Would you like to make money without selling anything or getting a job? Did you know that you can enter items in county fairs and win money and ribbons? For over 20 years, we have been entering our stuff in our local county fair. This is the fast and simple way we make money every year. Over the years, we have made over $1500 just from entering stuff that we already had!
We explained how you can enter items in our previous post: Make Extra Money This Summer With This One Simple Tip.
In this post, we want to share with you some of our recent entries, and show you how much money you can make from simple things that you already own.
Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links. This just means that we make a little money if you buy something through one of our links. It does not cost you any more to purchase an item through our links. It just helps support this blog so we can continue to bring you more content like this.
Make Money at the County Fair
Every county fair has different rules and different categories available for entry.
You should check with the county fairs near you to see what you can enter.
Some of the categories that our fair has to offer are:
- antiques (items at least 50 years old)
- crafts
- artwork
- photographs
- needlework
- food
- floriculture
1. Horsman Doll
I entered this doll in the antiques category.
We found this doll for $3.99 at a thrift store and bought her thinking that she might be worth something.
Turns out that she wasn’t worth anything, so I entered her in the fair.
She got 1st place which is $7.00. So, I made the money back that I spent on her, and made a few dollars extra!
Also pictured are some antique pull toys and a Lassie cup. We made money on these items as well.
2. Scrapbook Pages
Scrapbook pages fall under the crafts department.
I have been entering my scrapbook pages for years.
Two of these pages were from scrapbooks I had made about 6 years ago. Two of them are for future scrapbooks that I intend to make.
The smaller food scrapbook page is from my scrapbook recipe binder.
See how you can make your own recipe binder in our post: Make Your Own Recipe Binder: Scrapbook Style.
For scrapbook pages, 1st place is $6.00 and 2nd place is $5.50.
It is an easy way for me to make money because a lot of times, I already have the scrapbook pages made!
3. Wooden Puzzles
These are another antique that I usually enter.
I really liked wooden puzzles when I was a kid, so I like buying them. I buy them at garage sales if they are interesting and $1 or less.
Some of them I keep, and then I sell the rest on ebay.
I make money on puzzles twice when I enter them into the fair and sell them on ebay!
Second place is $6.00 and 4th place is $4.00.
If you are interested in selling your items on ebay after you make money on them at the fair, check out our ebay posts.
4. Table Place Setting with flower arrangement
This entry falls under a section of the floriculture department.
Basically, for this category, you have to create a table place setting and have at least some type of fresh flowers.
Last year, Jessica placed 5th with the nautical dishes. This year she moved up to 2nd with the fancy dishes!
Even putting a little bit of money into the display, she came out ahead.
5th place is $10, but this year for 2nd place, she received $25!
It doesn’t take a lot to set up, just some imagination.
Plus, if you already have dishes and grow your own flowers, you don’t have to put any money into it!
5. Photographs
There is an entire department dedicated to photographs.
You don’t have to be a professional photographer.
Some of the photos that we have won on were taken with an iPhone 5, so you don’t have to have a super expensive camera to do well.
Photographs are nice to enter if you like taking pictures or just happen to have a really nice shot that was hard to get.
First place in photography is $12, and we usually just print our pictures at home to save money.
6. Artwork
If you are artistic or have kids who have a lot of artwork, it is a good category to enter.
Adult artwork receives $12 for 1st place.
Kids earn less money, but at our fair, all young kids get honorable mention ribbons even if they don’t win.
My kids have made a lot of money by entering artwork over the years.
My oldest daughter still enters her artwork and usually wins every year!
7. Ceramics
If you are in a ceramics class or one of your children makes ceramics in art class at school, this is a fun category to enter.
These were made by Jessica in a ceramics class in high school.
Since she had to make them for school, she didn’t have to do anything but enter them!
8. Recycled Art
At our fair, recycled art is a category in the crafts department.
I found this dollhouse at a garage sale for $2.
It was empty and colored on.
I painted it and made all the furniture and accessories from junk around the house.
It won 1st place, and then I donated it to a Christmas store for underprivileged children.
Related Posts:
How to Have a Successful Garage Sale
Beginner’s Guide to Start Selling on Ebay
