What do you enjoy browsing at a Christmas market?

[bryceQ]

I'm setting up a Christmas market, sourcing items from local crafters and wholesale marketplaces. It's not my first time doing it, but I always want to have new items and fresh ideas so it's not repetitive for our customers.

Would love to know what type of items you love to see at Christmas markets.

Nice decorations, E.g. hand blown glass / ceramics

Nice handmade pottery

Knitted things made of real wool, not polyester

Basically not cheap tat. All our local ones are cheap tat!

I’d like to see really nice Christmas tree baubles and decorations

Really nice food

Unique things and handcrafted ideally, sorry as helpful as that, but most Christmas markets have the same stuff repeated over and over again!

I love artworks/drawings relating to a local place, and locally made foods.

As per pp.
Anything that isn't cheap tat.
I'm looking for Christmas presents and want decent stuff, happy to pay for it.

Definitely decorations. I also like small handmade things for stocking fillers.

These days, the dc come with me and look out for presents for friends - things like small scented candles, bath bombs, pretty notebooks.

I agree with everyone else- I prefer locally produced, handmade things.
I’d happily buy handmade pottery, local gin/cider/beer, nice chocolates/sweets/teas/coffee etc that I can give as gifts. I went to a farm shop the other day that was selling chocolates that supported a local SEN art project (they’d designed the packaging)- things like that.

I want to buy nice quality things that feel special rather than lots of generic, mass produced, overpriced tat that I could pick up cheaper in Wilko or a supermarket.

Things that are locally made and use local produce

Bath bombs, candles, wooden decorations, tablet and sweets

Not the polyester, mass produced tat that we are at continental markets in town.

I mostly go to Christmas markets for the atmosphere and the mulled wine. I rarely buy anything though as I don't do Christmas presents. I might buy a nice tree decoration if it was made of wood/glass/textiles - basically not plastic tat!

Another vote for handmade decorations here - bunting, felt, knitted/crochet, hand blown glass, hand painted baubles etc. I love picking up unique pieces to add to my collection.

I also like markets that have a good selection of food stalls so I can buy some nice bits to put away for Christmas week.

Poor markets I’ve been to previously have been the ones with too much repetition - I’ve been to lots with far too many stalls selling alcohol, handmade soap or modern animal artwork (think highland cow with neon paint splatter!).

I think if you can make some of these things happen it would be really lovely and I’d spend there

Often it’s hotdogs and tat

Thank you!

We don't do any tat. It's all locally sourced or from small business crafters. It takes months to choose items!

We are a yoga studio so we do have a leaning towards yoga and meditation items but we do home, bath and body etc too. This year we are looking for more local food options as well to feature

And definately no hot dogs! We have homemade cake and fudge plus mulled wine and homemade hot chocolate ☺️

The one thing I always buy is a bottle of alcohol, I don't drink much so when I get a bottle I don't mind spending a bit more than supermarket stuff. My favourites have been chocolate wine, flavoured rums etc from local merchants. I occasionally buy decorations but for me it's one of those things you only need so many of and you save, so wouldn't be something I purchase every year if even every few years.

I go for the Mulled wine & atmosphere.

Before Covid I'd go to a different place in Europe each year , it's great to see a new city. I like the fact they (on the whole) make good quality, fresh food. Not the hot dog, cold chip offerings we get here.

I've never been to one in the U.K., that I thought was good. I've never wanted to return to any of them.

Even in Europe I only really buy decorations - because other than that it's all stuff you can get elsewhere. 💁🏻‍♀️

I'd love to look at things that are interesting, but not much is these days (maybe it's my age (54))

but mulled wine, fresh food & a good atmosphere are the key things for me!

Definitely unusual, nice tree decorations. There was once a stall at a Christmas market with gorgeous Scandi style decorations and that stall was crowded with customers all trying to buy, whereas most of the other stalls weren’t attracting much trade at all.

Christmas themed crocheted decorations are lovely- you could even sell similar style Easter and Halloween decorations too as lots of people like to stock up when they see something unusual that they may not get a chance to buy again.

There was a lovely Russian doll stall at Bath a while back.

I think you're organising a craft fair and pps are talking about Christmas markets. Too very different things.

At a craft fair I like local art, gifts (handmade), things you can get personalised on the day, cheese, T-shirts and hoodies.

At a Christmas market I like wine, toasting marshmallows, wooden decorations, pretzels and cheese dip, Nuremberg style sausages, cheese, cheeseboards.

HedgerowRobin I would definitely buy handmade soap

Nice simple decorations in gold and silver. Not a fan or garish colours and want things that would go with my decor.

Not a fan of anything knitted.

Small items made of quality materials, that I want to keep.

My best buys in the last few years have been hand made glass Xmas tree decorations, and hand forged decorative door hooks. And a crystal bracelet.

Foreign stuff! Nice unusual decorations and gifts, and nice food <goes all dreamy about German potato cakes with apple sauce>

Thoughtful ,individual decorations ,food ,gifts ,handmade soy candles .
Reasonably priced , things that don't make me think 'i can make that cheaper myself'.
No mass produced bought in bulk tat products being passed off as 'craft' and no repetition .

Artisan foods , good quality baubles , nice stockings / sacks .
Stocking filler items but not tat. Xmas plants would be nice , Holly / berry foliage into wreaths .

Alcohol booths with testers!

We like the cheese, and drinks, also there was one last year that did lovely bits for the garden/shed, which I hadn't seen before