Hobby & Craft Forums

Always, especially if it has been a good event, email/write to organiser and thank them.

I did an event just before Christmas - we took our highest spend for 1 day, I emailed the organiser and spoke to her today - we were the only people to thank her?

Yet I know everyone did really really well.

Nickie wrote:some great tips there Becky...I enquired about one by me which is on every weekend from March and is only £10 per table per weekend which I thought was a bit cheap and doesn't exactly fill me with confidence that there'll be many people there. What's your experience with this? Does price often reflect the amount of customers or am I just being over critical? The woman also said (via email) that the organisers and stall holders meet once per month- the first meeting is in Feb ready for the first fair in March and told me that I should bring my products to this meeting so they could see them, look over them and 'pass' them! Is this normal practise?

we have done ones where the table fee has been really cheap and done very well , but we've also done ones that we've done badly at..to be honest table costs arn't very reflective on how much footfall there will be or if there will be just browsers rather than buyers...
i've never known organisers to hold a meeting pre fair with stallholders ..but the good thing is it sounds like the fair is well organised with hopefully genuine crafts rather than alot of bought in goods..we often have to send out photos of our work to organisers in email ( in fact i do it if not asked , as my stuff can be alot different to most jewellery makers it does more often than not get me space even when they say they are full )
I'd go along and take some of my best stock ( covering a range of prices )and ask what their footfall is and maybe take the oppertunity to talk to other stallholders
on the plus side ...you could only be a tenner down should the sales not be there and you have a great local opportunity to get your name out there and possibly pick up some other local events from fellow stallholders

Thanks Becky, it's great to have some advice off people who've been there and done it so to speak. I've heard good and bad things about craft fairs but mostly bad things to be honest. I don't think I'll have anything ready for March anyhow so I might just attend and see how many people are there etc and then maybe book for April or May. I'd much rather send pics like you said instead of feeling like my products and I are being discussed in front of me as to whether they pass some organisers quality test. I can see why they do it of course, I just don't like the fact that the yes or no discussion is likely to take place in front of me and not behind closed doors. Still, I guess if I want to sell there then I'll have to do it! Will they also ask for assessment certificates and business insurance?

you really do need to get public liability insurance ..for £47 a year it's daft not too..jane or judi would know more about assessment certifs but any insurance/certifs you have always carry them with you to any events
If youv'e heard bad things why not look around for village fetes in the summer when you know you will have good stock levels..alot of villages have their own events and they are always well attended and supported by locals ,many are reasonably priced as well

Yes, I know all about the public liability insurance with having the other business so that side of it isn't a problem Beck. I just wondered if they'd ask for it and whether I should take it with me etc. I'm not sure about the summer fairs although it's not something I've looked into. I just remember them as a kid and them being really naff with really crap turn outs lol! I'd defo consider doing farmers markets though like Jane does and I may make enquires into that over the next few days. Still, I haven't even made any soap yet as I said earlier on in this thread so I might be getting a bit carried away but I'm hoping to go and get the stuff as soon as the weather improves and get Allan to make me some wooden molds- he's a cabinet maker by trade but works in a car factory now lol!

remember you need to learn to walk before you can run, many small crafting businesses still attend smaller events as well as the bigger one...it's all about having a local presence ...nothing happens over night
many farmers markets have strict guidelines and many will only let local produce on , and not just made locally but that contains local products

alot of people have the preconception that craft fairs and local events are full of badly knitted jumpers and gooseberry jam, but thankfully people are beginning to realise they have alot more to offer ...well crafted,unique products made locally

and i've not been to a village event yet that had a crap turn out

I'm not saying I won't give them a go, just that I remmeber them as being rather awful when I was younger and used to hate being dragged to them with my friends mum lol. I've not been to one for years and years though so it's a very old perception. While I'm learning I will go along to a few and see what they're like.

I do intend to source everything I can locally although I live in the industrial north sogetting hold of certain products could be a problem. I will defo endeavour to get all I can from local farms etc though as locally sourced products are important to me personally as well as the local people as with everywhere.

Was talking to my mum earlier and she was laughing at me...we used to get told by both our parents and school teachers to always think ahead and forethought often prevented costly mistakes and rush jobs etc. I seem to have those words to the extreme and always think way way ahead and whilst a lot are criticised for not thinking ahead, my mum critisises me for thinking to far ahead and running before I can walk lol. I guess I just like to consider all options and to find out what sells, where I can sell it and who buys it and why etc and think the whole concept through before embarking on it so I don't get to the point where I start something and then find it's not commercially viable!

As you have mentioned that double sheet is always better,i agree with statement specially.Packaging boxes or any kind of boxes couldn't bee see under double sheet.