to vow never to go to a Craft Fair again?

[grovel]

I went to one this morning. Crammed, as they always are, with twee crap that no-one could possibly need.

My fault for going, I know. But never again.

valium, I'll be at the dd2's one next week - you know where it is!

The one we call Hogwart's? becky

OK, I get it now. Becky has to sell reindeer crap to pay for Quidditch equipment.

Very noble.

I'm abaout to start working at the school Valium calls Hogwarts. I'm going to be in charge of lost property (amongst other things)

I always go full of hope. I nearly always come away disappointed.

Yes, DorothyGherkins (great name BTW), that's part of the awfulness. Dashed hopes. And we never learn.

I once bought a bowed psaltery at a craft fair. Now that was a good one.

I love the idea of them too. I dream of finding beautiful ceramics and pottery but never do.

We set of for one recently, parked up, walked to the entrance knowing there would be a high entrance fee but on the way up the quality of the outside stall holders was so so poor and laughable we just turned around and left. We were not the only ones. This was a heavily locally advertised one at Loseley Park so we thought it would be good. Maybe it was, but putting such tat on the way in put us right off!

I remember stumbling across one in Yorkshire one day, free entry. Walked in, ....deserted, silent, echoing hall.....all the stall holders stood up. We walked past each one like the Queen on an offical royal visit...smiling and nodding at each stall holder saying "lovely lovely" at the items. It was really tense!

Then we found a wood turner who did all these really cool lamps at great prices. We made an instant descion and asked to buy one. He was visibly shocked and the whole transaction was all done with a huge amount of fuss and bother but still quite sweetly done, - we thought maybe he was nervous. We then had to leave the hall with the rival stall holders looking on. We felt a bit like Lord and Lady muck bestowing our approval on the needy.

zukiecat, be honest with us. Was the bowed psaltery made of felt and balsa wood with dried spaghetti for the strings? Bet it was.

GoEasyPudding,

Meant 5foot5. Sorry,zukie.

the overpriced cup cake thing gets on my nerves. used to be called fairy cakes with a bit of icing and a few hundreds and thousands on a paper plate.

We have a local one on the first Sunday of every month and it's fab and always jam-packed. There is a percentage of tat but there's a lot of lovely stuff as well.

And yes, the stall-holders do radiate hopefulness with every passing punter.

I did one last weekend and have another one coming up on Thursday evening.
Last weekend I took over £150, the coming one I don't think will be so good but you never know

With what I sell, it's pocket money prices, so very much appeal to youngsters with pocket money to burn!

I love a good Craft fair and live in hope of finding one but rarely do.

I did get a lovely pendant thingey at Sandringham Flower show though....saw some Royals too....and it didn't rain

Mostly, they are crap though, I have to concur.

There were some hideous cards at DS's school christmas fayre today (note hugely annoying spelling of word 'fayre'). I wouldn't even give them to my blind granny frankly

I went to one this very morning and bought some fab hand-printed Christmas cards. There were some beautiful cushions there, which I couldn't afford, but there was also a right load of old tat and... yep... cupcakes with glitter on top.

grovel

No!! It was lovely. It was the first thing I heard when I went in to the craft fair, which was held in a local stately home, because the man who made them was playing one to demonstrate. I was blown away by the sound it made and in the end could not resist.

DH was a bit surprised when I got home. He doesn't go to craft fairs because he can't stand them but I said I wanted to get some little Christmas pressies for my elderly female rellies. I think he expected me to return with a bit of pot porri and a scented candle so a medieval stringed instrument took him unawares.

Oh, fayres are a million times worse than fairs.

When I see fayres, it makes my teeth itch!

Mumbling we used to call those snoods in my day .

I hate craft fairs though - full of things I wouldn't want even if they were free.

I would never, ever go to a 'Craft Fayre'....nasty patchwork, dollies made out of wooden spoons, hideous cards covered in 'embellishments' ......

But I did go to a local 'Maker's Market' recently. No twee crap at all. Came away with very nice set of hand fused glass coasters and some gorgeous handknitted wristwarmers, both ideal Christmas prezzies. And a marmalade loaf cake that is staying home with me

I made my son's school PTA (of which I am a member so not being all that cheeky IMO) to replace their "Christmas Fayre" banner with a "Christmas Fair" banner. I told them it was either that or they wowuld have to start selling turkeys, geese, cranberry sauce etc. Fayre is food people. Fayre is food. Grrrrr!

would obviously!