I had 6 fairs booked this year. Ive done 3, sales were bad to begin with, at last fair I broke even re table cost. I hope the last 3 make a profit.
How are your fairs going?
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No craft fairs for me this year… 
I haven’t done any fairs for a couple of years, I’ve done a few commissions and have a few repeat customers that have kept me going. I always enjoyed doing the fairs, especially the small school fairs but I don’t miss all the time and effort it takes to set up and take down. Good luck in your last 3 fairs, I hope all the Christmas shoppers are out in force. 
So far one down with several more to go but I am very picky about which I do (no school fairs for me). The one that I have done is the one I expect to be quietest and I took well over the table fee and have a couple of people considering potential commissions (potentially expensive commissions at that) so I’m happy.
I had a terrible one on Saturday just gone. It was in a school and they had stalls in the main hall but then I was out in the corridor in there reading corner. What a waste of time. That was my worst one so far. I have about another 4 to do so I’m hoping they are going to be good to make up.
Had a 2 day event last weekend - Saturday was dismal, lots of people but just browsers, no one spending. Sunday was a better day and I came away with a reasonable profit. Have got another few to go, hopefully people will start spending soon.
Raft fair corrected.
@PaulinesCrafts that souds horrid being in a corridor, my idea of a nightmare not being in the swing of the fair.
Good luck to everyone.
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It was horrible especially when they opened up the doors and the wind came rushing through. We thought the main entrance for customers was at the front of the school where I was situated but all the customers came in the back entrance and completely missed us.
I’ve done a few this year, some a bit better, some a lot worse than last year, but overall my craft fair sales are quite a bit down. Many of the fairs are the same as previous years, the footfall is there but folk seem reluctant to spend.
On the other hand, my online sales are much better - everywhere except here that is! - so it’s about the same in total for the year so far. If the trend continues, I’ll probably reduce the number of craft fairs next year and just do the better ones.
@PaulinesCrafts I hope you complained to the organisers.
We did complain about the lack of customers coming our way. They offered us a place within the hall but it was way too much up rooting of my stand so I had to stay where I was. They should have offered us those spaces long before it opened.
I certainly won’t be doing that one again.
Another question that popped into my head.
Im selling at a fair this weekend, they have a raffle going on and have asked stallholders to donate something.
What do you give? Something big and fabulous, something small, something you are sick of the sight of?
Something small and popular - I normally go for a pair of my blown glass earrings, the costs and time associated with making them isn’t immense and everybody seems to like them so they will probably get worn. I always make sure that my business card is included and obvious.
I have to admit I usually give something that I’ve had a while or if I just have one left of something I have sold well but haven’t remade I sometimes give that. As far as value is concerned I think it depends a bit on the craft fair, what the raffle is raising money for and how much you have already paid out for your table.
I went to give the lady the raffle donation and she said it wasn’t happening!The item went on the stall.
Don’t you just love heavy handed, curious kids handling the items you’ve spent hours lovingly making. I had this phrase in my head at one point today “You dare. You just dare!”
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I just calmly take the items from the kids’ sticky little mitts and put them back where they belong. It’s more effective than anything their parents might say to them…if they bother! I give mum/dad a quick glance at the same time - seems to do the trick
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I had my penultimate fair last week. I had to bite my tongue when I heard a fellow stall holder complain about how she was going to find time to make her 20+ orders!!
I took half the amount of money that the stall had cost me.
Anyhoo, as you can tell by my negative mood Im wondering if I should carry on crafting.
I have 1 fair left(tomorrow, most expensive payout, plus giving a raffle donation) if that doesn’t give me a 3 figure return I think I shall be having to tell myself that I need to stop crafting.
I have found that people are late starting their christmas shopping this year. The last 4 events I’ve done people have been buying birthday presents and treats for themselves (so not a disappointment saleswise) and when they have spotted my holly/pointesetta garland and gone ‘oh yeah I should start thinking about that’. I’ve got plenty of commissions to do but only 1 of them is a christmas present, this time last year they were all christmas presents. I’ve got 5 more fairs to do but one of the bigger ones is tomorrow (weather forecast white cloud, gentle breeze, 7C, kind of ideal given its outside) so I’m hoping that it reminds people that Christmas is 3 weeks away and they start shopping.
I wouldn’t recommend stopping crafting but maybe reconsider which markets you are doing and if they are the right ones for your product (the low sales would suggest to me that they aren’t the right fit for your items).
Time to finish the mug of tea and back to making someone’s honeymoon momento for me.
Sasha
I did 3 fairs this week, same event (ticketed) same venue, same amount of people. Monday was good, Tuesday was ok ( ish) and Wednesday I had no sales at all! It is so hard to tell where and when your sales are going to come but if you believe in your products and your prices then please don’t give up! I was selling my self published books and another stall was selling discount usborne books, I was fuming at first (it was a small fair, only 6 stalls so more of an event than a fair) but turned out no one bought any of the usborne books so I felt happier!
Maybe limit the amount of fairs you do to ones you think your art will really fit into? Xxx
Thanks for replies. Tomorrows fair is at a big school, Im assuming parents will show up, so Im taking things that youngsters may like and not bringing so many things for older people, plus not focusing too much on Xmas decs although they will need to show themselves as Ive made so many.
Well that was the best craft fair day Ive ever had!!
I had a steady flow of customer, sold 6 pocket mirrors to 1 lady! and 5 Xmas decorated bottles to to another.
I had 2 customers who asked for discount(which I reluctantly gave).
Id already reduced my prints by 50% and I still gave a discount on top of that, but how do you say no to a good sale!?
Overall Im still down re profits but its great to have 1 day that has a good return.
How are you all doing?
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