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.

I like nice cards and prints, Christmas cards that are more individual than the bulk packets in shops, perhaps local artist drawn, and prints - local scenes, snowy scenes, etc.

Also love nice baubles/decorations, in classic design and colours, not the modern gaudy style.

And as per other comments, anything crafted, hand made, in natural sustainable materials, no awful plastic rubbish.

Food to eat in the market that is not just burgers/hot dogs.

I like to try all the alcohol tasters, I don't really drink very much so by the time I come out the other end I'm half cut 😁
I like the stuff hand made from wood, Xmas baubles, pies, beers, flavoured spirits, cute signs, and jewelry.
I like a hot chocolate with Bailey's and a mulled cider too 😜

Same as everyone else, really. I like decorations that couldn’t be bought at B&M. Hand blown glass, wreaths, hand turned wooden items, anything that looks expensive. Nothing that has been made by someone with a Cricut machine unless they’re very talented, original and are doing something I couldn’t do myself.

And I do love a stall selling bread, cakes and sausage rolls. They always get some of my money.

Lovely wooden decorations which I can collect. We have a gorgeous woman locally and I have at least one decoration from here for the last 10 years at least. My house of filled with wee trinkets from Annabel! https://annabeldannart.bigcartel.com/

Lovely handmade decorations of all sorts, food and drink.

I wouldn't buy gifts for others at a Christmas market- does anyone really want that stuff as a gift? Even things that I'd enjoy browsing and buying for myself I wouldn't want as a gift, as the browsing etc is part of the pleasure- "ah, that's the decoration we bought in XXX, do you remember?"

@RabbitsRock I would buy handmade soap as well - my point was repetition of stalls and commonly repeated ones, not the actual items/crafts.

I also like hand made everyday things I can use like cake/sweets/hand wash/candles/ soap/shampoo/wax melts/

Because I will then buy lots of that to use as everyday items feeling the glow of supporting local businesses

Dog treats !

I get annoyed when I go to craft fairs and there’s 20% multi level marketing /pyramid scheme products for sale. Other than yes good quality items, not tat

I'm guessing they won't do a lot of business now

I like good hand made cards. Which are hard to find, but out there on occasion.

Also, Christmas decs.

Sounds great! Whereabouts in the world are you planning this for? Would definitely go if it's near me

Alcohol - local gins etc.

I'm a sucker for Christmas decorations made by children (if they are good). A lot is in the leadership, but a charity stall of handmade simple but clever decorations always seems to go well round here.

Also to echo PP multiple stalls of attempts at hand made toiletries/hand cream/soap put me off, and anything MLM shouldn't be there IMHO.

Thanks everyone. I think we've got most of the key areas covered.

Definitely no MLM - that's absolutely not our style.

I love a Christmas market. So many of the city ones are leaning towards tacky nowadays.

There’s a wonderful one we love at Hampton Court. Lots of lovely food and drinks to buy and consume there…with larger sizes of the same available to take home.

Christmas wreaths/arrangements ready to take away always take my fancy. Same with beautiful hat/gloves, beeswax wraps, hand poured candles, small batch gin, homemade fudge etc.

@piefacedClique thanks for posting that site! Their stuff looks lovely!

Christmassy stuff would be a start , at Waddesden last year it was the least Christmassy Christmas market I’ve ever seen .

Good beer (not lager), bratwurst and sauerkraut, don't bother with the stalls as never find anything worth buying (either cheap tat or seriously overpriced "artisan"