by ROCHESTER, Minn. – For Petra Algadi, owner of Little Clay Bits, stepping into the bustling aisles of her first Rochester Spring Craft and Vendor Show, had her brimmed with anticipation and nervous excitement.
This recurring event, located at the Mayo Civic Center, draws in over 70 vendors and hundreds of customers.
Algadi, 22 of Stewartville, Minn., said the road to her craft-vendor debut was paved with equal parts determination and uncertainty, as she navigated the process of applying, planning and product selection.
This undertaking began back in January 2024 when Algadi received an email about the show. She decided to sign up as soon as registration opened.
The only requirements, she said, were $40 to reserve a booth at the complex and to sell handmade items.
Algadi says with these minimal preconditions and the support of family and friends, the decision to turn a hobby into a business venture, was easy.
“I had made quite a few handmade clay gifts for my friends and coworkers around Christmas time, and they were the ones who pushed me to sell it in person after that,” Algadi said.
Pricing proved to be a crucial aspect of her prep work. Algadi says, that balancing the value of her time and effort with market demand requires careful consideration and strategic planning.
The Little Clay Bits owner said, “I made sure to research the market by looking at other clay artists and postings on Etsy to see what the average price for small figurines is.” Etsy is a U.S.-based e-commerce website where independent vendors buy and sell items handmade items, such as jewelry, clothing, arts and crafts.
Upon further research, she crafted pricing strategies to reflect the quality and uniqueness of her creations, while remaining competitive in the busy marketplace.
“The cost of materials for clay making is quite low, so I mostly made sure to account for the time it takes to sculpt a piece. It can take me anywhere from 30 minutes to sometimes multiple hours to sculpt one figure,” Algadi said.
She ended up with the smallest figures selling at $5 each, her medium-sized items for $10 and the largest set for $15.
“I am a newer artist and wanted the pricing to be fair for customers at the show to make it accessible for them to get a piece if it sparked their interest,” she said.
As the day of the craft fair dawned, Algadi stood on the threshold of a new chapter in her artistic journey. She says with her booth meticulously arranged the night prior, she awaited the arrival of eager attendees, her heart fluttering with anticipation.
The moment the doors opened, Algadi says she was ready to showcase her talent and creativity to the world.
“The moment the craft show began, I naturally had some nerves. I questioned if my art was good enough to be sold or if anyone would be interested. However, before the show even officially opened to the public, I had made $50 in sales from other vendors,” Algadi said.
“This gave me a major boost in confidence and also helped me to connect with other artists and get a sense of which items I made would be popular. After that the nerves went away and it was a very enjoyable experience,” she continued.
As the sun set on the show, the Little Clay Bits owner reflected on the whirlwind experience with a sense of pride and fulfillment.
Algadi said, “This was my first time selling in person. I had no clue how it would go or if people would even buy them. So I was overjoyed with how much the attendees liked my creations.”
She says by closing time, her booth sold 50 items totaling a $385 profit.
Ultimately, the biggest gain to Petra wasn’t monetary, but connecting with vendors and exploring the world of creation through the lens of other crafters.
As for what’s next for Little Clay Bits.
Algadi says she’s working on rebuilding her collection to sell on Etsy and finding other opportunities to sell locally.
