Selling at a Craft Fair?

[Snorkmaiden]

Hi Snorkmaiden, thanks for your interest!

I was reluctant to update this thread because I felt it would be a disappointment after getting such helpful input.

I was still umming and ahing about doing a Craft Fair when not long after starting this thread I finally made a sale on eBay (YAY!) and got positive feedback (YAY!). I have since sold a total of 5 items on eBay (YAY!) which is almost everything I had listed, and got another two positive feedback’s (YAY!)

So I am now focussing on selling on eBay and have put Craft Fairs on the back-burner for now, although I would still like to try a Craft Fair one day.

Much less stressful if you can sell on Ebay. I have a tiny Etsy shop but can't keep up with the photos.

[Dennis]

No, but I got to watch the people go by. One of my favourite occupations.

[Ankolosova]

hi! Pls tell us later abt your experience! I am very interested abt how it goes too, as at some point I want to try too! still need to do a good amount of items to have and my head is everywhere! but I am on my way!!!!! haha

[CJ57]

About eight years ago I posted this here. perhaps it is relevant now:

The Market Trader.

One day while walking through our local market I heard a voice: ‘Excuse me!’ It was a lady with a little stall, well just a trestle table, behind which she sat. On it were a few items of second hand jewellery. I hate these, because I immediately think of the people who once owned them, maybe now long dead.

‘Excuse me,’ she said, ‘but I’m dying to go to the loo, would you look after my stall for ten minutes?’ Well what could I say? I was not in a hurry so I agreed and sat on the little stool.

People passed by with never a glance and after a while the lady returned with a contented smile. I had not been arrested for illegal trading.

She is still there sometimes, but she does not recognise me now. Dennis.

That seems quite a sad little tale Dennis. I wonder if she ever sells anything

[Dennis]

Well, I've got such an honest face and I didn't do a runner with her stock.

[CJ57]

Well, I've got such an honest face and I didn't do a runner with her stock.

Maybe that’s the only interaction she gets when she asks an honest face to mind her stall

[josef1]

The last market stall I did, I only had 7 different designs but had multiples of each. I found one the biggest problem was customers not been able to see them well old eyes etc and possibly felt embarrassed. So I printed A4 pictures of each design and put them in frames so I could talk about and reference them easier. I also had a magnifier clamped to the table people could use with out me getting involved. The biggest thing that benefited me was that you need to interact with people just a simple hello or a chat about the weather but not about what you were selling but spoken very confidently and smiley but not full on Dellboy. I found some people just ignored you, people are like that . While some would stop and chat possibly out of politeness. But some would stop and chat then ask about the jewellery, It didn't always lead to a sale but was defiantly more productive that not doing. At first I felt awkward doing it but I just kept going and it worked out. I also had business cards printed and stickers on the bottom of all my boxes with web address phone number etc. I did get follow up business because of this. Good luck and dont worry if things do sell so fast its hard out there at the moment and don't fall into the trap of lowering your prices too much thinking you will sell its not about price as long as your not overly inflating what your asking