Hi
I have been researching into doing craft fairs and thinking of maybe starting them next year.
I live in South Wales in a mainly working class area and I was wondering if it would be better to sell the items I now make or to make a cheaper range of products to sell.
Thanks for all your help.
Nat
Hi Nat. Iām in the same boat, hoping to get my first craft fair or two in before Christmas. Iām really nervous about jumping in, if Iām honest. Iāve been procrastinating for months, hoping the sales would start rolling in here. Iāve heard itās a good idea to offer items in a range of prices, so you can appeal to as many people as possible. At the moment Iām making more of my higher priced (higher time and effort) items, that Iām also listing here. But Iām going to be making a load more earrings and pendants in lower prices, in similar styles to what Iāve already got on Folksy, that Iāll just keep for craft fairs and will only list if they start to move online.
Good luck if you do go for it!
Carrie
When I started my handmade business 10 years ago, I was fairly sure that Iād be doing craft fairs as well as selling online, but that turned out not to be true! Before I did anything else I went around a range of fairs within the radius Iād be willing to travel and found that in that area at that time, it really wasnāt for me and what I wanted to make. At peopleās stalls I overheard all that type of talk that you frequently hear from people about some craft events: āI could make that myselfā; āI could make that for a fiverā - Iām sure youāll have heard the type of thing. A lot of what was there on the stalls looked really nice to me too - it was SO disheartening! My feeling was that most people there were just out for a jaunt or dropping in while in town for a social with friends and not the type of people who we might like to think of as āhandmade buyersā.
Obviously, things change over time, different areas have differnet audiences and there are different types of events - you really have to go see for yourself. Iād been to lots of fairs in Yorkshire before I was ever thinking of doing them myself in Essex / Sussex and had never experienced that type of thing, so I was really positive about the idea to start with.
Of course it isnāt always possible to experience the markets you think youād like to attend if the timingās wrong, but maybe post on here mentioning the ones youāre interested in specifically and others may have experience of them?
It is a massive commitment and expense to do events from everything Iāve heard, so itās probably worth doing the research. Hope it works out well for you and for you Carrie @TheHermitsBothy 
Thanks Debbie @thecrimsonrabbit. Yes, Iām trying to be cautious about the type of fairs Iām looking at. My friendās done some smaller craft fairs and she said there are quite a lot that arenāt worth the effort in terms of sales and what people are willing to spend. She advised I go for the bigger, higher end ones. The really big craft fairs up here are run by Exclusively Highland, but I havenāt considered them at all yet because I suspect their spaces will be taken up months in advance (and I dread to think how much their fees are! Anyone know?). But theyāre lovely, lovely craft fairs with good footfall, so itās something to aim for. Iām sort of unsure what size of fair to go for tbh, as with no experience Iāve no idea how much Iām likely to sell anywhere, and so no idea how much stock Iād need. My anxious introvert heart says āgo smallā, but my empty bank account says āgo big, and do it quicklyā!!
I first flirted with the idea of craft fairs waay back in the late ā80s when I used to make bead jewellery, and spent time going round our local ones and shamelessly asking advice from stallholders. Most of whom were very patient and lovely in the face of my utter cluelessness!
Best advice I was given was āremember that people buy things from people they likeā (so being engaging, positive and genuine is often more effective than straight-up sales pitching, and if you can make a punter laugh that is a real bonus!) and also ānever do an event thatās so expensive you canāt afford to lose the moneyā (the organisers have already made their money from your fees and often they charge customers an entry fee too, so you canāt rely on the organisers to bring you sales because it doesnāt honestly matter to them either wayā¦ I have done some events that ended up being expensive local advertisingā¦ and itās very hard to stay positive when a big chunk of cash is vanishing down the drain as the hours tick byā¦)
I would personally try some small local events first, so you can test your setup, stand, signage, products, pricing and sales banter in a real environment that hasnāt cost you an arm and a leg to be a part of. Meanwhile visit those big fancy events as a punter, chat to stallholders, picture yourself in their place and if it feels right - get some good public liability insurance and go for it!
Brilliant advice!
Iām fairly new to the scene having started out in 2021 when I gave up keeping other peopleās factories running for them and started doing my own thing.
I sell online, at a local handmade shop and at in person events. In person events are, for me, by far the best, not just for sales, you get feedback even when they donāt realise theyāre giving it, you get to meet and chat (network) with other crafters/artisans and you get seen by many people. Iām fairly niche and my lamps do tend to stand out in the crowd.
