I am lucky enough to live near Amish country. It is always a really fun place to visit because it is always changing. The area has slowly been moving away from Amish arts and crafts and is becoming more of a shopping mecca for the upper-middle-class woman (expensive stuff). While I love to look at furniture and accessories that I can't afford, it is also fun to find places off the main road that are not swarming with tourists and have affordable goods.
If you want unique items that don't break the bank, craft malls are your best bet. My mom and I discovered one last year. Off the main road, tucked behind a few buildings, the craft mall seemed like it was a secret. Walking inside, you see booth after booth, aisle after aisle of crafts. Homemade furniture, baskets, holiday decorations, candles, knickknacks, wall art, jams, you name it. Last year, I moved into a new house and needed some Christmas decorations. My mom and I both found super cute stuffed snowmen to put on our fireplaces. Under $20! We stopped a few days ago, and while I was looking for fall decor, I came across another stuffed snowman I had to have. $7! And it was at least ten inches tall! My mom also found a snowman and a cute stuffed Santa.
It got me wondering - can a vendor make a profit selling at one of these booths? With prices as low as they are, the profit can't be too high plus they have to pay for use of the booth plus maybe even a commission to the craft mall. I started wondering if there were any kind of craft projects I could try to make and sell, provided there is any space for me. I might have to work on my decorative painting and come up with some ideas. :)
