Craft Show Jitters

I feel so out of touch. Years ago, I used to make crafts to sell at the
local craft shows and bazaars. I lived on the west coast back then and
the market there was very different from where I am now. I used to make
items that were specialty types and fetched a very nice price. Some
antique teddy bears that I would sew, dressed in reproduction fabrics,
would easily sell for $40 per bear. Living in rural Oklahoma and with
the current economy as it is, those bears would never sell at that price.

I am at a loss. I want to sell at the craft show that is going to take
place the day of the county's volunteer fire departments' chili cook-off
in June. The cook-off is an annual event, but this year is being made
into a much larger gathering. The craft show is only one of the new
events taking place in conjunction with the cook-off. The problem is
deciding on what to make and how much to charge per item. I haven't had
opportunity to attend any of the local craft shows in the past. I have
no idea what sells in our area. Unfortunately, there are no craft shows
that I am aware of taking place prior to this one that would still give
me time to make enough items to sell. So, what to do?

I am going to make items that, if not sold, would make nice gifts or
could be used in my own home. Crocheted dishcloths are a good start. I
have been wanting to make fabric or crocheted shopping bags. This will
be another option for me. There is one pattern that I have had for many
years of making a very light and simple drawstring tote for produce.
This bag is made of a very sheer fabric with a satin ribbon closure.
For those who don't like using plastic, it is a nice option. I am
wanting to focus the crafts around the conservation or "green" theme.
Not to be trendy, but because this is something that I believe in also.
I practice conservation as much as I can. To me, it is simply
exercising good stewardship over our resources. When I do end up using
plastic bags, I always save them for other purposes. Joe uses then as
trash bags on the truck quite a lot. I am also looking at the idea of
using them in place of yarn in some of my crocheting. I think the term
is called "plarn", which is what you get when you cut the plastic
shopping bags into strips and crochet them into a useful item.

As the time gets closer, I am sure that I will have more ideas. It is
just a bit unnerving at this point to realize just how out of touch I am
with the current crafting trends.