Does anyone else feel this way?

[Keia]

Good evening all. Hope everyones well.
I'm just relaxing after having spent all day at the husbands work place with a stall of my goodies. Everytime I do an event I feel sick with nerves, even though I've done a few now, it still effects me every time. It feels like it's peices of my soul laid out on the tables, even more so with silver work as that's where all the hard work goes. Everyone there was really nice & seemed to genuinley like the items I had to offer & lets just say a couple of bills can now be paid off.
However, a few events I've done before in random locations ie craft fairs, summer fairs, and the dreaded car boots (*never, ever again!*) where the potential buyers had never heard of me, some of them were actually really very rude. Apperently shocked at how expensive I was, although to be fair most of the complainers didn't even realise what it was they were looking at. In one case it was an amethyst & crystal quartz necklace with a pewter flower design for £6. Because I'd attempted to do so many stalls at locations that weren't ideal for what I was selling, it's made me so anxious to do more events because it makes me feel so ill before each one that it just doesn't seem worth it.
The problem seems to be that I don't know what sort of audience will be at each event until I get there, which by that time it's too late.

Does anyone else have the same anxiety issues & how do you/did you deal with it?

[Pauline]

Hi Keia

I'm glad it went well for you yesterday.

I can't really adavise on how to deal with the anxieties of craft fairs as I have only done two craft fairs in the past. Like you I was a bit disappointed. I may have been unlucky with the audience, but I felt that several of them almost wanted to pay nothing for what they were buying. In contrast, I had several lovely customers who appreciated the effort. I made some sales after the event as people took my details and got in touch when it was a better time for them.

I work full time and do glass and jewellery as a hobby, so some of my sales are work colleagues who are looking for pressies for their friends and family.

Good luck with future fairs.

[Toni]

Hey,

Im too nervous to actually do a fair or anything. Ive been given some chances to do stalls, but am so nervous that i stick to making as a hobby for friends...they buy the materials i make it simple...i dont get paid or nothing...not only is it the nerves with stalls but its insurance, tax, etc that comes along with selling...the whole things scares me lol

well done though, i take my hat off to anyone who has done it...

[Babette InProgress]

Every time...... plus I am stressing about my English.... I've done a quite few now and one big coffee morning. I am always making sure that one of my friends will come over to see me even for five minutes... seeing friendly face always helps me. I think we all know the type of customers : nothing is good enough but I don't really know what I want. Ideally they would like to have the pieces for free I think the knowledge about how to handle that stress have to come in time.....

[lilacmonkey]

I have had the nerves to before a fair.
But to be honest for me its part of the buzz.
I find it eases off once you get that first sell out of the way.

[caroleallen]

I don'y get nervous any more - I must have done hundreds over the years. I do hate them though as these days they never live up to expectations - at least normally they don't. Christmas shows are different and are generally good. I did a local one last weekend and it was just like old times sales-wise.