Craft Fair Break-Even Calculator
A craft fair is a fixed cost before you sell anything. Enter your event costs and your average sale to see how many items you need to sell just to break even — and what you'd make on a slow, expected or strong day.
Event breakdown
Day scenarios
| Scenario | Sales | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| Slow day | 20 | $170.00 |
| Expected day | 40 | $590.00 |
| Strong day | 60 | $1,010.00 |
The formula
Your fixed event cost is everything you spend to be there (booth, travel, display, staff). Your contribution per item is your average selling price minus your average unit cost and payment fee. Divide the fixed cost by the contribution to find how many sales you need before you start making money.
Worked example
Booth $150, travel $60, display $40 = $250.00 fixed. Average sale $35, unit cost $14, 2.5% payment fee. Contribution per item = $20.13. Items to break even = 13. At 40 expected sales, profit = $555.00.
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Frequently asked questions
How many items do I need to sell at a craft fair?⌄
At minimum, enough to cover your fixed event costs. This calculator divides your total event cost by the profit you make on each average sale to find that break-even number.
What counts as a fixed event cost?⌄
Everything you spend to attend regardless of sales: booth fee, travel, accommodation, display materials, paid help, and any other event-specific cost. Don't include the cost of the products themselves — that's in the unit cost.
What's contribution per item?⌄
Your average selling price minus your average unit cost and the payment fee on that sale. It's what each sale contributes toward covering your fixed costs.
How do I know if a fair is worth doing?⌄
Compare your expected sales profit to the time and risk involved. If your expected profit is close to zero or negative, the fair may not be worth it — or you need a higher average price or lower event costs.