OK, have booked a stall at a local craft market and now I'm scared

[HunKeRMunKeR]

Tell me things to help it go swimmingly.

What sells well?

What do I need to remember to take?

Tell me I can do this!

Shitshitshitshit!

Oh, for cards, btw. That bit of info might help!

You can do it !!!!!!!
What sort of stuff are you selling ?
What sort of competition will you have ??
Do people go looking for bargains - if so cheaper things will sell well OR is it known for quality stuff, in which case price higher.

Take lots of change !

You can do this! remeber change and bags, if you can seal with those little labels you put on the back of cards with your name on.... looks nice. At this time of year weddingc ards I'd have thought, Fathers day, and then the generals.... birthdays plus blacnk message ones in neutral designs.

Why not come and do our arty craft swap then? Peachy blatantly promotes....

Tub for loose change - then you don't have to go rooting.
Pen & paper in case someone wants something special making ??

Oh, knew you'd all have lots of good ideas! Thank you!

Stall is first two Weds in June - it's a taster to see how it goes...and will be more permanent if it goes well!

Am going to scan in and add cards to Yahoo album later - please be honest and let me know if I have any chance of selling them! [OMG what have I let myself in for emoticon]

Scanning cards atm...

How much stock should I have, do you think?

[crapping oneself emoticon]

I haven't much experience of craft stall hunker, but I know a lot of people have had the problem of there just being too many stalls selling cards.

Try to offer a variety of things,perhaps little kits that people could make up themselves., a range of prices and perhaps a few packs.

Don't forget loads of business card/flyers and hand out freely.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!!

Thank you!

It's a small craft market and I wasn't allowed a pitch when I first enquired as there was already a stall selling cards, so I think it's possible that that one won't be there and I might be the only one - but even if it is there they were rubbish...tatty bits stuck on deckle-edged cards all with brown envelopes.

Need to work out a good price for them too.

Still scanning!

It is in a busy shopping mall though.

Hey...just had a brainwave...I'll see how it goes...but maybe, just maybe...I could sell MN crafters cards on there? That might be mad and not work at all, but it's possible.

Hunker - take a few sheets of alpha stickers or some rub ons, with you - the pebble kind with the black font in the middle are pretty universally useful, - and offer a personalisation service for an additional charge.

I usually find I can fit most names on front of the card, and people buying children's cards in particularly seem to like this service!

Good luck:)

Good plan, Soapbox!

ooooh good luck Hunker - I've just booked a stall at our village hall for 27th May (ulp) and am now panicking about what to fill it with! (Would offer some cards under other circumstances but I think I better make them for me to sell this time!)

Hunker.

You need to make your stall look as attrative as possible to get people to look.

The best craft fair I ever did was one leading up to christmas.
I sprayed a couple of branches silver and cemented them into huge pots which I then covered with red gingham....from the branches I hung all sorts of crafty bits I had to sell.

I bought a huge throw from a cheapy shop and used my empty storage boxes on the table to form shelves....threw the throw over the top of the boxes and the stall started to look fun and inviting because it had dimension to it....a flat table top looks boring.

If you get chance try and make up some sweet bags....cellophane from the florist....bit of ribbon...add a handfull of choccies/sweets and wrap...you can do the same with candles...make then look pretty..add a tag whatever just to make them look nice....the kidlets see sweets and drag Mom over to buy...Mom then looks at your stall instead of walking buy.

One of my best sellers is a small organza bag...the survival sack...in it you put a small eraser, a birthday candle, 1 pence piece, a marble, a small piece of string and a paper heart....if you email me at my MN user name at yahoo do co do uk I will share with you the verse that goes with this....print it on tags and tie to the bag....I made 100 of these and sold out....at 2.50 a throw I was well chuffed.

I also made up some "make them yourself" sets....5 cards, envelopes and embellishments....they sold well.

Another good one for summer sales is terracotta plant pots...a pair of gardening gloves...a few bulbs/seeds...wrap a huge hessian bow around it...add a tag and away you go...if you have time you can paint the flowerpots with a simple flower design.

I learnt very quickly that having just cards on your stall doesnt work....well not down here it didnt. IME I needed to make my stall look busy with lots of bits that people needed to stop to look at....its getting them to your stall thats the biggest battle....they see just cards so walk by unless they need a card that is.

Add your contact label to the back of your cards...Ive had many repeat orders from doing this.

HTH???
Good luck....you will be fine.

Good luck to you too, Miaou!

Am glad I have done this though - I work far better to deadlines.

Will have DS2 with me on stall...hope he's a draw for buyers

JM, xposts - thank you so much - will email you now.

That's fab - not sure how much I can vary away from "just cards" - will need to contact market organiser to check - but good point about getting people to look if other things than just cards.

Following Jayzmummy's first piece of advice already then hunker

If I were you I would put a sign round his neck: "Not For Sale"

Excited for you Hunker and those are great ideas JaysMummy! Write to me at aread1 at cfl.rr.com, I am dying to know the verse that goes with the survival pack...:)

Sound promising hunker!! good luck honey.

I should really get off my backside and get something organised. Have been telling myself to do a fundraising coffee morning for the Down Syndrome group for ages now. But that would mean actually trying to sell my cards and beading and I don't like the thought of it- no confidence and all that!

Oh, that's good, JM, that's good Thank you!

Hunker It sells really if you hang then from the tree....people stop to look to see what they are and when they read the verse they all know someone whos having a rough time so buy!!!

Hope its as sucessful for you as it is me....Ive got a few other bits that I make up but they are for mothers day, easter and christmas.

Where do you get your organza bags (I know, I want jam on it, don't I?! )?

You've got me thinking now though - if I come up with a similar thing, I'll let you know!

I buy wholesale

Oh, and what do you put on the labels on the back of your cards?

x posts again - thank you, all of you - love A&C on here - always so helpful!