Thanks Diane - fingers crossed Hyper Japan works out for me. I don’t often take risks with craft fairs as I simply can’t afford to but for this event i decided it was worth trying. Apart from anything else my daughter was keen to attend the event anyway as she is mad on Magna cartoons and all things Japanese and the 96 quid stall fee included an extra weekend pass for her. Obviously I am hoping she will also help me out on the stall so I can have a break LOL.
Now I just need to work out how much stock I will need
Ann
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I keep getting emails from the Forces Day event organiser despite telling him last year that it didn’t work for me and I wouldn’t be doing this years, but he still keeps sending it.
During my first two years of running ARC Jewellery I was doing craft fairs more or less every other weekend. It was exhausting but fun and the larger more expensive events seemed to be more successful for me than the smaller lower priced ones. However, a back injury last year meant lugging boxes to/from fairs was no longer an option, so this year I decided I would only do 2 or 3 large events with hubby’s help, the first is at the beginning of May. I have to say that as much as I enjoy the fairs I really do appreciate having my weekends back and am already considering just selling online and through galleries/retail outlets in the coming years.
The least I have paid for a pitch at a fair was £4 - it was the first of a kind so to test the water the organiser didn’t charge for tables but instead asked for a small commission on sales - it wasn’t a great success and was never repeated but at least no one was out of pocket so everyone was happy. The most I have paid was about £150 for a 3 day Christmas event and it was well worth every penny.
Angela
PS. This is my first time of using the new forum and I really like it! 
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I’ve only done one craft fair last month - it cost £10 and was in my village, so I thought it was a good one to get started with, and did feel like it was worth it. I’m doing another one this week which is about 20 minutes away and £15, so more of an investment, so depending on how that goes will see if it’s something I’ll carry on doing.
Natalie
Last year I went to 3 local craft fairs, these were my first ones I’d done, the tables were around £10 per fair. I did cover my table cost and a little bit more but I had so much fun! I’ve since found a larger fair at our local Manor House which I’ve heard is very busy but it’s £30 for one table or £50 for either an extra table or display stand…seems very expensive and I’m worried I won’t make my table cost back. I suppose unless I try it I won’t know for sure whether it’s worth it!!!
I do quite a lot of craft fairs varying in price from 10% of takings (local school) to £30 (shopping centre/National trust venue). Its all a bit swings and roundabouts. Some I do well at, others I barely make the table fee. Was thinking of limiting myself to just doing Christmas fairs as I seem to do better at those but I do really enjoy doing them, chatting to customers and other crafters etc and feel that even if I don’t make anything £20-£30 for a day out isn’t really too much! Plus I’m sure id spend more than that if I was home with the kids!
It all depends on the venue ie where it is, footfall and the kind of footfall and how it’s advertised.
I’ve done some great ones for ranging around the £20 mark but I’ve had some total wash outs due to badly organized, badly advertised and completely being in the wrong area. Reminds me of the Venue Venue Venue from those selling your house programmes lol
I went to one that was advertised to the vendors as a handmade craft fair, but then found out it was advertised locally as an ‘Indoor Market’ It was away from any passing foot fall, no signs in the town directing any one to it, no signs outside the venue. Those who’d heard about it on the local radio at mid day. The came expecting to find Veggie’s and simply turned around and left. I did a count that day of all who entered through the doors ( I was near the front entrance) we had 83 people through the door.
I think I was about the only one who even made back their table price. Most of the traders didn’t even make a single sale.
I’ve done a few craft fairs in the last 18 months with varying success and paid between £10 and £60. Some have been really awful where I didn’t sell a thing! The expensive one was last Christmas, it was a really big one day event but I was tucked away in a side room with a few others and the footfall was barely a fraction of that in the main hall. I did have a wander round - the main hall was absolutely heaving whereas the room I was in was practically empty. There was no music in our room and no atmosphere, and few sales. Though one stall selling very crudely made rustic reindeers made from logs was doing a roaring trade! I’m not sure whether to do it again, though if I did it would be on the condition that I was in the main hall.
I do have a fair this weekend which is costing £20, it’s about a 20 minute drive away but has plenty of free parking. Not sure how well I’ll do as I notice that there’ll be another seller with handbags and jewellery. Her jewellery, which is handmade in Wales is similarly priced to mine, but her bags are imported and therefore much cheaper …
Lin
Gosh Lin that’s awful. I would have found the organizer and asked for my money back or move me out of the side room.