Yes, as Debbie @thecrimsonrabbit says, you do get the odd āI could make thatā comment, maybe they could - but they probably canāt, I just say, āTake a card, when you get stuck, give me a shout.ā That gets a laugh from other people around and quietens the offender down. However, the overwhelming majority of comments I get are very positive.
Thereās been some great advice posted above, a few snippets of my own;
If you donāt try, youāll never know.
Be pleasant and engage, but not pushy. Leave your inner introvert at home. Yes, Iām one.
Stand out from the crowd - try to get customers to remember you, I wear my steampunk top hat, it breaks the ice.
Help them remember you, have plenty of business cards and put them where people can help themselves
Have a range of price points, something for every pocket.
Donāt expect too much, you can never tell how well a fair will go.
Not all event organisers are created equal, if you find a good hands on organiser, stick with them.
Check out Pedddle for markets in your area (and tips)
Make use of your space, follow urban architecture and build upwards when you can, āthe eye line is the buy lineā
Good luck, get out there, chat, get known and have fun, if people have your card, it doesnāt have to happen on the day.
I do wish you every success with your craft fair venture, if you decide to take the plunge. I myself tried my hand at it but gave up eventually. Iāve had days where Iāve taken really good money and days where Iāve actually lost money because my stall cost me more than I took! At the ones I did well at I usually went home no better off because I spent my takings on all the lovely goodies other stall holders had to offer! 
As Debbie @thecrimsonrabbit said, I heard lots of mutterings that stung a little too.
I think craft fair success is probably being in the right place at the right time and judging the likely audience (if remotely possible).
Iāve been to a few fairs and asked stall holders whether they felt the venue was worthwhile (before I booked a pitch for an upcoming date).
Whatever you decide, I wish you every success with your business.
Thankyou you all for all your replies.
@thecrimsonrabbit I have been looking at different companies and markets available near me online but havenāt visited any yet.
The main two I have been considering are Craft & Flea https://www.thecraftandflea.com/
They have markets all over but very few near to me.
They are indoors so wouldnāt need a gazebo and they offer table hire as well.
They are well advertised on places like facebook and attract customers that are looking to buy artisan products, so will be willing to pay the higher prices that handmade products cost.
The other main one I was looking at was Monmouth Market Markets - Monmouthshire
This runs every friday and saturday and is in a middle class town that is full of independent shops as well as a few chain stores.
I would have to buy my own gazebo and tables so a large upfront cost, but I was thinking I could do one market a month and build up over time.
Also over time I could build up a regular customer base here.
SInce this wouldnāt just be artisan products sold at this market, this is where I think a cheaper product range would be better.
I was thinking of making products like my rompers like this one Handmade Girls Rose Pink Crochet Romper, 78% Ac... - Folksy
but in cheaper yarn like this Stylecraft Bellissima DK - All Colours - Wool Warehouse - Buy Yarn, Wool, Needles & Other Knitting Supplies Online!
with buttons like these Heart Shape Buttons, Pearlescent White, 10mm (pack of 17) - Wool Warehouse - Buy Yarn, Wool, Needles & Other Knitting Supplies Online!
which means I could half the price to Ā£20.00.
The other two companies I have looked at are:-
https://www.greentopmarkets.com/
but some of the places they hold markets are places people perfer to shop in places like Primark and Poundland so wont be willing to pay artisan prices.
They are also likely to the customers saying I can make that or I can get that cheaper at this shop.
So I was wondering if anyone had any experience if customers at markets were likely to pay artisan price or they preferred cheaper prices, but still slightly more than the high street.
@TheHermitsBothy Good luck with your search for markets, I donāt know if these might help you but I found them useful when deciding on wether markets might be a good idea is this Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@howtocraftfair and this Reddit thread r/CraftFairs Reddit - Dive into anything.
Thanks everyone your replies have been really helpful and given lots to think about.
Nat
Thanks Nat, Iāll have a look at both those links!
Itās a very cute romper! 
Both of those yarns get really good ratings on Ravelry too. The big plus you can highlight with acrylic is that itās easily machine washable of course. Maybe you could have a few made with ānicerā yarns with little vintage buttons and a bit harder to wash available so that people can choose whether they want to pay a bit more? You might even want to think about writing up a pattern and making up kits to sell for people to make their own? Having that variety of price points that others have highlighted is great advice.
I love the look of those two markets you linked - theyāre not at all like the type of places I experienced, which were small local ones in village halls. I think that if youāve got somewhere local to you like that, it could be a great investment.
