Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

(including me - reckon I'll need it)

Best of luck!!

(They're all over the place.)

I must be honest - I HATE doing fairs, but we've got another one tomorrow and I'll just need to get on with it  :-\
This may be quite a fun one, we asked if Kendall could have a wee space to take orders for her nappy cakes and sock bouquets, so she'll be there with Kiera and our other daughter is coming along to - so a family outing

I must say, I'm VERY tempted to suggest that I just stay at home ;D

Wouldn't like to be doing an outdoor one this w/e. It's blowin' a hoolie out there now.
Good luck everyone.

Eire

I have a fair today, a Pamper Evening on Tuesday, an all-day Open House event on Wednesday and then, thanks be, a breather until 18th. Last night's event was a little slow,hopefully today will be better.

So, to everyone with upcoming fairs - Good Luck!!!

Hope you all do great!  :buttrf:

i've got an outdoor one tomorrow then a breather like Pam til the 15th (evening also outside) I hope the wind dies down a bit for us all!

good luck everyone

btw, Kingston was quite dead this morning, less than a usual weekday (not that I go often, only a couple of times a year as I hate shoppping)  but there was a queue of traffic building when I left (11am) so maybe people just didn't want to get up this morning? Kingston is usually packed this time of year.

Good luck all! I hope you don't get blown away. My fair is next weekend assuming I am ready!

Not a good day today - first time the fair has been a 2 day event and despite notices in the PO and shops the locals weren't there; hoping they turn up tomorrow.

One hell of a draught through the shed!! Feet were fine though - lace-up clogs so 2cm of wood and rubber between me and the concrete (no need bfor piece of carpet here!).

Sorry to hear you had poor sales EJ - maybe the weather put people off  :(

Mines was good and I am pretty chuffed. But would I have bought from the guy next to me who was having a poor day and had a scowl on his face from about 1pm? He did cheer up a bit later when his wife was there but being a grumpy grump isn;t not going to help with sales.

Oh sorry EJ, sorry it was a bit poor.  Maybe tomorrow will be the complete opposite  :buttrf:

Good luck to everyone  :buttrf: :buttrf: :buttrf: :buttrf: :buttrf:

Sorry it has not been a good day EJ. I hope it picks up for you tomorrow. Perhaps they were all watching Wales lose?

Sorry EJ it was not a good day. Hope it gets better tomorrow.

Good luck to everyone – sorry I'm a bit late :)

Yes, good luck everyone!

Sorry, EJ, wishing you a better day tomorrow, lots of sales.

I did my bit today, it was quite good, but I was in 'selling mode'.  I've now learnt how to grab customers, they start looking and I ask what scent they like, and follow on from there.  I was pretty impressed with myself, I'm usually quiet, but not today!  :D

hope it goes much better tomorrow EJ......:)

Not so good for us today either.
We gave Kendall a wee corner of our stand and she managed to sell a nappy cake - (large one), so she was quite pleased ;)

Wishing you all many sales tomorrow...

Sorry it wasn't a better day, EJ - am v. envious of your clogs - off topic I know, but where did you get them? I'd love a pair!

Walton was busy today - Kevin helped me unload and then had a wander round town - there is a Farmers Market on the first Saturday in the month and although prices were high, folk were buying. I didn't do too badly (at the moment, every little helps) but although the organisation was great and the organisers really lovely, I'm not sure I'd do the same venue again (most of my sales came from other stall holders and the organisers).

Good luck for tomorrow, EJ  ;D

I hope everyone sells out, keeps warm and enjoys the banter :) :buttrf:

Mine was grim. I did take £42.50 and I was surprised to do that well, but I was discounting heavily.

The highlight was the local weirdo doing a terrible Elvis impression. He was drunk, but not as drunk as the big brassy Geordie woman doing the "vintage"* stall, who was chugging special brew at midday and just got drunker and drunker from there. She was bloody terrifying.

The other acts on stage were almost all terrible, the marquee was hideous and really gloomy, nobody had any money, and if I hadn't been there with some other traders I know already from the fair I do in highgate, it would have been really terrible.

Oh well, brick lane next Saturday...

*Oxfam crap



 

My today was better than yesterday - but not particularly good.

The weather was horrible; wind, rain, sleet and touch of snow on the tops arrived at just the right to put people turning out after midday meal.

Fortunately the local male voice choir and the ladies choir did turn up (with OHs in most cases) so they did swell the customer numbers a little.

Glad that it was better though - even with the horrible weather!  :buttrf:

Oh sorry it was not good – where is everyone or are they not just spending any money?  :(

It was just a really financially poor area of London. Predominantly white but people looked really downtrodden. I was struck by the look of disgust and disappointment on one woman's face when she looked at my stuff. To me it said "they promised us a local community event but this isn't for us. I could never afford those prices."

A really depressing day. Got drunk with my other half after (hung over today!) and we decided to cancel my Christmas Market next week, even though it's in trendy Brick Lane and I paid £35 quid for it, so that I can a) focus on keeping up stock levels on the Piccadilly stall and b) help out there on Saturday, when it's likely to be really busy.

When I booked those Christmas markets our circumstances looked very different. I didn't have any freelance work booked in and takings weren't great. But I'm now working full time right up to Xmas and something had to give.  

sorry for those of you who have had another shitty day. I did better than I expected, still not going to blow anyone's socks off, but at least I can go to the bank this week! The heavy rain at 3 o'clock put an end to a moderately successful day, when everyone wnet home! Now I just hope my gazebo dries in the garage.

LS, I know the feeling - I always dread events where the customers come in with a Lidl plastic bag instead of a handbag.... had a couple of those...I am tempted of maybe trying the German Christmas Market next year, but not sure what stall fees are, I guess very expensive....

I am sorry to hear that things aren't going too well...I hope it picks up soon for everyone!!!  (:hug:)

Saturday's fair was great for me, despite the change of it's usual venue & the lack of signs directing people up to the school but todays was the opposite with far fewer visitor numbers & my takings were down 3/4 on last years event.

I've got the farmers market next weekend, outdoors, so I'm praying it doesn't get any colder & the bloody snow doesn't stick, there may be a small charity fair after that but I've got enough stock left to do both & have enough to make up my families baskets.

Good luck for anyone with events this week & coming weekend.

Sally x

After my crazy bust weekend I have only one more event before Christmas. Yeay!!! A chance to breathe!

Friday's event at Sledmere Estate was really good. It was in gorgeous barns with a marquee attached and they had coaches of people coming. It ran all weekend but unfortunately I could ony get a table for that one day. Will definitely do it again next year.

On Saturday I had a Christmas fair at a local school, which though a big eent with an icerink and everything, I was a bit concerned when we got there and found we were in a French classroom and not the hall where the crowd woud be. However, we took the same as at Sledmere so result! After that I ran down the road to Filey to do an evening event for the local Sea Cadets. Their summer eent had been brilliant but this was very slow. They had  choir and a band, and once the entertainment strted, the buying stopped! Still made a profit so not too disappointed.

Well done to everybody for making it through the weekend! And good luck for any further Christmas fairs!

Yeah, I thought of you and your stall in Surrey St. But this was in Islington (technically) and I expected it to be more affluent.

I'm not blaming or criticising the local people. I just didn't have anything to offer them and if I had known what it would be like, I wouldn't have gone.  Mind, you, I think they really struggled to get anyone involved.