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For vendors · CalculatorVendor break-even calculator
Break-even sales = (booth fee + application fee + insurance + travel + supplies) ÷ (1 − your cost to make each item as a share of price). If an event costs $120 and materials are 40 percent of your price, you need $200 in sales before you make anything.
Updated November 15, 2026.
Calculator
Enter one event. Nothing you type leaves this page.
The defaults are placeholders. Replace them with the real booth fee and your own costs.
How to use the number
- Before you apply: ask the organizer how many shoppers came last year and how many vendors sold what you sell. Compare the break-even total with what other vendors say they sold.
- After the event: write down sales, the number of transactions and the hours you worked. After three or four events you will know which shows pay.
- For weekly markets: spread season costs such as annual insurance across all the market days you plan to work, and enter the per-day share.
Booth fees vary widely. See what vendor booths cost at farmers markets, craft fairs, state fairs and comic cons, and what vendor insurance costs.
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Start freeCommon questions
How do I know if a vendor event will be profitable?
Add up everything the event costs you (booth fee, application fee, insurance, gas, parking, supplies), then divide by the share of each sale you keep after the cost of making the item. That is the sales total you need just to break even. If you cannot see yourself selling that much there, skip the event.
What is a good booth fee compared to sales?
Judge it by what is left over. The calculator shows your break-even sales and your profit per hour at the sales you expect; a fee is fine if that hourly figure is worth your Saturday.
Should I count my time?
Yes. Divide your profit by the hours you spend, including loading, driving and setup. A show that clears $200 over 14 hours pays less than a weekday job; a show that clears $200 in 5 hours may be worth repeating.
What counts as the cost to make each item?
Materials, packaging and any per-item fees. If you pay card processing fees as a percentage, add that percentage too.
More guides
- Craft fair vendor checklistEverything to pack for a craft fair or market, as a printable checklist.
- How much a vendor booth costsReal booth fees at farmers markets, craft fairs, state fairs and comic cons, plus booth sizes.
- Craft fair and vendor insurance costWhat vendor liability insurance costs per year and per event, and what shows ask for.
- Are craft shows worth it?How to judge a show before you pay the booth fee, and what to track after.
- How to have a successful vendor boothSetup, pricing, talking to shoppers and follow-up that turn a booth into repeat sales.
- Vendor booth ideas and displaysLayouts, displays, height, color and small touches that make a 10x10 booth stand out.
- Vendor booth lightingLighting a booth at night or at a craft show with no electricity.
- Vendor booth signs and bannersWhat your banner, price signs and payment signs should say, and what sizes work.
- Cottage food laws by statePermits, sales caps and label rules for selling homemade food in all 50 states and DC.
- Can I sell it?Permit answers for baked goods, lemonade, coffee, dog treats, crafts and more.
- Food truck permits by stateWho issues them, what they cost and how long they take.
- Find a farmers market7,000+ markets by state and city.
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