1. Thou shalt not counterfeit thy neighbors work.

Someone said, “Imitation is the ultimate flattery” but many artists and crafters think that imitation is akin to theft.

Artists work hard to come up with original designs.  It’s the art in arts and crafts.

Copying inhibits diversity of design and too much of the same thing is boring for customers.

2. Thou shalt not hawk thy wares.

Colorful barkers might be at home at a carnival but they are out of place at an arts and crafts show.

Most people do not appreciate a hard sell.

Now only is barking in poor taste, but it diverts customers attention away from adjoining booths, spoiling sales.

Besides, the work and display should speak for itself.

3. Thou shall not encroach on common space.

The space in front of your booth it common space.  It is reserved for customers. When a crafter places a rack or any other display in the common space he is stealing space that was not paid for and he is disrupting the flow of traffic, unfairly distracting from neighboring booths.

4. Thou shall maintain an even and upbeat temperament regardless of weather, attendance or other uncontrollable factor.

Customers can pick up on a foul mood and it tends to diminish their experience and impulse to purchase.  No to mention it can drag down the mood of the neighbors.

5. Thou shalt not broadcast loud noises, music, sound effects or ball games.

Any sound that exceeds the ambient sound level of the crowd can be annoying for customers and other crafters alike.  Even soft music can be clearly heard in the next booth.  Try an imagine what it would be like if everyone played music.  Probably not much nicer than if everyone was hawking goods.

6. Thou shalt not engage other crafters in conversation when there are customers in their booth.

Socializing with other artists/crafters is a big part of the craft show experience.  However it is rude to socialize when they are trying to make sales.  Pick a time when there is a lull in activity such as Sunday morning.

7. Thou shall not buy and sell cheesy imported or domestic products and deem them thine own work.

When you buy and then sell others work you are nether neither an artist nor a crafter.

Please keep it at the flea market where it belongs.

8.  Thou shalt maintain thy booth for the duration of the show.

Late comers deserve the opportunity to enjoy the show just as much as those who came early.

It is disruptive to begin tearing down a half hour early, even if you are sold out.  Besides, that one big sale could come five minutes after the close of the show.

9. Thou shalt leave unruly animals, children and others at home.

No one, especially the buying public, appreciates wailing children, snarling pets or bickering adults.

10.  Thou shalt not fetch thine chariot until thy booth is total dismantled and entirely ready to pack.

It is extremely rude to make someone wait who is ready to pack when you are not. Why should others have to carry their goods and supplies a distance to their vehicle when you are not fully ready to pack?  Tearing down and packing should be 2 separate operations.