Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

Well I did it-and it just wasnt really 'me'. Maybe it was the venue, but I really think I am not doing another-will stick to online sales  from now on.   I spent all off the past week manically preparing to the nth degree and had 4 hours sleep last night   :mwaha:   I had  :buttrf:  in my tummy all morning. I havent had headspace for anything but this fair for ages.
I was hoping it wouldnt be too busy, and in the end we had on average about one/two people per hour. I managed to have a £3 turn over so didnt make the table fee, but then only had two visitors to my table in the 5 hours so I guess thats 50% sales right?   :mwaha:
I fact the whole thing made me a little uncomfortable anyway which is what makes me say it isnt for me.  There were a couple of other handcrafters in the room but the rest were resellers anyway (bought cards and such), and they were the stalls that were busy. 

Aww...I know that feeling - it really is disheartening!! I would say don't give up - it just sounds like a case of the organiser not advertising it enough!! I would do another one if I were you, especially nearer xmas - I would search on the internet for craft fairs near you - if the organiser has bothered to put it on the internet they they will be advertising locally aswell I'm sure!! :buttrf:

Strikes me it was the wrong sort of venue for you Sue - any Farmers' Markets which take crafts around your way? I had a wander round Ruthin Produce Market (not the WI Country Market and it looks well worth a try for next season)

You are right I think-wrong type of thing, maybe I oughtnt to give up so soon, i might go to some as a buyer first and see whats what, good plan -bet the other half wont accompany me though (I had my OH helping me today, and midmorning he got an emergency call out for his locksmithing which he couldnt of course attend , so he lost out because of me  ) , doghouse!!  ;)

If nothing else Sue, you had a really good experience and you would have gained lots of insight.  Think of the skills and do's and don'ts that this has taught you.  Perhaps when you have has time to relax, you might consider another one but next time, you will have a little more experience  (:hug:)

P.S.  50% sales, cor... that is brilliant!!  :mwaha:

Perhaps you need a specialist venue. I know there are cat / dog shows are there little squeeky shows ?

erm-like the sound of them Ruth!! skweekers r us!!  :mwaha:  not sure whether my soaps are squeeky enough tho....
Yes H its been great experience -invaluable and I have so much soap labelled and organised-its fab, also made a friend/contact there of a lovely lady who makes lovely scarves and jewellery.

Excellent!  Great that you are seeing the numerous positives Sue.  Also, good making contacts because as well as making friends, it may serve useful in business for linking sales??  Ooh... and the soapies you don't have to label, leaving you to get on with the fun stuff  ;D   :buttrf:

OOOPPPSSS Sorry Sue

For some reason I thought you just made stuff for the squeeky market that is why I mentioned specialist venues --DUH !

You having a blunette mo' Ruth   :mwaha:

dont worry Ruth-do you mean Chrissie's squeekys? If so I wish I did-i saw a customer's squeekers the other day in the garden and I really liked them!

or perhaps I could have phrased that better

More like a Hairnet !!!!! DUH ! Personified ! What are you doing lookin at your neighbour's squeekers. Thou shalt not cover thy Neighbour's Squeekers !

Covet ---Not cover-- Double Duh !

TWO blunette hairnet mo's in one night Ruthie?  Cor... you are on a role aintcha  :mwaha:

:mwaha: Yes indeed there are, and I'm the squeeky one!

I "did" the London Show a couple of years ago - the largest rabbit / guinea pig show in the South and right on my doorstep here in Reading.  Although I took a good amount of money and met lots of my customers, the amount of work involved the week before was huge, so you have my sympathy Sue.  I also don't do mornings so it killed me getting up at some unearthly hour on both the Saturday and Sunday and I was exhausted on the Monday.  For the past couple of years I've just gone along as a visitor which is far more enjoyable.

Now I only do a couple of afternoons a year at our local vets when we have our "Piggy PM" to raise money for Reading Guinea Pig Rescue.  Last year I took over £100 in just a couple of hours and didn't have to pay anything for a table, so it was well worth it.  I don't feel that bigger events are worth the hassle as online selling is so much easier and less hassle.

