Sorry this reply is a bite late, I just received a whole bunch of posts from MSN, they seem to 'hoard' the posts, then throw them at you a week or two later
I have products in a craft shop with a similat set-up as you described. In my experience it is worthwhile if you have a quick turnover, but the longer your projects stay there, the more damages and breakages you have. It gets worse during busy times like Christmas. The items get handled a lot and many people seem to test the strength of a product by trying to break it. I have had clock inserts nicked out of -and hands broken off clocks, delicate scrollwork dropped on the floor and items of softer wood dented and scratched. You might just want to be very selective of the items you put on the shelves for starters.