Little thoughts

Little thoughts: need more sleep! :)

Friday, March 23, 2012

Getting ready for the fair

I have a fair tomorrow and another on 7th April and have been trying to build up a new stock.  I still have things from previous fairs that haven't sold out yet.  Depressingly I still have stock that I made for my first fair.  I don't know what it is, I get compliments on the pieces but no sales.  It's not as it they're extravagantly priced either so I just don't know.  Maybe it's the presentation...urgh.  I think I'll leave some of the non sellers at home this time and may just take them apart and make them into something else eventually.

In the meantime I've been trying to get a cohesive look for the stall so that I get a kind of 'brand' going so I bought myself some white card that I've been cutting into business card size oblongs with pretty edges as found a scissors that will cut fancy scalloped edges and a bird hole punch to continue with my birdie theme/obsession that I'm using to mount the new rings and earrings and hair clips that I have been making.  I'm writing my shop name on them in silver pen in the same script as my header on here.  When I work out how I'll change the Etsy shop to look the same.

I have lots more bits to take photos of and put on the shop, only problem is I'm now getting unsure about whether to put them on the shop or keep them for the fair just in case in the unlikely event that I sell it on the stall and someone buys it from the shop before I can take it off the listing first.  I suppose this would be a good time to have a smart phone but that's not going to happen any time soon.  I think I'll just have to cross my fingers or hope J is with me so I can hijack his phone when things sell to take them off line!

I looked into a different venue near to me that is asking for applications for stalls.  It's in an historic market, but the upstairs part which isn't really used.  I went up there last weekend as I saw there was a craft fair there.  It was the first I'd heard about it and I work in this town, so to say it was poorly advertised was an understatement.  There were about 8 stalls and about 5 browsers including myself.  It was a little sad as it could be a really vibrant place but there was no bunting or decorations or any real big banners and the stalls seemed to be set up higgledy-piggledy.  The things they were selling were nice but I just felt that there was no cohesion, the stall holders didn't seem to be speaking to one another, although top points to the two stalls holders who said 'hello' to me and bonus points (in a very shocking, oh my goodness I've never been asked this in a shop! kind of way) asked how I was and how my day was going by one lovely lady.  I felt almost guilty not buying anything but there just wasn't anything that caught my eye unfortunately.  The thing that surprised me the most though was the price you had to pay for a stall.  £10.  There had been no posters around the town.  There was nothing in the local free paper.  There was nothing on the council website.  I would have been asking for my money back I can tell you as they hadn't even put covers on the tables.  So what I would like to know is what on earth does the £10 fee cover?  Especially when you consider the market is open anyway so there's no extra heating or electricity bills, it's not taking up space used by other vendors normally as usually it's unused space.  I'm scratching my head here folks.  I did consider trying to get enough people together to take over the fair one date and do our own advertising campaign and show them how to do it, but in all honesty I don't think it's worth my £10 as looking at the fine print on the application form they're pretty picky.  Thinking about it though, they broke one of their own rules, they state they won't put similar stalls together yet I saw two highly stocked card stalls next to each other down the far end and two or three jewellery stalls in a row down the other.  I'm not sure it's worth the brain cells...urgh.

I think perhaps I need to have a chat to the vendors at the next fair tomorrow as they're the first lot who took me on and see if we can get a summer fair in the green in the middle of the village as think that would do us all the world of good as it's a main thoroughfare for traffic from one town to another and is a very busy high street in it's own right so think having it right smack bang in the centre where people can see it as they're passing through would be good.  So I think I've just talked myself into finding out the costing for all of this and permission from the council etc or I'll try and see if I can snag myself a table at the August bank holiday fair they have there every year as have seen they sometimes have a few craft stalls as well as the brass band etc.

No sewing to report.  Have been a bit under the weather so small projects only at the moment, had to miss sewing class last week too so no progress on the dress as this week we had to work on a project for our folders.

I have however, neglected to show you all the lovely things I've won of late, the beautiful pin cushion (which was put to use as soon as I got it making the bunnies) and dress pattern from Diane and the gorgeous silk from Charlotte and the beautiful and very useful bag I won from Kate at M is for Make.  I was saving posting about them until my other prize turned up but it seems to have taken a detour so I thought I'd better show you that my goodies have arrived!  I even won money in the raffle in work so I thought since I seemed to be on a lucky roll that I'd buy a lucky dip for the Euromillions lottery last Friday.  Didn't win a bean.  Not a number.  Nadda.  None.  Zip.  Guess my luck ran out on that one!  However, I did find £10 lying on the street and I bagged an early finish from work today.  Pictures will come when I remember to take them in daylight as haven't managed that yet as too busy using everything!  But I do want to say a very BIG THANK YOU!  to all those lovely people!

I don't think I'm doing too badly with regards to winning/finding so hopefully this means I'll have a good day tomorrow at the fair!  Wish me luck!

5 comments:

  1. Thank you! Unfortunately, due to me not being able to resist buying some things for my nieces and the cost of the stall I broke even. Was rather quiet, think everyone was in their gardens or at the beach!

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  2. The stock that didn't sold, who you aiming for? It's important to understand what customers go to thoses fairs and create products the are likely to buy. If you need help branding etc.. Let's chat Hun xx

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  3. Thank you. I think it's more the fact that I'm not well known and the fairs I've done so far are rather new so knowing who will turn up is anyone's guess at the moment. Some of the stock I didn't take as it's not seasonally appropriate at the moment.

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  4. Love seeing your stall photos, you've got some great ideas there.

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