This is not so much about what you charge but the price of the items you take with you to an event. I have done multiple events over my 35+ years of doing fairs on and off. Started off with party plan which was okay but doing the orders afterwards could be stressful as had to make sure I could get all the elements. That was in the day of pre-internet any purchases had to be made in person. Can remember going to New Covent Garden Flower Market in Nine Elms at 4am on a Saturday morning to pick up lace fans, silk flowers and more. They closed at 8am so you had to go early. The smell as you walked into the flower hall was fantastic and so easy to get waylaid by beautiful flowers as I headed to the florist sundry shops all round the outside of the flower hall.
Whilst I do miss my trips as the experience is brilliant and well worth a trip if you can do it. Plus the banter and negotiations with the stallholders is always fun. The internet makes things so much easier and less likely to buy things you do not need.
Anyway back to the subject in hand prices for your event. As mentioned I have done a lot of events, made a variety of products but have learnt over the years that each event has it's own pricing ceiling. By that I mean at a local village fair you are unlikely to sell above the £10 mark more likely £5 and under. I do take higher ticket items as they can be a feature of your stall and attract buyers and you never know you may sell said items.
I have made the decision to cut back on events this year and go back to local fairs, have 3 booked in total for October and November, not doing December as find most buyers have already bought gifts and off to the high street instead. Hence making lots of smaller items that hopefully will be well received and sell.
The reason for cutting back is I have got so fed up with all the lugging you have to do, sitting there trying to keep the smile on your face as the disarrrster of a day ticks down in seconds on the clock. Where 1 hour feels like 4 to the extent you have eaten all your lunch by mid-morning, the coffee flask is empty and you end up spending money at the coffee shop. One event I went to last year about 4 of us stallholders staggered back from the coffee shop with humungous slices of homemade Victoria sponge, it was delicious. Totally not needed but the boredom had set in big time.
Also using facebook more for promotion of my product line and various groups I am on. Tried the FB shop but that did not work. A few items on Etsy atm but when the time is up they will also go.
I have also got money conscience in my old age and object to paying high rents for no return.
Not trying to depress anyone but think for me the reality has kicked in,
Have fun and check out the other blogs at Handmade Monday
It's so good to hear the wisdom of all your experience Caroline, I used to do fairs a LONG time ago and am just thinking of maybe dabbling in a few now and again. I remember some were brilliant and some really not so much. The thought of spending all your takings on tea and cake sounds very familiar!
ReplyDeleteLove the flower pictures :) I've never done craft fairs as I've always suspected it's a lot of sitting around without much return on the time. Good luck selling on Etsy, have you looked into Etsy SEO? I started to sell more stuff once I'd brushed up on it a bit xx
ReplyDeleteEvery so often I get an email from somewhere I used to do a fair, and get tempted to have another go. But then I remember the reality. I found Etsy slow at first, but once you get a few sales and good reviews it picked up. I dabbled my toes in Folksy, but never really got started.
ReplyDeleteWhile the internet does make things easier and more consistent, I think I'd love the opportunity to haggle a little. The experience of finding just the right thing out of the blue can't be recreated online.
ReplyDeleteI've never done a fair myself, though I have helped others a lot. It is a lot of sitting around and there are times nothing sells so you've paid out all that money for nothing. At least the internet gives us the option there!