Sell Your Handmade Work on Main Street Without Opening a Store
You make things by hand. Maybe it is pottery, crochet, woodworking, jewelry, or art for the wall. Sooner or later, every maker asks the same question: where can I sell this? Opening a store is a big leap. Selling from home eats into your crafting time. Weekend craft fairs mean a lot of hauling for a few days of sales.
The Feathered Unicorn is a handmade craft shop in downtown Cañon City, Colorado, built for makers like you. Local artists and crafters rent booth and shelf space in our Main Street store, and we sell their work to shoppers every day we are open.
Our team put together the top reasons makers choose to become vendors with us. We counted them down from eight to one, and we saved the best for last.
What Being a Vendor Looks Like
Before the countdown, here is a quick look at how vendor life works at our shop. You bring the handmade work. We bring the storefront, the shoppers, and the support.
Your Space
- Choose Your Fit
Booth, shelf, cabinet, or floor space sized to the work you make - Your Display
Set up and decorate your space the way you want shoppers to see it
We Run the Store
- Doors and Register
We open the doors, ring up sales, and wrap and bag every purchase - No Building to Manage
No lease, utility bills, or repairs for you to worry about
Sell All Year
- Always on Display
Your work stays on our floor every day the shop is open - Monthly Payments
Sales payments go out on the fifth of each month
A Maker Community
- A Real Voice
Our makers meet regularly and help shape how the shop grows - Your Own Web Page
Every vendor under contract gets a profile page on our website
#8: Be a Vendor, Not a Store Owner
Owning a store means paying for a whole building. Then come the utility bills, the repairs, and the upkeep that never ends. As a vendor, you skip all of that. You rent only the space your work needs, and we take care of the building.
Our spaces come in a few shapes, so you can pick the one that fits what you make.
Booths
Room to build a full display that tells the story of your work.
Shelves
A great fit for smaller pieces, or for makers taking their first step into a shop.
Cabinets
A tidy home for small items and a safe spot for anything valuable or fragile.
Floor Space
Space for larger pieces like furniture, woodwork, or garden art.
Once you have your space, the display is yours. Decorate it, arrange it, and change it as often as you like.
#7: No More Selling From Home
Selling from home comes with hidden costs. Boxes, bubble wrap, shipping labels, and trips to the post office add up fast. With a space in our shop, all of that goes away. If you make it, we will display it, and shoppers will buy it right here in the store.
Your living room also gets to stay your living room. Shoppers come to us, not to your front door.
#6: More People Will See Your Work
A booth in our shop puts your creations in front of far more people than a table at home ever could. We sit in the walkable downtown shopping district, steps from local coffee shops and lodging. Neighbors stop in on their errands, and travelers exploring the Royal Gorge region wander in to see what is new.
More exposure leads to more chances to show off your talent. Your profile page on our website keeps working for you, too. New fans can find your name and the other places you sell long after they leave the shop.
#5: More Time to Create
When we handle the selling, you get your time back. That means more hours at the wheel, the loom, or the workbench, and fewer hours managing sales.
Your home crafting space gets a break as well. Finished pieces no longer have to sit stacked in a closet or piled on the kitchen table. They come to the shop, where they belong, and you get room to make something new.
#4: Craft All Day, Sell All Year
Craft shows can be fun, but they are a lot of work. You haul the tables, set up the tent, and pack it all back up for just a weekend or two of sales. At an outdoor show, one windy afternoon can undo a whole morning of setup.
As a vendor at The Feathered Unicorn, your work is on display all year long. You keep crafting at home, and your space keeps selling while you do.
#3: Shoppers Who Love to Browse
Not everyone loves shopping online. Plenty of people still want to walk the aisles, pick something up, and find that one-of-a-kind gift they did not know they needed. Those are the shoppers who walk through our doors.
We carry handmade work only, with no antiques, vintage, or resale items. That means our shoppers come in looking for exactly what you make. Whether it is a birthday, a holiday, a wedding, or just a Tuesday, you can create something unique for any occasion, and our shoppers love to explore, discover, and shop small.
#2: You Do Not Have to Do It All
Selling on your own means you are the maker, the marketer, the cashier, and the shipping department. In our shop, you get to hand most of that off. We take care of the work that pulls you away from creating.
Promotion
We promote the shop and announce what is new, so shoppers know to come see your work.
Sales
Our staff greets shoppers, answers questions, and rings up every purchase.
Wrapping and Bags
We provide the gift wrap and bags, so you never have to stock your own.
Payments
Your sales are tracked for you and paid out each month.
A Few Hours a Month
Vendors spend a few hours each month in the shop, always alongside a paid employee. It keeps you connected to the customers and the other makers.
Learn how vendor hours work
And the #1 Reason: A Place to Belong
We are more than a place to sell. We are a place to belong. Whether you are just starting out or have been crafting for years, you will be encouraged, appreciated, and supported here by people who love handmade as much as you do.
Our makers meet regularly and have a real say in how the shop grows. The classroom at the back of our store gives makers a place to gather, create, and share what they know. You are not renting from a landlord. You are joining a community.
Ready to Join Our Maker Community?
If any of these reasons sound like you, we would love to talk. Spaces are open to local artists and crafters whose work is handmade, and we will help you find the space that fits what you create.
Start by reading how to become a vendor, then look over our getting started policy so you know what to expect. You are also welcome to stop by the shop in downtown Cañon City first. Walk the floor, ask questions, and picture your work on our shelves. We would rather you ask than guess.
