Was that fair worth it?
Booth fee, the drive, your hours, the materials in what you sold — this adds up what the day really cost and tells you straight: go back, negotiate, or skip it. Save each fair and compare them side by side. Everything stays in your browser.
The day, in numbers
That is one fair. The season is the question.
This figures a single day. Which fairs are worth going back to is a different question, and it needs them side by side with your real material costs — not a guess at a percentage. That is what an account is for: MadeKeeper keeps every fair you work, ranks them by what they actually paid per hour, and remembers the booth position and the weather, so a wet Saturday reads as a wet Saturday next year.
It also means the numbers stop being something you retype. MadeKeeper already knows your materials, so you can pull a recipe straight into the maths and move it around — take that twelve-foot run to fourteen, or a queen quilt up to a king, and see exactly what the extra material costs before you quote it.
Is a craft fair worth it? The honest math
Most vendors judge a fair by the cash box at the end of the day. But the cash box hasn't paid the booth fee, bought the gas, replaced the materials, or paid you. A $840 Saturday can be a great day or a break-even day — it depends entirely on the fee, the drive, and the hours. That's the whole reason this calculator exists: same math for a craft fair, a farmers market stall, or a holiday bazaar, so you can spend next season at the venues that actually pay.
How do I know if a craft fair was worth it?
Count everything the day cost you, not just the booth fee: the booth, the miles at the IRS rate, the materials in what you sold, and your hours. Subtract it all from sales for true profit, divide by hours, and compare against what your time is worth. Clear your rate: go back. Close: negotiate the fee or a better spot. Not close: skip it.
What costs should craft fair vendors count?
Four at minimum: booth/table fee (plus application fee), round-trip mileage at the IRS standard rate — 76¢/mile for July–December 2026 — the materials in what you sold, and your time including setup and teardown. Lodging and food count too on overnight shows; add them to the booth fee line.
What's a good profit per hour at a fair?
Whatever beats your own floor. There's no magic industry number, and anyone who quotes one is guessing — set what your time is worth (the default here is $20/hr, change it) and hold every venue to it.
Does this work for farmers market vendors?
Yes — the math is identical for any booth, stall, or table where you pay to sell. Save each market day and the ranking shows which venues carry your season.
Can I save my fairs here?
Not on this page — it figures one fair at a time and keeps nothing. Saving a season of them, ranked by what each one actually paid per hour, is what a MadeKeeper account does, and it can cost each fair against your real materials instead of a percentage. Nothing you type here is uploaded or stored.