Can you help me to make a decision?

[Blue Kiln Beads]

I have been invited to participate in a handmade fair which is being held in a yarn shop.  It is being held on the night of the switching on of the lights in the town so they anticipate alot of footfall.  The hours are 12-9pm, the fee is £25 and you have to provide your own table.

I am not sure about whether to go for it, I already have a presence in the shop through selling my buttons and it is alot of hassle with trying to get a table and getting it into the shop etc....  But a little voice in my head is asking whether this presents an significant opportunity for sales.  I have been to a few of late that have been disappointing. 

What would you do? 

[Jeanniegems]

Go for it! At the very least it will make you noticed out there. Hand out cards to as many as possible and let them see what they are missing, your stuff is lovely and you will cover your costs and more I'm sure. Once you are set up (thats the hard bit) relax and get into a Christmas mood and sell!sell!sell!
Jeannie x

[tomcat]

I agree with Jeannie, it is hassle to set up - i recall helping my lady a long time ago when she did stalls, but it is too good an opportunity to pass on for exposure to the great unwashed you will sell and make connections that will reap benefits later i am sure.

[SRJ]

Yes yes yes!  Meet your public!  Even if you make few sales it is pubilcity and gives people the chance to see the person behind the buttons etc. They may then look at your stuff differently in the future and your future sales will improve..... and they'll more than likely tell their friends about 'that nice lady' and about the buttons being hand made etc etc in fact they will do the selling for you!
Hopefully it will be advertised that you will be there in person that night (like authors having a book signing)
Go for it, and enjoy it!
Sue

[Margram]

Definitely go for it - I got several commissions and leads to other events by appearing in public recently! It'll put you in a Christmassy mood - and you could sell vouchers for people to give as gifts, so you get sales in January!! (Don't know the legalities of that, but, hey!) Try to have some cheaper items for stocking fillers...

[ScarletLeonard]

Another vote for go for it.

I gave up on fairs this year but I am still doing the christmas ones. They are worth it, so much so that I have 'employed' my nan's friend to man a stall for me at one fair while I do another at the same time 20 miles away. (By employed I mean she gets a pair of earrings for herself since she goes anyway to help nan)

It is always great exposure to be out in the public and since it's happening when there is increased traffic it should be worth the extra bit of work.

[Redhotsal]

Sorry to be a party pooper - my experience in this type of event would be that you won't get your £25 back in sales. Usually people go to see the lights, buy a hotdog, have a quick mooch about and that's about it spendwise. If you're there to advertise you then it'll get the word out but I don't think you'll do serious sales. (oh - I'm so cynical........ )

[Blue Box Studio]

Yup, sadly I'm with Sal and Faith on this one.  One of the ones I did was also in a shop I supplied and I had no end of hassle after with the shop owner being miffed people knew how to find me direct and not buy through her, not that any did, but the snidey comments were there.  I never do well at events off the back of something else, or schools - I've always found the parents come to buy from other parents, PTA, nad don't come with serious money.

[Glyn Burton]

Hi I am with Sal on this too but then I don't really do craft fairs. I will do the Fete de Noue (jersey French for Christmas Fair) this year under pressure from the nice lady from Jersey Tourism. I did it a few years ago and there seemed to be lots of people"just looking" and the only people I seemed to sell to were customers who went to my studio and found my sign saying I was at the fair and then came to find me. I suppose if you see it as advertising rather than money making then you wont be disappointed.
Best of luck what ever you do.
Glyn

[Lakelady]

Mmm.  Conflicting opinions.  In my experience, it will depend on what you are selling and how you want to develop your business/hobby.  I have 'high end' jewellery items and although I don't sell that much of these at this type of event (they tend to be in galleries), lots of people make enquiries about where to find it at a later date - and I do get sales this way.  I take a range of easy to make lower priced items that always go well at this type of thing - as well as loose beads!  I ' chat people up' constantly and I do find it leads to other things - e.g. on Saturday I was invited to attend two more events and asked to do some jewellery making tuition at the beginning of next year.  I do think it helps to get exposure.  For me, at this early stage (I recently gave up my horrible job to do this full-time) any sales and exposure helps!  I expect if you are an established name/business already and you have multiple outlets for your items, then this type of event may not be for you.....

[Blue Kiln Beads]

Thankyou for your replies.  I am undecided because I have the same doubts that Sally expressed.  This is a small yarn shop where I already have a presence that doesn't cost me anything.  If the fee was £15 I would go like a shot for a fun evening out.  I can't see what I get for the £25 especially as I have to take my own table.

I think I'm going to reply politely to the organisers and ask a few questions. If they are desperate to fill slots they might offer a reduced rate 

[Josephine]

I agree with Sal too. If people are there to see the lights they will have kids and husbands with them. Are they going to go into a yarn shop in the first place, and if they do are they really going to be buying jewellery. As you say your buttons are already there, but I don't think people will be deciding on things like knitting projects and buttons anyway. Buying wool nowadays is a major investment and if you have a couple of kids whinging and an impatient OH you aren't going to take the time to browse seriously.

[chipperpottery]

I must be lucky  ::)Three years ago I was asked to do our Christmas Fair at the lighting up. It is 5-9 and I thought what a lot of work as I have to carry everything upstairs. But I did really well and I had customers back the following year and picked up a few sales during the year from public that picked up my cards.

[Purple Cobwebs]

I do a Christmas shopping event locally every year and it's my best event of the year! I tend to make a lot of pocket money items (things under a tenner) especially for it, and have always done well.  I don't take my beads as I find that the general public are not looking for that sort of thing at a Christmas event, but simple necklaces and bracelets for under £10 each sell very well as stocking fillers and small gifts.
So, it probably depends what sort of thing you are selling as to whether it's worthwhile.
Hope that's some help.