DSF

Hi Guys,

Having been up and running for just under 2 months now, i have been doing very well on eBay and on my website.

I was thinking about selling offline, at some kind of fair, but wondered where to find them, and some general tips.

I would like to sell things such as mugs, phone covers, mouse mats etc.

Some info on how you sell offline would be great!

Thanks

Rob

try your local market, pitches are cheap enough, boot fairs, and then look for lists of craft fairs on line

I have done Boot Fairs before, but don't think they would be very good for selling the kind of stuff I do, especially with a big heat press etc.

I have just looked in to Craft Fairs, which look promising. Do you know how much typically they charge? Also, how would you power up your equipment, Power Generator?

Sorry for so many questions, but I am absolutely clueless about face-to-face sales!

well you will need to do some phoning to get pitch prices, everywhere varies, it might be £40 for a 6ft table, it might be £5 for a 12ft pitch, you really need to do some legwork yourself, and remember having a heat press at an actual event may well be a no no, check your public liability insurance.

I have emailed a few people to find out some info. Oh right, so craft fairs are mainly for just promoting your website and products, not actually selling them?

I started selling at craft fairs this year, and have learnt a lot! (I sell pre-printed items with my art so do not cart kit around).
I would visit as many locally as you can as a buyer and see what type of stalls are there. A lot of people (and in some places everyone!) are looking either for cheap garbage or hand-knitted toilet roll dollies (exaggerating only slightly) and not for something slightly different. There is a difference between pure craft fairs (all homemade - I qualify by all the art being mine) and craft and gift fairs, which in my experience are full of cheap imported goods.
I have paid between 5 to 40 pounds per day which isn't much, but when you include parking and petrol (plus having to get up at an unearthly hour on a weekend) it can add up, especially when you don't sell anything (as has happened to me). On the plus side it is all publicity and getting your name out there. Just don't expect to make a quick buck!
Electricity - some organisers charge and some don't, but ask to be near a socket and still take enough extensions.
One thing I am going to try in the New Year is farmers markets which have an additional market area - my feeling in that people who buy at a farmers market are more likely to appreciate different (and lets face it, more expensive than the high street) goods.

Hope this helps, would make me feel those hours plastering on a false smile for potential customers to only walk past weren't totally wasted!

Neil.

yes they are for selling items, not always for making them then and there, that might be the hard part, given the H&S aspect of members of the public / heat presses etc, you cant watch the little darlings all of the time can you ??

Few years back I used to do the local Craft Fairs, we had a saying for some of the punters it went like this

Pick Up - Put Down - P*** Off

Stopped doing them a few years ago now.

Sharon

draig;35167 wrote:Pick Up - Put Down - P*** Off

love it.

i also must say totally personal, you might not yet be looking at what is right under your nose have you been to all your local playgroups/church groups and shown them what you can produce (remember you cannot photograph the children without making sure you are CRB checked etc) do you have good flyers produced and in the right places ?? ebay is fine for some, but maximise your website locally, call into local gift shops and offer your services, i know smitch has a deal with the local farm produce place for mugs etc selling in the farm shop - its called networking, and it costs very little apart from time

mrs maggot;35172 wrote: (remember you cannot photograph the children without making sure you are CRB checked etc)

Thats not quite right, My wife is a teacher and i just asked her, the ruling for schools etc is
The child's parent guardian has to give their consent,
If you think about it newspaper photographers won't be CRB checked and neither will Tempest staff

You do get a few parents say no tho so you do need to check with the school etc,
but in my opinion anything like this is a mine field for problems
You'd better asking if you could leave a flyer etc on a board somewhere and letting the parents contact u directly


on the other point the farm shop stopped selling stuff as only a few bits were sold
it's annoying as we as subbers offer personalised stuff but to have stuff on shelves like that it wasn't personal so ppl expected them loads cheaper which wasn't worthwhile doing.