God Awful Craft Fair........

[candles by lisa]

I have had the worst 2 days ever. I have been at a 2 day craft fair and it took me over an hour to drive there. On my first day I made a wopping £10 and today I actually trebled it to £30 - wouldn't have been so bad but the table cost me £60. Really pi**ed off!!!!

Not only that it was freezing so going along with my cropped trousers and little shoes yesterday really didn't help when I had to go out straight away and by thermal socks at a fiver. Was so fed up spent a fortune on the fudge that was for sale in the tent - so definately in the minus balance.

Really fed up total waste of 2 days so I am now going to have a few vodkas to drown my sorrows before I take my bone weary body off to bed before I need to go to work tomorrow.

Moan moan moan I know.

Cheers.

Lisa

:horse: :horse: :horse: :horse: :horse: :horse: :horse: :horse:

[icecreamgirl]

Oh dear, that's such a shame.
Not sure where you are but the weather here has been pants over the last week, people have stayed at home this weekend (not good for ice cream sales but the hot chocs are doing well!)
Better luck next time, i'm sure you will have better ones..:)

[Potter Doodle Doo]

Oh Lisa, that is such a shame. I looked on your website last week, and I know that your items are absolutely lovely. Don't be disheartened, put it down to experience and if they ask you again tell them to go away ... you could tell them to something off too if you prefer.

[Beadsage]

Time for a hug..............http://www.witchcraft.net/forum/images/smiles/hugs.gif (javascript:emoticon(':cutehug:'))

[Snow angel]

Sending you a hug ((((((((hug))))))))

[flame]

hi lisa

oh poor you, sounds like a crap weekend all round. Never mind hope the vodies helped you!!!

We did a fair last weekend at new lanark and its been the beat fair we've done this year so far, I think that its all over that craft fair sales are down.

Plenty of people go to them but expect the prices to be cheap as chips!!!!

Hope the fairs get better for you.

Flame

[Mary]

Hi Lisa - I've just had a bummer too. Like you, an hour to get there and another hour back, and was a 2 day event. I took the grand total of £22 on first day and £26 today, so am well out of pocket. We were in Bronte moorland, and the rain bucketed down (just like you imagine in Wuthering Heights) and I think most people were looking for car boot type stuff rather than good quality unique handmade designer stuff.:frusty:
Oh well, at least we know not to bother next year.
Upside was I met some really nice crafters who gave me some good tips about other fairs coming up.
I guess you win some and lose some.......

[michelleC]

Aww Lisa and Mary sounds like you two have had a pretty awful weekend.
It can only get better eh??
Relax with a drink or two think you desrve it.
http://butterbeandesigns.co.uk/

[Heidijw]

Sorry to hear about your awful weekend!

have been there myself though - my friend and I have done craft fairs for a few years now and there have been some where we've taken no money at all!!

Doesn't seem to be a way of predicting how fairs will go -the most surprising ones can be a great success and vice cersa. Having a successful fair one year doesn't seem to be any guarantee of success the next!! Just have to keep going...... We seem to spend the journey there discussing why it should be a good fair and the journey home discussing all the reasons why it wasn't!!

So, good luck at the next one!!!!

[kipper workshops]

Oh dear, I feel for you. Must be so dissapointing when you go to all that effort and you don't get the sales.

Hope you have a lovely relaxing evening and can put it behind you.

I hope you have more luck with your future events.

Steve:):):)

[candles by lisa]

Thanks for all the comments and hugs, it helps knowing you lot are there when I feel like the odd rant or rave.

Flame glad you did well at New Lanark. I did the Christmas Fair last year and did okay but it was a quote "Craft and Gift Fair". I am rapidly learning that the actual GIFT part means open to everybody to sell cheap crap! Glad you did well.

Cheers all.

Lisa

:D

[craftdancer]

You have my sympathy. I've done quite a few fairs where I haven't even covered the cost of the table and the petrol to get there, but often I've been given tips about other fairs and/or had a lovely day out and a good laugh.

Fairs seem to be individual events every time; you just can't tell what they are going to be like.

Linda

[just_mai]

was at a 3 day event at the weekend, was worst one i've done as well, harldy anyone buying anything. totally shattered from the show, but did make table money back which was £60 plus travel money and a little bit of profit, though i expected to take 100-200 a day like i usually do at the 3 day events but no where near, took £40 1st day £110 the second day and £60 on the third day.

every one was disappointed not many people even made their table money up,
loads said were not doing it again, apparantley it has been going down the pan the last couple of years.

[Katianne]

Does anyone else find that people just don't seem to be spending at craft fairs at the moment? The last one I did, there were plenty of people, but everyone seemed to leave pretty much empty handed.

[Snow angel]

Does anyone else find that people just don't seem to be spending at craft fairs at the moment? The last one I did, there were plenty of people, but everyone seemed to leave pretty much empty handed.

Yes i have been thinking the same. I get a lot of people looking at my cards but you can tell the other card makers and there just looking to see if theres any they can copy. my friend calls a lot of the people looking around the 3 P's Pick up, Put down and P--s off lol i think she's right

[candles by lisa]

Yep I am finding craft fairs are going down and down. If it had been like this when I first started I don't think I would bother but definately see a huge drop. Also if people are having to pay to get in us crafters have had it because any money they would have spent has went to pay for getting in (that's what I feel anyway).

Never mind another 2 fairs this weekend see what happens. My friend is taking my candles to sell at a school fair because I am away at an agricultural show. Bet she sells tons more than me in 2 hours than I will all day. I tend to find school fairs for me are the best.

Moan over have a nice day.

Lisa

[Heidijw]

I think peoples spending at craft fairs has been dropping for a few years now! I think the advent of car boot sales and e.bay create the enviroment of everyone looking for a bargain and not wanting to feel they have had to pay full price for things!!

I had a small craft uinit for a while last year and it was very obvious that if I put things in a sale basket they would sell - even if not much difference in the price I had it on the main tables.

[Sommerwood]

Oh its so disheartening isn't it when they don't go well, after al the effort we all put in too. I refuse to do the big ones anymore or anything which will be more than £20/table as it is so hard to make the money back. And you're right, people just aren't spending at them anymore, they are always looking fo a bargain. I get so frustrated because they would happily pay double our prices for something similar made on a production line and sold in a shop, they never appreciate the hardwork and 'uniqueness' that goes into our products. And I just don;t think people carry much cash around with them these days, everything is paid on a card. I know some stall offer the facility to do this but all costs extra money. And have ben stung a couple of times when I have done ones people have to pay to get into, and then they lay on extra events for the kids etc so us stallholders have no chance of seeing the cash!!

Saying that, the last few I have done have been good, and at least we managed to make enough to pick up a chinese and a bottle of wine on the way home!!!:sm: