Here’s an idea where you may be scratching your head and asking yourself, how can you make money with your hobbies? Well, as it turns out, it really isn’t that hard at all. Let me see if I can paint a picture for you. During the Christmas season there tends to be a lot of craft fairs. In fact, pick any time of year and think about any outdoor or indoor market you have seen. This can be a Farmer’s Market or any kind of seller’s market.
What do you see at these events?
Well, off the top of my head you’ll see farmers selling produce, there’s probably someone selling honey, home baking, jams and jellies, various kinds of arts and crafts, and you should be getting some kind of picture by now. Toss in a candle maker, jewelry maker, a couple of resellers offering products they have bought elsewhere and are ‘flipping’ for a little bit more and you have a whole lot of people in the same place selling products that have come from their hobbies.
If you have any opportunity to get to know someone who vends at any of these events you will discover each and every one of them are making some great cash doing what they love and since it is hobby-based, it is not like working a regular job. I know a vendor who makes home-made jams and jellies that vended at an outdoor weekly market last summer and made an average of $200 per four hour event. That’s $50 per hour!
This is just one perfect example where knitters, crafters, bakers and other makers of things can turn the time they spend enjoying their passion into some form of extra income. But there are even more great ideas.
What if you aren’t crafty at all?
Maybe you are a writer or a photographer or a singer. These are hobbies that can easily turn into a part-time stream of income. All you have to do it package yourself up and start looking for vending opportunities. Regardless of the time of year there will be somewhere you can set up and sell. It is typically better to be at an established market as the table rental fee you will be asked to pay will likely cover a portion of advertising and insurance. That leaves whatever you make at your table or booth to be all yours!
Even if your hobby is collecting things, there is great income earning potential in reselling any kind of collectable with the scales tipped towards sports collectables. Hockey, baseball and football cards are great hobby-sellers as are any other kind of souvenir related to sports teams.
So how do you get started?
First, take a look at what hobbies you have and determine if any of them can be turned into a vending opportunity. Once you decide on this, look for vending events where you can set up a booth in your area or region. Look into the guidelines of the vending event you choose to participate in to make sure your product is acceptable, carry the necessary permits and licenses, if required, and sell!
Search online, contact your local Chamber of Commerce or ask around in your community for leads on upcoming events and book accordingly. You could discover that the hobby you had been keeping to yourself may turn into a great part-time job returning a nice income to get you busy enough to still have fun enjoying that hobby.