Craft Market Stall?

**missmanny** · 08-07-2008, 12:50 AM

I know that there are a lot of very craft enthusiats on the FV site.

I wanted to ask if anyone has ever held a stall at a craft market or fair. and your experiences positive and negative.

A little bit of background.

My sister and I have for the last couple of years been importing glass beads from India and selling them online through ebay. Well lately I am become very jaded about ebay and their fees and changes to their feedback policy and to be honest while the anonymity is great it is such a pain to always have to chase people up for money and then make sure that you check when auctions are ending and then to post everything out so we looked for a different way to sell out little beads.

there is a craft Market in the city that is quite popular and they have approved us for a stall - we wouldn't have to have a stall every sunday - we could pretty much just turn up any time we want to. So we could commit to us much or a little time as we like.

The stall fee is only $38 so it is not very much. We are thiking that we will try it a couple of times and then see how it goes and either keep going or think of something else.

I have never seen a bead stall at a market so we aren't sure how popular it will be - certainly our beads sell well on line and the retail stores taht sell beads are always jam packed so I think that there is a market for them.

If you have held a stall - I'm really interested to know your experiences, did you make any money and how did you find the customers?

**tkn4lif** · 08-07-2008, 11:46 AM

I am interested too. I have considered this as well. There are getting ready to open a new flea market down the street from me. I'm not sure how much the rental fee is though.

**missmanny** · 09-01-2008, 09:57 PM

well we are booked in for our stall this comming week end on Snuday - now we are busy getting all of our beads sorted and priced ready to go.

Will let you know how it all goes - I'm excited and scared at the same time, I hope that we make a little bit - well at least enough to cover our stall fees.

I guess we can only try it and see how it goes.

**jollyquilter** · 09-01-2008, 10:37 PM

I wish you well....and please don't get stuck in the " hope we make enough to cover our booth.

Go in with the attitude that you want to make a million$$$$.

I had a booth at an outside market for 8 years and I did lots of handmade items. I did very well but just remember that your customers need to be able to find you when they need you or they will go else where. It will also take a while to get thte word out that you are there.

You might print up some business on your computer and put one in the bag when you make a sale or as you talk to customers ask if they would share your card with a friend or two.

I wish you all the luck in the world and please keep us posted!!

**McD** · 09-01-2008, 11:20 PM

I think AnnK would have some experience with this. I have none.

**missmanny** · 09-03-2008, 12:53 AM

Thanks Jollyquilter,

that is good advice, My sister actually has a free coupon for some business cards to be printed so she has organised that this week, my DSO (god bless him) is also setting us up a website to that customers can order direct.

Both of us have full time jobs and I study part time so we are just going to suck it and see if we can really make a go of it and then work out our logistics, we do love the beads though - sometimes we find them hard to part with.

**Momto2Boyz** · 09-03-2008, 09:53 AM

I had a craft business for years and was thinking about getting back into it. I had a business partner during the duration of my business...and while I love her to death (she is still my best friend) she was not the best business partner. We had different tastes in handmade crafts, which I thought would be a good thing. Turned out that my items would sell out and hers wouldn't budge. So, rather than try to make different items, she'd continue to make the ones that didn't sell.

But if you are doing beads...you shouldn't have that problem!

At $38 bucks for your booth, you shouldn't run into problems! We never had any problems with our "smaller" shows (anything with a booth fee of under $100. It was the bigger shows that were always dissapointing. We paid $250 for one, and lesson learned. It was an outdoor show, and it rained all weekend and we barely made our fee back.

I say go for it. It'll be fun for you, you'll make lots of new friends too. The crafter's community is a tight knit community, and they'll be happy to tell you about other shows and which ones are good and bad, etc. So chat up your neighbors, make friends, make some money and have a good time.

See, now that I am reminicing...I can't stop thinking about doing it again!

**ritabelle** · 09-04-2008, 12:09 PM

Sounds like a great opportunity, especially if there aren't any strictly bead vendors.

Something also to look into might be a specialty bead show. They have several that come through this area and they are always well attended and all the vendors seem to make lots of sales since the people that show up are definitely your target market. I have no idea what the booth fee might be though.

**leezza** · 09-04-2008, 01:16 PM

When you make your business cards be sure to include your website and email address, that way once folks have done business with you they can always find you.

Good Luck!

leezza

**itsahumanzoo** · 09-04-2008, 01:19 PM

I would also try to include on your website a schedule of events that you will be at so that customers can find you if they prefer to do business in person.