That's my mum! on my stall. It was the Bank Holiday "MaKe" Craft Fair at Wolverton.
The venue is fantastic and i love going there as a stall holder. As ever, there was plenty of colour, fabric, felt and buttons.... the variety of stalls was good and the standard of work was high.
I know i have written 'Tips for Craft stalls' in the past. i am no expert and don't want to come across as terribly preachy or smug. Craft Stalls are hard work and it is very scary putting yourself and your goods out on display. Some people can be cruel and dismissive of your work (how rude are they?) but many people truly 'get handmade' and are there to support you.
THIS fair was particularly hard in some ways. It was after Easter (and nowhere near Christmas!) the school holidays with families gone away... so getting customers to shop was always going to be more of a worry. A few tips for this sort of fair...
1. It has become a regular fair - so any fair that you attend on a regular basis is completely to your advantage.
2. Blog the fair, blog the date (get the date right!? - iam guilty of being rubbish) and let everyone know what you will be selling.
3. Download the poster that the organiser sends you and ADVERTISE the fair yourself too.
4. Email local customers and tell them What fair is on, what they can expect to see and that you will be there.
5. If it is a more expensive fair, and your table fee was £30.00 - to my mind i would need to have, at minimum, £300.00 worth of stock to sell. Ideally, £600.00 That seem alot to you? It is, and i had maybe £450.00 of stock with me, so i need to heed my own lesson.
Jane Charles' amazing fabric and felt display tree - i love her egg box on the stand too.
Lots of quirky display ideas x
A very very pretty lady sat opposite me with a great table cloth and beautiful hair!
What else can i say about selling at Fairs that hasn't already been said? not much, so i'll just repeat the obvious... and trust me, i kick myself each time i forget these things too:
1. A variety of items is best, with a variety of prices from 0.50p to £15.00 personally, i don't sell much that has a price tag over £15.00 at a craft fair. Other people might have a higher maximum tag.
2. Cards with website address' to hand out - I have had customers email me BEFORE i have even got home from the fair wanting X,Y,Z ordered.
3. Talk to customers and browsers about crafting and techniques... they are the stall holders that took money at this fair.
4. Does your display POP OUT from the entrance to the fair? Can people see you from further away? is there good height to your display? WHAT is it they will remember when they walk away? Because being remembered is the key to building up a base of local customers who will want to return to your stall at the next fair.
5. Ask yourself the serious question - Are you selling things that people *want* to buy? or are you at the 'right' venue for your products customer base?
And - a big ole wave to lots of people who i saw at the fair - the lady in the YUMMY dress who has a daughter the same name as mine. And her Mother-in-Law in that fantastic handmade jacket.
Hello the very pretty lady with 3 daughters whose husband talked about buttons with us.
Helloooo Emma-Louise and the lady with you who were there for crafty supplies and i didn't have much chance to chat properly.
HHHHeeeeELLllOOO girls who made felty bracelets - and their great mums :)
Helllooo Melanie who shopped (thankU) and cycled over with her poorly son.
and HI! to the lady who is a local teacher and came with her mum and has come to see me a few times now...
StitchyWoo & Jess
(i don't want to sound like i am at the Oscars here just THANKS for coming, all crafters appreciate the support xxx)