I have only done craft fairs for two years but have noticed that many people who attend craft fairs themselves as a maker and don’t do well, then go on to organise their own craft show. Organising craft shows seems to have become a career option for some crafters, with the result that the number of events are proliferating and the result is there is less footfall as the overall market gets saturated.
In answer to the original question, I would only pay a max of £30 for a show. I did quite well at a local large craft show but they have put up their prices this year to £60 per day (so £120 for a weekend) and although I would be fairly confident of making a profit overall, it won’t be enough to warrant this outlay. I am focussing my efforts on art shows, as my target market is more likely to attend those events.
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I did email her after the event Eileen, as I had no idea who she was - she didn’t take the trouble to go round all the stalls and introduce herself. She had various excuses which may or may not have been justified but I still felt short changed. The event itself was generally well organised and well advertised, it was just that the vast majority of visitors had no idea that there was another room!
Lin
She could of least made sure there was a large sign saying more stall this way with a big arrow and stopped by each stall to make sure everything was ok.
Hi everyone,
I have been doing craft fairs for several years now and have had some good, some bad! I have done the larger, more mass market style ones where I am next to someone selling sweets they have put together in a cellophane wrapper which doesn’t really fit with my handmade felt luxury items! I try and notice everything that is going on at these fairs such as footfall, what percentage of people stop and look compared to how many actually buy, what their demographic seems to be …ooh the list is endless. So I actually try and use it as a marketing opportunity too. Knowing how exhausting these fairs are I am still surprised to see the same people at some of the fairs and sometimes wonder are they doing something better than me to make it worth their while - or do they keep plugging away at these fairs while telling people they are doing well?! Personally I am happy to pay up to about £45 for a fair but I would expect footfall in excess of 1,000 people for this price. Even so you can’t guarantee that it is the right crowd for your work. I don’t sell well to people with young families as they are not really my market. I have also paid £10 for a table and taken £200 on the day as the people that came were determined to part with their cash.
I do find that having a table at events which have ‘entertainment’ are generally not a good idea. I did a Jousting fair once and it was total rubbish. By the time the parents had paid for the entrance tickets for themselves and children and bought the children drinks and a burger they had no money or inclination to do any further spending however appealing the goods on offer.
Last year I did quite a few craft fairs and one festival and prices ranged from £20 - £150. I did not make a profit at any of the events and at some didn’t even make the cost of the table back. I have been very dis-heartened by this and so far have not booked any for this year. I will do eventually but need to get my mojo back.
I’ve not done any craft fairs for a couple of years - just didn’t seem to have the time or inclination - but I’m really in the mood for it just now! I love the chance to see what everybody else is making, but mostly to actually converse with the customers, which is something you just can’t do (in the same way) online. I’ve just got my public liability cover sorted out & several fairs lined up from June to August (I’ll see how they go before deciding to do any more!).
The fairs I’ve signed up for so far are 2 with regular monthly dates which are £30 each (one is in conjunction with a local arts festival) and a one-off which is £20. All of them are local & in walking distance for me (I don’t drive). I definitely wouldn’t pay more than £30 for a local event as my stock is all comparatively low-priced so I will already need to sell a reasonable amount to make the table money back. Any event that involved me travelling (eg train) would definitely have to be £20 or less.
Selling online is definitely the preferable option in terms of outlay, but it’s a whole different experience being a part of a market and actually interacting with real people…
I have spent up to £40 for a table. This was for a one day event. Luckily, it wasn’t far from home and I did sell quite a few pieces of jewellery, so my costs were covered. When I run my Christmas Craft Fair, I charge £20 for the table. The event runs from 10.00 till 4pm and includes free tea, coffee and home made cakes all day for the stall holders. The table fee includes a £10 donation to a local charity. The other £10 helps to cover the costs of hall hire, insurance, table hire etc. The stall holders seem to think this is reasonable.
Jacqueline x
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I wish you werea bit more local to me Jacqueline your fair sounds great 
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I was thinking the same myself
Hi could anybody help e out, I have one one craft fair and enjoyed it so much I want to do more. My big question is liability insurance e which majority of organisers require and something being new to this I don’t ha e.What are your thoughts a d do you come across this.
