When you’re deciding which craft fairs or markets to sell at, how do you choose? How do you find out about fairs? Where do you look? Do you always visit first? Do you consider visitor numbers, which other stallholders will be there, if there’s going to be vintage?
If you want to pick up some tips on how to choose the best markets for your work, we’re running a #folksyhour special tonight over on Twitter from 8-9pm – where guests experts will be joining in to share their knowledge. It would be brilliant if you wanted to get the chat started on this Facebook post too
I’m in the same boat. Having recently moved to a new town and county I have lost all my craft fair contacts and am starting from scratch. I visit fairs where possible to see what is for sale and what the footfall is like. I have asked stall holders for info which they are quite happy to impart if you are not selling the same as themselves and craft shops. The internet is very helpful if you look under your county and facebook. I did one fair before Christmas which was a disaster but picked up so many recommendations from other stall holders that it was worth the visit. Good luck.
I spent about 30 years doing craft fairs…I now just sell online…for many reasons but being 70 now I prefer to stay in the warm…although I do miss the friends that I made.
Unless you sell small cheap items, then I would avoid the school fairs…the kids pick everything up and surround your table and it is difficult to keep an eye on those candyfloss covered fingers.
County fairs are extremely good because of the footfall but cost quite
a lot in table fees. I used to book on a regular basis with BIG organisers in the greater London area and they were good but expensive.
I have also always preferred fairs where there was NO entrance fee because that sometimes stops people coming IN to browse…if entry is free they might come in and look, or even pop in for coffee and cake and who knows, might see something that they like. I would also only choose a fair that had genuine hand made items…a lot of fairs mix bric a brac with craft and then it is difficult to explain to customers why YOUR items seem more expensive. The best fairs that I have done since living in Wales have been the ones that were once a year and well known and WELL advertised…people won’t come if they don’t know about it.
At the end of the day…I much prefer to stay indoors…paying the plus account works out cheaper than a few craft fairs…not to mention all the petrol and wear and tear on the car, lugging stuff up and down stairs, unloading, loading and probably spending your profit on those lovely home made cakes on the stall next to you…and don’t even mention fudge !!
The best way of all to make the choice is to go to some fairs and chat to the other stall holders…no good doing a fair with jewellery and find 6 other jewellery sellers there as well…so an organiser who limits the number of the same crafts is a big help too…
Hope some of my thoughts help
Just tried to get my head round the tweets and now it hurts as much as my abs (I’ve been at power pilates) can someone put together a summary please? Collating the comments on facebook into it would probably be useful as well for those that don’t do that.
A summary on the blog or on Facebook would be really useful. I don’t do Twitter but would like to pick up some advice as I’m planning on ditching the regular monthly craft fair I did last year. It had a large footfall but too many re-sellers and not my target customer - “£7 for a tote bag! I could get one much bigger than that in The Range for £3” - I’m sure you know the kind of thing I mean! It’s cheap to rent a table and I do sell there but not enough to make it worthwhile. I’d rather spend more and sell more in a place which attracts people who actually appreciate what handmade means.
It’s cheap to rent a table and I do sell there but not enough to make it worthwhile. I’d rather spend more and sell more in a place which attracts people who actually appreciate what handmade means.