Craft fair fayre.

[stevebuk]

great selection of items JT, should be a complete sellout at those prices, very fair if you ask me.

 

[Paul.J]

Will we see the same piccy tomorrow but with an empty table JT :?:
Best of luck.

 

[Bodrighy]

Sounds very cheap to me but prices need to be right for the venue and for what value you put on them. Personally I'd put double that price on the crotch bowls but then as you said they may not sell .

Pete

 

[cornucopia]

good luck JT-
far too cheap

 

[duncanh]

The pricing was difficult, I've not gone too high( I don't think) for example those crotch bowl are at £15 each, pendants at £3,goblets £8,platters £10 the big walnut bowl I made yesterday(right corner) is the highest priced at £20.

Sound about right?

Your prices are way too low! When you factor in the price of the wood (which you may not have bought but you should price as if you have), finish, abrasives, tools etc it would appear as though you aren't taking into account the time spent.

Maybe it would be better to start at double the prices and then put up sale sign in the afternoon if the morning doesn't go well. Or maybe up the prices and put up a sign saying that you're willing to haggle

It's too easy for me to sit here and comment on pricing, and I know that it's hard to get right, but whenever I've sold things I've been told that I've under priced, and that's after I've put prices up to something which I thought was too high.

Good luck

Duncan

Duncan

 

[user 5053]

Without wishing to sound harsh Johnnyt dispaly has a look of a car boot stall. There is a hotch potch of different objects crammed on to a tresle table, nothing paticularly interesting and eyecatching, no sign to say what or who the the stall is, no provision for taking card paymenst and I could go on. I would say go and do a bit of market reseach. Look around the premier league shows and see how the pros do it, look at the succesful shops and try and create a bit of atmosphere and a buzz on your stall. As for pricing, price on the high side because you can always bring your prices down.
Also plan and prepare as far ahead as you can. Most turners will fail to make on the business side because they invariable make stuf that people don't want, is too time consuming and has little merit in terms of design.
Sorry to sound brutal but if you get it right the rewards can be very good without having to resort to the tuition circuit. Best of luck to all of you dipping your toes into the commercial side.

 

[wizer]

For once I don;t actually disagree with you Soulfly. Except the barmy bit about taking card payments. :roll:

However, I think you should put up or shut up. Are you just a back seat driver or are you Dave Regester in disguise ??? Come on, be a MAN

 

[Paul.J]

Yes c'mon Souly.Lets see what your made of :?:
Jt as only been turning for a very short while and as achieved loads in that short space of time. :shock:
So if he does well today and gets positive comments off the public than no doubt this will give him the confidence to put his prices up for the next one.This is his first.

 

[Bodrighy]

IME if you have a table with a load of stuff on it people tend to stop and rummage. They find they can't afford the £40 bowl so buy a couple of keyrings instead. If you make the table look too exclusive people tend to have a look as they pass by. If it was a major craft sale perhaps a few choice things but for this sort of sale the only thing I would change would be the prices.

For most traders at craft sales card sales cost more than they are worth. Over the net using PayPal it's fine but not for these sort of sales IME

Pete

 

[loz]

Best of luck today JT.

Whatever happens, i hope you had fun, and get the praise you deserve from the crowds !!

I wish i had the skill to turn items i thought were saleable.

I hope you have signed them all !!!!!

Loz

 

[johnny.t.]

......nothing paticularly interesting and eyecatching

Thanks Soulfly, nothing intersesting or eyecatching eh? Thats nice isn't it.

Nice to see your comments are returning back to form. We have a word for people like you round here....

If you have nothing better to do than put people and their work down, then its a damn shame they didn't ban you before.

 

[johnny.t.]

Well it wasn't too brilliant for anyone there, it turned out that the event had practically no advertising and so was frequented mostly by people with kids at the school the event was in aid of. Added to that we were beside a table selling locally made pork pies donated to the event and run by the organisers, who thought it was a good idea to loudly call people entering the marquee we were in over to them, bypassing us and the lady artist next to us.
However we had a few sales and have made a few quid, seen what sells well and got encouraging comments from both the public and other 'crafters' and will definately have another go. In number we matched the sales of the lady next to us, who is a seasoned craft fair seller, who told us "this has been a bad one". A small bonus though one lady came up and offered me the top of a large old heavy mahogany table, which I have to go and pick up.

JT

If only I'd took me credit card machine :roll:

 

[cornucopia]

sorry to hear that JT
did the seasoned craft fair lady tell you of any "good one's" to attend?

 

[Lightweeder]

JT - firstly, please ignore Soulfly. He, she or it was very rude about my stuff when I don't believe it was deserved. Even if work is poor, it's encouragement we want. Your work, on the other hand, is good enough for anyone - better than mine :wink:

My first show is going to be just to judge the feeling of what people want to look at, and what they don't. I want to use it as a learning curve so I get the next one right, and I think you should do the same. If I come away having sold nothing, I will even then think of that as something gained, or learned. Keep at it. Your stuff's great and, one way or another, you've gained so much today, even if it's just what a thoroughly ignorant person Soulfly is.

 

[mrs. sliver]

I think you did a cracking job there JT!! I did my second stall last week and was a little disappointed with sales, but after speaking to other stall holders, the story was the same. people came and had a good day out, but didn't buy much. BUT, it paid for the stall costs and a couple of drinks to be had in the sunshine, so why worry??
It sort of depends what you are aiming for really I suppose.

I turn purely for pleasure, craft shows just give a chance to clear the things I have made and raise cash for a bit more wood (with luck) Plus it can be a good day out if you treat it as such. If you are looking to turn it into a business and profit is uppermost .... it will take all the joy out of it IMHO. I have done this twice already where a hobby become an income .. killed both off stone dead as fun!!

I would just repack your things ready for the next one. maybe have a think about your displaying, I need to do something with mine too, but just having little shelves and cheap spotlights would make a difference.

Better luck with the next one. but well done at getting ready for this one at such short notice! =D>

 

[johnny.t.]

sorry to hear that JT
did the seasoned craft fair lady tell you of any "good one's" to attend?

She basically said to just keep plugging away at them and that as people who attend these things get to know your face you start doing better, that is to say there are many people who attend most of these sort of events locally and continue buying. She did say we had done well for a first try and she admired our stuff, so that was nice.


Next time,I'll put a bit more into the layout. I think a shelf or two, to raise things up, much bigger signs, a notice to say who we are and that I made it all myself(as lots of people asked "do you make this youself" and so I can only take it people think you've bought it in to sell) and pobably most importantly....put the prices on top of the items as I had put them underneath and thought people would just naturally pick things up and look(they don't).


I think I might get a website to put my nicer things on, I've got a mate who's dead good at that sort of thing, who owes me a favour or two....

JT

 

[johnny.t.]

This is how we looked just after setting up(thats Mrs.JT not me!)

This just about sums up the event, which listed 'Traction Engines' as a main attraction, this being it...........

The guy was obviously a mechanical genius,but still a bit disapointing :roll:

JT

 

[Tony Spear]

Look around the premier league shows and see how the pros do it,

look at the succesful shops

the commercial side.

Would that be you then?

 

[loz]

Not a loss JT. Think of all you learnt from this one. Im sure the next will be much more sucessful.

Large pat on the back for having the balls to put your skill on public display like that - some "people" on this forum wont even post photos of thier own work - if indeed they have any to show.

Hats off to you

Loz

 

[johnny.t.]

Thanks Loz 8)