Craft Fairs

[dawn]

I am looking at doing some craft fairs and wondered:-

1.  Are they worth doing?
2.  Which are the best ones for the Merseyside/Lancashire/Cheshire area? 
3.  How much do they cost?

Thanks for your help it is greatly appreciated

Dawn

[Blue Box Studio]

Ooh, that's like asking how long is a piece of string and why is an orange orange.  I've been doing them since the 90s, some are good, some are bad; some of the good ones can be bad, some of the bad ones can be good.  It depends on the day, the weather, the venue, the recession, the mood people are in.  Cost wise they can be anything from a table donation to several hundred pounds a day, depends on venue and organiser.  Most of mine are £47 for 6' table a day.  What's a good fair for someone else might not be a good fair for you so really the only way to find out is legwork to go and see the venue and get a feel for them and try out a few.  Sadly there isn't a magic formula, well not one I've found anyway.  Good luck

[Shirley]

Sue, you just posted pretty much what I was going to put.

[SueP]

I do some - "down south" and after a year would say no to the village hall type - my stuff is just too expensive - although I have rarely sold a set of 4 coasters mostly I sell little bits like lampwork studs fused brooches etc.

I have however improved my display and table set up, met some lovely people and got the confidence to look at "bigger" venues next year.

I have paid between £5 and £20 per day

Above is just my opinion - I might have just not got it right yet - good luck if you go for it  

[Delana]

In addition to the reply from Sue (Blue Box Studio)  I'd mention the opportunities of follow on sales and contacts.  I always have an email sign up sheet and plenty of bus. cards and often have people who've seen me at an event call to ask for a special gift for weddings, b-days, etc. 

I have however..... met some lovely people and got the confidence to look at "bigger" venues next year.

Yep...that's the way it works.  I'm doing events now that I would have never dreamed of doing when I first started out.  I'd find out how much a table would cost and think that there was NO WAY I'd make enough to cover my costs. So start small...

Best advise I can give you is to go with no preconceived expectations, have fun, make friends/contacts and SMILE....a LOT.  Never let the customer know it isn't going well.  If sales are bad and someone asks you how it's going tell them you're having a great time and meeting lots of lovely people.

[nete]

Dawn I'm in Lancashire and have just started dabbling in the local fairs and markets. You can expect to pay upwards of £30 per day especially this time of year. I still have a lot to learn but the last one I only took £10.00! It was a big learning opportunity though so I've put a few things right and hopefully will do better this weekend. I'm at Castlefield artisan market in Manchester this Sunday so if anyone is about then please pop by and say hello.
Nete

[Blue Box Studio]

There's no rhyme or reason about sales.  My lowest was £3.50 in Tetbury - home of Chuck and Millie and the Highgrove shop.  I'd cry if I took nothing though, fortunately not happened so far but no doubt my time will come.   I avoid school fairs and church bazaars, the latter is usually pretty dire around here and the former is full of people buying from their friends at the school gates.  Of course, if you frequent the school gates you might have a good fair when/if they have one.

I an think of easier ways to 'earn an honest living' than fairs but I do like meeting people, and you do get some right plonker remarks at times [oh look this bead has got a hole in it!]

I'm at fairs in Portishead and Ross on Wye this weekend, if anyone braves the cold, wind and rain.

[dawn]

Oh thank you everyone for posting your replies they have been a big help.

Dawn

[mel]

Hi Dawn,

Just saw your post. The best advice would be to ask a few local quality craftworkers and they will direct you away from the worst fairs (that mix imported tat, craft work and charity stalls). So saying that, some of the very local events such as school do s and the like can be good as the locals want to support the events. Good Luck.

[Weston_glass_man]

My wife is looking to start selling her articles that she has made. Any suggestions or pushes in the right direction for a list of craft fairs or where to look for a list of craft fairs. Are there any that are good to start off with or as I said to her "just go for it""

Thank you in advance for any comments and Merry Christmas.

Rob

[anditsinthefish]

rob, I personally think one tip is to go to the fair as a visitor. Do the other people sell things or similar standard or is a bunch of knitted chicks and bottles that have been sitting in cupboards for years. How well do they advertise? How much is a table?

I personally have found them hard. I make about £30 selling small bits of jewellery. I mainly do it to support a friend but have decided to give them a rest in the new year. I know people do well at Christmas but the tables are expensive. If your items are expensive then I would say go for an expensive fair, their are usually in nicer locations (not your average village hall) and they advertising is on the hole, better.

I'm a novice but that's what I've learnt. x x

[Lotti]

rob, I personally think one tip is to go to the fair as a visitor. Do the other people sell things or similar standard or is a bunch of knitted chicks and bottles that have been sitting in cupboards for years. How well do they advertise? How much is a table?

Having done a few (!), I would agree, go along first and have a look at them.  You can find out about fairs through the local paper (there is a website http://www.stallfinder.com/, but frankly I have never found it much use round here) or by talking to people.  I have found most of mine through starting at one and then chatting to the other stallholders to find out about others (and if possible I did go to have a recci before signing up to anything).  Also sometimes the local council website has info on markets etc.