel, food, materials, and Square fees. The difference between an $800 day and $47 profit after expenses is the reason vendors burn out.

The expenses you forget to count

Card reader fees (2.6% of every sale), gas and tolls, parking at the venue ($10 to $30), meals during the show ($20 to $40), display materials you bought specifically for this show, helper pay if someone watched your booth during bathroom breaks, and the cost of inventory that did not sell but had to be transported. The most common mistake is only counting the booth fee and materials.

Why ROI matters more than raw profit

A $500 profit at a show that cost you $1000 to attend (50% ROI) is worse than a $200 profit at a show that cost you $100 (200% ROI). The second show is more efficient, meaning you can do more of them for less risk. Track ROI per show and you will quickly see which events deserve your time and which are draining your business.

Related guides

Deep dives and cost breakdowns for this topic.

Are You Actually Making Money at Cons?

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Most convention vendors count gross sales, not profit. Here's how to calculate what you really earned after table fees, travel, materials, and time.

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