Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

I'll attach a photo of my first fair but a few dislcaimers

YES, it's a bed sheet, YES, it looks all wrinkled and not very professional, BUT i had no time to scout the shops for baskets etc as this fair came up at very short notice and i was so busy making soap (and panicking about Matthew).

However, it was an enjoyable 2 days. I'm totally knacked, last night I could hardly think.

I made £137.50 over the weekend so I am really happy. The table was £40, so that's a good profit for my first time. I got loads of lovely comments (and a few blunt remark - 'I don't like that one', or 'you're a bit on the dear side hen') but lots of people stopped by and I sold 3 body butters. I'd made up lots of leaflets to explain about the butters and I've only about 3 left.

The venue was ok. It's down a lane and it's L shaped and my pitch yesterday was good - right on the corner, hubby was with me and it was a mild day. Today I was in a different pitch, by myself and it was much colder, and it was a quieter day for everyone I think.

I sold enough that I don't have to be up to 11pm everynight making soap, but I do need to make more body butters and make more of a feature of them as  i think thye got a bit lost.

My goodness, doesn't your stuff look stunning! Well done  :buttrf:

One thing I noticed was that virtually no one noticed the top row of soaps. It was all the lower ones thatwas looked at and bought. I was goping to rearrange the stock today to test that theory out but was too cold and couln't be bothered thinking about what would go where. I'll worry about that next week.  ;D

Thank you Samantha - though to be fair, most of the work comes in the packaging. I can do layers and embeds, but swirls - no way. I am hoping to add butters and oils to my SA to offer a more moisturing soap.

Your table looks lovely, and your sales were brilliant. It's exciting doing your first one isn't it?

Well done Polly you did brilliantly and your stall looks lovely too :buttrf:and you made some dosh so it's all been worthwhile..is this going to be weekly for you?

A good start Polly - pretty bands on the soaps.

Was this in Glasgow - or a different fair from the market?

Oh I just adore your wrapping Polly !!! So so pretty!! The table looks good but I bet you've learnt tons already and next weeks will be even better!!! Congrats hon, I think it's great that you got out there and did it!!!!

Thank you Edith, It could be weekly if I wanted it to be. I've booked for next week, as I had planned to do this and next week at the Merchant City fair before that got ditched (expired licence apparently). I'm going to see what I can take in boxes and put them into a suitcase so I can get the train in and out. That was Hubby doesn't need to do 2 trips in the car. If that doesn't work out, I'll try for every month.

Elaine, this was Sloans market, and other stall holders were with nice and friendly or just ignored me  ;)

It was good to have a look at other stalls - and see what they used to cover theoir table, so I'm be looking for a smalled table cloth (one that doesnlt wrinkle). I thought it was a good start, and can only get better. If I'd had more time, the layout, table sheet would have been better, but it certainly didn't put people off.

And, with tourist season nearly here - I can hear the call of Heather soap with tartan ribbons all 'handmade in Scotland'  :mwaha:

Polly can't you drive? you might find it a struggle lugging your stuff about on and off trains have you got a suitcase on wheels sorry for quizzing ya :buttrf:but I take my hat off to you for giving this a go :buttrf:

No I don't drive, and to be honest, with petrol and the cost of parking (£9.70 on Saturday, no parking on site) the train will be so much easier sand cheaper. It's a 2 min walk my end, and a 2 min walk the glasgow end, and I do have a suitcase on wheels thanksfully.

I did see quite a few market people with suitcases, one or 2 had a large hold-all on wheels and it looked really cool.

 :woohoo: Well done you! That's really good. Your stall looks so pretty, you must be delighted. Just one thing I can't see is any prices. Did you label your stuff?

I did have prices but i was so exciting when I'd finished the displaying the stall that i forgot the price cards for ages)  but i got a bit windy at times and they kepy blowing over. Bit of a PITA to be honest. I'm thinking of making up a single price list and having it prominenly displayed.

I was up so late getting labels on stuff, and some, like the butters, I don't have labels. So I put the ingredients etc on a card, as well as a label on back of business cards to give to those who bought one. Which of course I forgot to do, but the necessaries were there visible at pos (juts not in pciiys).

I must admit that when I sold nothing for the first 2 hours, I bit downhearted and had to go for a long walk just to calm myself. I picked up and I was totally fine today, I just smiled at everyone, made chit chat and smiled again when they walked away without buying. Can;t fault anyone for not wanting to buy.