I think that you learn from everything you do like this, and checking out venues as a visitor before deciding to take the plunge is a very good idea.  At least then you have an idea of how busy it is, what other people are doing and what is selling, so don't give up just because you've had one not so perfect experience.

Chrissie & 7 Gorgeous Guineas

the funny thing was though-I didnt even feel comfortable when people were looking at the soaps I felt like going' OI hands orf!' (i know, I am a weirdo)!

Wow chrissie thats a lot of sales in 2 hours! It was my customers squeekers I was looking at rather than my neighbours- he had one black and one brown and I loved them. I just like the shape of guinea pigs! Yes its that roundy/square shape I fell for!

Ooh err Sue  :o 


I suppose that is understandable Sue, you put such a lot into them and take so much time in presenting them.  Understandable.  Maybe you should put out some touchy, feely samples of each out.

Sorry to hear that you felt it didn't go very well Sue.

You do get used to it, the whole fair thing, and there are good fair days and bad. I had a bad one today too, nobody seemed interested in the soaps and candles, but I have another one tomorrow so onwards and upwards! I also had only 4 hours sleep last night!

The first time I sold something at a craft fair I was so flustered and couldn't believe the lady wanted to buy my things, I managed to drop my cash box on the floor and made such a racket! Very embarassing!

Anyway, perhaps you can find some handmade only fairs? Those are the majority of fairs I seem to find, so you don't have to compete with people selling mass produced things.

It is a good idea to look up some handmade only events and go along as a buyer, then you can get a feel for the sort of things they have there and whether you think you would be comfortable there.

And I keep being told that the Christmas season at craft fairs is very good - this is my first year so I'm yet to experience it, but I do think it's worth a try! I was told today that the end of october and throughout November is the best time for sales at fairs.

Good luck!  :buttrf:

That sounds like a good plan ps! Hope today goes/went well!   At least there are no gazebos around this time of the year!   

I'm hoping that this year xmas season is not going to be affected by the credit cruch like everywhere else!! It seems for the last 3 months everyone is tightening up and not spending so much!! I've really noticed it on farmers markets - not as many people around and those that are only spend on what they need and don't indulge in anything extra!! People still need to buy for xmas though so was planning on some special offers and incentives to buy - thinking of a loyalty card - spend say £10 or over and get a stamp on a little card! Or spend over so much and they get a voucher towards any xmas shopping with you?? I am hoping the craft fairs will be as busy and bustling as last year!!

Actually Keilly, that has given me an idea for new topic in the business board.....

Shame your first one was like that because there must be a good market for your soap, it looks so different from other m&p I've seen. Maybe it was just the wrong day, the wrong venue for you. But don't give up!
I know I'll find it hard to wax lyrical about my own creations face to face but thats something that will get better with time. Also judging your market and what they will buy, its so hard to predict.
Stick at it  ;)

Sue, your experience is just like one i had a few weeks ago, with a fair that was  tucked just inches away from brick lane which is very famous for people who are interested in ethical, eco, natural  and hand crafted stuff, it cost the world for a table and just like everyone else, by the end of the day we all were saying how we had hope the crowds from brick lane. The organizers couldn't even be bothered to put up simple printed arrows which would have done a world difference but the best thing for me was that i met a couple who rear bees for making honey  in central London and  a couple who grow hemp and a lady from the WEN, chatting amongst ourselves was  more interesting than talking to the people who turned up. The best thing though wa sit was my partners idea to go, he saw teh advert for it in time out and kept going on that i should go so he constantly take steh blame for it.

Cheers Corrie- well I am finding selling online is not so bad-and I can do that with the cat on my lap which is an added bonus! chica that must have been so annoying!, sometimes organisers are a bit unrealistic in their expectations that people will just turn up I think. One of the ladies who came to my table said she ran the youth club in that building-she had been there the night before, and had no idea there was to be a craft fair the following day!  ::)
 Funnily enough both of my table visitors asked me if I had thought of making any of the soaps myself-(I had the table posted with leaflets and signs saying what I do), but there you go.

very annoying sue, but what can you do?