Craft fair article

[Samfire]

Hi Geoff, Well done and thanks for sharing your knowledge. I printed off the article to read at my leisure and found it both informative and inspirational. With regards to lighting your displays, can you plug into the supply at the venue or do you use batteries?

 

[Chippygeoff]

Hi Sam. Electric supply at a lot of venues is always a bit iffy so all my lighting is LED with batteries. Nice to hear you enjoyed the article.

 

[mac1012]

just have a go.... my first craft fair was I took a paste table to my local market and a nice table cloth put some scrap wooden blocks under my items arrange into a bit of display with some prices on and I sold a good amount of stuff.

if people like what you do and price is reasonable there is a good chance you will sell some stuff.

just go for it and have fun.....

mark

 

[bodgerbaz]

I have been considering trying to sell some stuff at a craft show and wondered whether they would allow you to run the saw (assuming you could get power to it). What a draw!!

My wife is heavily into card making, cross stitch and quilting and we've been to the massive shows at the NEC and I've noticed that the biggest crowds are usually around someone doing or making something. Especially where the blokes are concerned.

It strikes me that the biggest problem in selling stuff is to get them in front of your stall. Now if you were cutting out stuff while they watched . . . what a draw.

"Oh Brian look at those lovely candles". "Never mind that 'shell look at that bloke making summat".

You'd obviously need power and some form of Perspex screen to stop the punters trying to mob you but I'd be interested to hear the views of others.

 

[Grahamshed]

You are right it would be a great draw..... until everyone started doing it.

But I think the fair organisers, rightly or wrongly, would be terrified by elfin safety and say no.

( that will probably generate lots of posts saying they do it at my show )

 

[Chippygeoff]

Yes, it would be wonderful to actually have the saw at the craft fair and it would certainly draw the people to your stall and sales would increase. BUT. The noise from the scroll saw would greatly annoy the other stall holders, especially if you were sawing for most of the day. Having said that there are many craft fairs that are held outside and sometimes the organisers organise a marquee or at others you would have to take a gazebo or something and then you may not have access to power and would have to take your own generator. I know wood turners who do this at shows but then they need a big van to carry everything.

What attracts people to my stall is my lighting. besides the under shelf lighting and the spotlights I have several little strobe lights that are continually changing colour. I got them from a friend so have no idea where they came from. I put them by items I want to highlight and usually have them on the top shelves.

 

[martinka]

I've seen three different scroller chappies working outside - at Wakefield, York and Whitby - but have never seen one inside at a craft fair, in marquees or buildings. All three were cutting name plaques to order. The one in York uses an American replica treadle saw and generally has a crowd round him watching as well as buying, whereas with the other two, both using Hegners, the interest was only in buying.

 

[bodgerbaz]

Hmmm, thanks for the interesting feedback.

I suppose people might complain about the dust as well. What with the rise in the 'no win - no fee' sharks all peeps would need to do is sneeze or a cough and they'd be reaching for their claim form.

Barry

 

[delboy]

Thanks chippygeoff for a very interesting article this will be a big help if i get the chance to do a craft fair.
Thanks Derek.