Oooh, your soapies look lovely Polly. Those semi-circle ones look massive!!

That's a brilliant amount of takings too :). I've noticed myself that people don't tend to look higher up! My shoe rack doesn't get looked at by a large amount of people when they walk past but that's what I'm there for. I love chatting to customers, pointing things out and convincing them they can't live without!

Kevin x

That's good.If I look at someone's stall and they are quite happy and smiley when I walk away buying nothing, their good attitude usually makes me remember the stall and come back if they are still there in future.

Congratulations !
Very nice table and products !
Best wishes for your following fairs.
 :buttrf: :buttrf: :buttrf:

Polly, It's yoiur fabulously packages soaps and products that make your stall look really appealing! Full of things that look substantial and superb quality.

Polly that looks great !! Many people round here use bedsheets as table covers. The polyester ones are cheap and don't wrinkle (horrible to sleep on though).

That thing about the lables on the body butter rings a bell. The first event we did, we had hardly any lables ready and sold most of it with just a card chucked into the bag  :mwaha: think it's just one of those things....

By the end of the summer you will be a pro, don't worry. I love your packaging, it looks sooo georgeous and sweet. Don't worry about the blunt shoppers, you have the luck of being in a tourist town, you'll sell by the bucket load come summer.

Did you also notice that b&b stuff seems to be selling better than soap ? Round here it does and I need to make more before the next fair, while I still have plenty of soap to go round...

Gosh guys, you're all being really nice! Thank you!

I found that i really liked talking to people about the soaps and butters (got to pitch it right, and know when not to bother wasting your time  ;)) I

MP, I didn't sell any butters today, 3 yesterday. I need to make more this week, and make them more prominent.

I think the pricing overall was ok - cheap enough that most people would have a few pounds in their purse, but possibly more expensive than some people are prepared to pay.

The funkier soap slices sold well too - really cool scents that were mostly very sweet (P Chi Keen ... was a winner ) and kids loved them too. I've got one of the sheep mould from SP so I'm thinking pink and sparkly ones for next week.

Would love to see pics of the pink sparkly ones when you've made them  :buttrf:

Polly, Your table looks great and that is a good amount for your first outing. If you start going once a week or month you should build up a regular customer base and as you said make the most of the tourist season.
This could be the beginning of your soap empire 8)

Your table looks really good, well done.  Good luck with the other fairs. :buttrf:

The table looks fab, wel done

 :buttrf:

Your products love lovely well done.

Polly the table and soapies look very pretty, i'm surprised you put a disclaimer.

Thanks guys

CB, I don't like the wrinkles you can see on the bed sheet  :) It wasn't the poshest of locations so it was fine (and will probably have to do this weekend as well).  :buttrf:

polly the wrinkles are not pretty when you are looking at them only , but what attracts me first is the packaging of the soaps, which draws you in. You are looking at the table from a different angle than a buyer, besides when you have perfected everything else you begin to find faults where there is none. Maybe you can (i hope you get this) push in the edges and hold down with a drawing pin if you decide to continue using the sheet, there's isnt anything to worry about at all but it would come to you the more you do it.

Thank you CB, being very self critical if one of my things, (and it restricts me in some ways but that's another story).

I get what you mean about the drawing pins and that is something I'll try this week if i can.  :buttrf:

Polly, that looks amazing.  Simple yet so sooo pretty  :buttrf:  I love the presentation of the soaps and well done for doing so well.  Good for you  ;D ;D ;D ;D  :buttrf:

absolutely beautifully presented, especially for your 1st show. Hope your proud of yourself  :buttrf: :buttrf:

Well done Polly  & I too love your packaging  ;D

Looking lovely, well done and all the best!

What a lovely eye -catching stall.

With a length of hessian under your products it would all look amazing. Well done!

Polly it looks lovely, well done, you must have put a lot of hard work into this, I am sure you will do great next time, I would definitely buy from your table.  So pretty  :buttrf:

Hi Polly, that looks amazing, love your packaging.

What type of mould did you use for the semicircles?

Their from GF

polly - geat result. very encouraging! x

gorgeous wrapping, your table looks very inviting!

Thank you, though I wasn;t happy with the display (well, it was my first one)

Heres a link to a picture of that stall I did a few weeks ago http://misspollysoap.blogspot.com/ (http://misspollysoap.blogspot.com/). I now have acrylic shelves so depending on the venue, I will have alter how I display the goodies

Wowser I am loving how those soaps are wrapped  :) . I think they look fantastic