For myself, I hate the idea of handing over my hard earned if I donāt feel pretty confident of making it back and more besides. I tend to think of everything in terms of how many purses I have to stitch or bags I have to make to pay for this, which is a great way to contain my inner spendthrift! I also would end up buying all the things I saw at the market like Kim @MischiefWarren 
I agree with Mick @SteampunkCreativeEngineering . Craft fairs are so much more lucrative than online for me, I wouldnāt have survived this long without them. Iāve been doing craft fairs since 2008, my first website was around then too. I joined etsy and Folksy 4 years later (gave up on etsy in 2020). Various galleries in hat time too. THe combined total of all online and galleries falls way short of the interest I get in person. You find a niche (Iām quirky and animal). If people are saying āI can make thatā, youāre likely to be in the wrong place. You need to suss out different locations and organisers before you book them - the cheapest isnāt necessarily the worst and visa versa. Look out for their advertising. And if it says itās a gift fair, or thereās a tombola, then donāt do it! Craft means the seller is the maker; Gift means theyāre bought-in tat, you canāt compete. Tombolas mean too many kids spendin Ā£1 after Ā£1, taking the parents away from looking at what youāve got to offer and the tombolas have taken all the money theyāre willing to spend! I could go on but to me, the face-to-face interaction with the customer is the thing - and they come back because they remember you and your product. Online certainly doesnāt work like that for me - except on Facebook, but theyāre people that have bought from me at craft fairs and then follow me there, so again, itās all about the craft fair and the personal contact.
Thank you for all your replies.
They have been really helpful
Nat
@SilvanaJewellery thatās encouraging. I know thatās how I am as a buyer too, Iām far more likely to buy from, and remember, someone Iāve seen or spoken to at a craft fair.
My one experience of a craft fair was a Christmas one in a local school attended by my nieces. I was making and selling cards way back then (early 2000s), doing well at a local converted mill which sold handmade goods from a selection of local artisans, but thought Iād branch out a bit. The stall cost me Ā£10 and I just sold enough to cover that cost! It was dreadful. It didnāt help that it was the same night the annual Children in Need event was on TV so not much footfall. I experienced sneers from a group of individuals who stood in a huddle in the centre of the room looking at my offering and discussing it! They did actually buy something, but they werenāt nice people. I got the impression they were expecting handmade items to be cheaper than mass produced shop bought goods. I wouldnāt do craft fairs again because of this, plus Iām not very outgoing really so probably not the right personality to do craft fairs anyway! I hope you manage to find some local fairs with nice people who appreciate your work and are happy to pay a fair price for it.
Iam so sorry you had such a bad experience at that craft fair.
When looking at whats around me, I have avoided looking at school fairs and any held at churches as well, as these seem to be the ones that to attract the bargain hunters.
Donāt give up on craft fairs try looking for regular farmers markets, town markets near you, as your more likely to have better luck with them.
Also keep an eye on Craft & Flea Upcoming Events ā Craft & Flea to see if they have any events near you.
They are well advertised and people attending are expecting to see handmade and pay the higher prices for it as well.
I wish you luck in the future.
Nat
The items in your shop look lovely. They are at what I would say would be the upper end of the price range at markets I go to.
My experience is that itās best to offer a range of prices. My most expensive pieces are just over Ā£40 and my cheapest is Ā£3.50. I find that the more expensive items get the comments at most fairs, but donāt sell that frequently. Items under Ā£15 make up the majority of my sales.
I have also found that having regular fairs helps - I do a monthly makers market - as people will come to see me to purchase the more expensive items.
Also - get a card reader so you can take card payments. Around 70% of my sales are now on card. I use SumUp and havenāt had any problems.
However you proceed, good luck and enjoy the fairs!
I second the comment about finding good organisers and sticking with them. Take recommendations from other stallholders at those events as well!
Iāve been doing craft fairs for many years - I sell more through them than any other way. They are great for getting yourself known - new people find you, regular customers follow you. And you donāt have to travel miles (depending on where you live).
I started with small sales in village halls and schools and ābuilt upā to bigger events.
Start by visiting an event you think you might take part in. This is important so you can see the standard and number of other exhibitors. Do you fit in? Ask exhibitors how they are doing and how many times they have done the event (if it is longstanding). Are they friendly? See if you can meet the organiser - do you like him/her? Is she/he welcoming and informative?
Once on the circuit: make sure you have insurance, never stand with your arms crossed, donāt spend loads of time looking at your phone, instead be welcoming (but not pushy) and SMILE!
Iāve just booked my first one - a Christmas shopping evening in a local village at the end of November. Iāll be looking around for a bigger one too, and I think thatāll probably be enough to get me started. Exciting/terrifying!
