Oh! I totally agree. If I see something in a shop & there’s no price, I walk out.
With my stall, I put larger items in raised angled boxes with each item visible. I have 2 rotating hooked stands for collars keeping them apart as one is for cats & other for dogs. Just avoids confusion. I put small items in small boxes in front.
I make up laminated signage with sizes & pricing which is clear for all to see. I also make up size guides for collars, harnesses & dog jackets. This does give my stall a ‘full’ look but it’s not cluttered & everything is organised keeping like beside like. All info needed is clear to see.
I find some customers hesitant. Dog collars & sizes - I show chart with size & breed of dog. I take a collar, unbuckle it & tighten it, buckle it back up & show. Next I do the opposite, loosening collar. Plenty of adjustment & customer should have no doubt of it fitting!
Ladies usually love dog jackets - “ah! so cute”. But husbands are real deterrents saying dogs have natural coats so why waste money & buy another! Makes me so !
Classic ‘opt’ out of buying is “just need to go and …… I’ll be back”. Heard that so many times & know they won’t be back to buy! Time wasters!
Not new to craft fairs - have been doing them for 3-4yrs. I also have card reader so ‘no cash’ is no excuse!
This has only started in 2021. Unfortunately 2 venues are the best organised, best attended & where I’ve done well selling.
Could keep items to a minimum but things such as bandanas & fleece dog jackets are all different in pattern, colours & size.
Difference with my goods is that many items are quite big compared to jewellery which is mostly tiny. So I can’t take out too much.
Odd things do go on! Someone purchased 2 cat collars to use as cycle clips! Another bought hanging pet tunnels to use as wrist warmers! Someone else bought Snoopy collar & lead set as a ‘Snoopy Collectable’. Was informed by buyer that it would never be used. My gain there!
Can you get some tall shelves? I have some that have 3and 4 shelves and I quite often put baby blankets and scarves on them. That would take away the boxes in front and make keeping an eye easier as you only have the table to contend with. If I am at big events with a large amount of stock I get someone to help me (usually my daughter) that would take the pressure off while dealing with customers. Luckily so far (I’ve been doing them for nearly 7years) I haven’t had anything taken unless you count the time a Lady Vicar walked off with one of my bootees stuck to the Velcro on her coat! she was mortified but my daughter thought it was hilarious
You say that you push the table back against the wall and stand in front of your stall and I think that is where the problem lies, because if you are seeing to a customer say looking at something in one of those boxes then at some point you will have your back to the other half of your stall , whereas if you were behind the stall you have full wide angle view of your shop and people seeing your eyes watching them are less likely to steal. Also for me I like to see the stallholder behind the stall as I can browse but when I see a seller in front of the stall I just feel as if I am gong to be subjected to the hard sell, so I do avoid stalls like that but that’s just me!
@DawnChorusCreations totally agree with you. I mostly stand too, as a customer I hate to see people sat behind their stall playing on their phone or reading a book. Unless it’s me and it is a diabolical fair but if I see a customer I jump to it and put on my smiley face:blush:
All of that, plus maybe get a little camera, needn’t even be a real one. Good deterrent perhaps. A less crowded stall makes theft harder. Luckily for me only ever had one theft so far.
I recently had a lady who was looking at my boys waistcoats and was going to buy one for her dog! Her husband told her that he was not going to take the dog out in that! And then turned to me and said “no offense, lovely on a child” I must admit I agreed with him.
Another one was a man bought a dog bandana for his child (even though I had bibs) because he preferred the design!
I have had a few weird requests too over the years, perhaps I need to write a book:laughing:
Could you get a clothes rail and some hangers with clips on and hang the dog jackets up, you might then be able to stand behind your table with the rail to the side. Things on hangers are going to be more difficult to steal and your customers would be able to see what sizes/designs you have so need less help .
trying to think like a thief - my first thought is that you have more then one entry point and several depths. You can not look at the person looking at the hung up leads at the same time as the one looking through the boxes.
Second- if people are having to rummage you won’t be keeping an eye on them for the extended time they are looking. Whilst they are rummaging they are blocking you eye line.
I would say try putting less out. Try putting it all in a semi circle with you in the middle. Put same tings together - so customers who need fittings are all standing up in one spot and you are in another. Think body movements - you want to be alerted to turning around, bending over- movement thefts make.
Touch wood never had that problem but feel for anyone that has has stuff pinched. With items like you sell I would only have out samples of say each harness and lead by size. A display card of all the colours and patterns in small swatches. That way you keep your selling stock behind the counter. If they did pinch a display sample not quite as bad as brand new stock.
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Another bought hanging pet tunnels to use as wrist warmers! 
I’m not completely savvy with social media so not sure if I’m doing something wrong.
