3 comments

• Comment Link Thursday, 08 March 2012 07:21 posted by Shorty

  Liz is not just ANY page turner. Liz is the Heifetz, the Pavarotti, the veritable Yo-Yo Ma of page turners. She is the kind of page turned who, if I was completely fumbling a difficult passage, would suddenly have an uncontrollable puking fit so as to draw attention away from my screwup. She also knows exactly how many pieces of sushi you might need at intermission. At least that's my experience; your mileage may vary One last bit of clothing advice for page turners: No dangly loose jackets. I once played a whole violin recital with silk caressing my left cheek at every turn. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, but it was kind of distracting.
• Comment Link Tuesday, 06 March 2012 23:27 posted by Cielito

  Great article I'm in my fotruh year and still enjoy doing craft fairs. I've got a bit more selective I know which fairs I usually do well at and it's nice that past customers come and seek me out at these events. I also love to try new events and the Folksy forum has provided me with 2 new venues later this year which I'm excited about. I'm philosophical about the revenue generated v costs of doing fairs. I think it is really important to have cards etc. for people to take away so that if they don't buy on the day they can find you again on the web or in person when do need that unique hand-made gift. I'm not the most confident person in the word, but at craft fairs I love to meet people I have my dolls to talk about and it stops me being a bit of a hermit! People can also see the quality of your work, and I've had many a commission via the net after people have met me at events.It was with the encouragement of a lovely lady I met at the first village fair I ever did (Tracey at Foxtail Lily Barn shop, Oundle) that prompted me to set up Northfield Primitives and here I am four years on with a proper little business!When you consider the overheads of a shop, or commission charges for selling through someone else's shop, craft fairs seem quite good value to me. I usually pay between a320 and a340 a day for a table at the events I attend.
• Comment Link Tuesday, 06 March 2012 22:46 posted by Lilhy

  I've been selling at craft fairs for well, when I first atsrted Margarett Thatcher was still PM. I really enjoy them, even the ones where I don't make much money. There's just something about setting out your stall and waiting for people to come and buy. Sometimes it's a long wait! I usually pay between a315 and a335 for a pitch, both indoors and out. There are a couple of larger events near us which charge a3150 for a 3m pitch, but that's just too high for me apart from the need to sell a lot just to break even, the thought of handing over that much money just gives me the heebies. The events I attend are a minimum of 4 hours; there's no point in the smaller, 2 hour ones. The majority are in schools or village halls; you can't discount school events just because of the venue; two of the best events I attend, both in terms of organisation and takings, are in schools and I always sell my higher-end items at those. It's really just a case of trying everything you can, so that you can find your niche.