#1 Craft Fair for the Holiday...

[cmzaha]

SUCKED :sad: I am getting really tired of setting up and tearing down, 9 tables, for practically zip...Lucky me made my booth costs back but not much more. Fairs around here have become extremely bad. No one can convince me the economy is improving at least not in So California. This is fair that I did extremely well at last year and this year what few shoppers came were not buying. Here's hoping my next three are better. Okay done venting. Hope everyone has a good craft fair year

 

[jules92207]

So sorry to hear that. I am a little north of you in central CA and have a feeling it isn't any better this way. I don't sell or do fairs/shows yet but it's something I have considered in the future.

 

[neeners]

sorry, maybe b/c people are thinking about thanksgiving, and not yet made the transition to xmas? hope your next ones pick up.... there are lots of last minute shoppers out there...

 

[OliveOil2]

I am really sorry to hear that you had to go through all of that work for almost nothing. I don't know if the craft fairs here in Northern California are any better, I did two small events this year, they were only 5 hour events, and I sold some soap, but not a Hugh amount.
I did sell every damn tutu that my sister made, and have orders for more, but there were so many Grandmas there and my sister needs to raise her prices.
This isn't new, but still upsets me, so many resellers, what part of craft fair don't they understand? I wish more craft fair coordinators would state handcrafted only.

 

[Susie]

{hugs}

 

[cmzaha]

I am really sorry to hear that you had to go through all of that work for almost nothing. I don't know if the craft fairs here in Northern California are any better, I did two small events this year, they were only 5 hour events, and I sold some soap, but not a Hugh amount.
I did sell every damn tutu that my sister made, and have orders for more, but there were so many Grandmas there and my sister needs to raise her prices.
This isn't new, but still upsets me, so many resellers, what part of craft fair don't they understand? I wish more craft fair coordinators would state handcrafted only.

{hugs}

Even our farmer markets are starting to look like flea markets here and I think it has turned off a lot of shoppers. People seem to love tutus even for dogs...
Thankyou Susie

 

[pamielynn]

The "handcrafted only" needs to kick it up, too.

I did very well this past weekend at our local "big fair", but just looking around at all the Pintrest "artists" made me a little cranky. If I see one more tatted scarf, or wire ribbon wreath or Duncan Hines cupcake, I may lose it. And let's not even talk about all the "soap makers".

 

[navigator9]

Carolyn,. I know exactly how you feel. Well, not exactly. I can't even begin to imagine having to set up and break down nine tables!!! When you're exhausted it's easy to get discouraged, too. I think craft fair sales are off in general. The economy just isn't bouncing back the way we hoped it would. Since sales are down, would you consider bringing less product? Maybe at least your set up and breakdown wouldn't be so exhausting.

The two times that I almost quit were when I'd been burning the candle at both ends and really pushing myself. I work every other weekend on the evening shift, and there were craft fairs that I wanted to do, and they were on the weekends I worked, so I did craft fairs both weekend days and then went to work afterwards.....and I just wanted to crawl in a hole and die. It's easier to bounce back when sales are great, but when they're just so so, and you're exhausted on top of it, it can really make you want to throw in the towel.

Maybe if you can scale back a little until things pick up again......at least I keep hoping that they will. Know that you've got lots of us who are in the same situation, and sending you hugs in sympathy. If people only knew how tough this is, there wouldn't be so many people wanting to get into the business of selling soap!

 

[cmzaha]

Carolyn,. I know exactly how you feel. Well, not exactly. I can't even begin to imagine having to set up and break down nine tables!!! When you're exhausted it's easy to get discouraged, too. I think craft fair sales are off in general. The economy just isn't bouncing back the way we hoped it would. Since sales are down, would you consider bringing less product? Maybe at least your set up and breakdown wouldn't be so exhausting.

The two times that I almost quit were when I'd been burning the candle at both ends and really pushing myself. I work every other weekend on the evening shift, and there were craft fairs that I wanted to do, and they were on the weekends I worked, so I did craft fairs both weekend days and then went to work afterwards.....and I just wanted to crawl in a hole and die. It's easier to bounce back when sales are great, but when they're just so so, and you're exhausted on top of it, it can really make you want to throw in the towel.
Maybe if you can scale back a little until things pick up again......at least I keep hoping that they will. Know that you've got lots of us who are in the same situation, and sending you hugs in sympathy. If people only knew how tough this is, there wouldn't be so many people wanting to get into the business of selling soap!

:-D Actually nine tables are only 2 more than I set up at all my markets. They are not all filled with B&B products. It is hard work. For awhile I was doing 2 markets on Thursdays and 1 on Fridays. Sadly the Thursday markets have closed and one was a really good one for me. While standing at my markets I usually work on crochet hats and sell them also. I do anywhere from 2-4 markets per week and once in awhile take a couple of weeks off, just to re-group. We have so much competition here without my regular customers and my markets I have done for a few years I would be really discourged. Sadly I was looking forward to this one to foot the bill for my 10 lbs of duped fo I am picking up this week, that sure did not happen. It was actually down 300% from the last 2 yrs. Yep, but the economy is getting better... We have a lot of new soapers in So Ca that seem to think they are going to make a lot of money. Good Luck is all I can say

 

[shunt2011]

Carolyn, so sorry about that. It can be frustrating when you work so hard and then sales aren't there. My farmer's market this year was really sad. I was invited to join a new one next year in a very artsy area so hoping it's good. I have 1 more show this year and it's a 2 day event. I did one last Thursday and did excellent hoping for the same for the last one. Made 15 times my table fee. There are just so many more soaper's popping up everywhere. It wouldn't be so bad but so many venues aren't limiting the number of soapmakers in their venues.

 

[navigator9]

:-D Actually nine tables are only 2 more than I set up at all my markets. They are not all filled with B&B products. It is hard work. For awhile I was doing 2 markets on Thursdays and 1 on Fridays. Sadly the Thursday markets have closed and one was a really good one for me. While standing at my markets I usually work on crochet hats and sell them also.

You are unbelievable.....I don't know how you do all those markets!!! You know, it's funny that you say you crochet hats to sell while at your markets. At one particularly dismal craft fair I did a couple of years ago, no one was selling anything, and I had a lot of time to sit and think. Across from me was a girl crocheting hats, and I thought....now there's the perfect craft. I lug all this heavy soap back and forth, killing my back, and all she has to do is lift some yarn! All of my supplies, except for the olive oil I get at Costco, has to be ordered online, and I pay hefty shipping costs for all of it. After I make my soap, I have to wrap it and label it. That girl can wait until she gets a coupon for 50% off at Joanne's or Michael's and get her yarn cheap, she has no shipping costs, and once she's done, there's no wrapping. All she has to buy and transport are yarn and a crochet hook. So I began to think that I was in the wrong business......I can crochet.......maybe I'll give up soap and start to crochet cute little hats for kids! When I got home, I started to look on Etsy. At the time, there were tons of cute little girl hats for just $5 or $6 dollars, all from China and I thought to myself, oh crap, who can compete with that?

So I've come to the conclusion that there isn't any easy way to make money at craft fairs, but soap has to be one of the heavier and more expensive ones Some times I think we must be nuts! LOL Good luck to you, too!


http://www.soapmakingforum.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[Neve]

OMG replace 'selling soap' with 'photography' and you have the story of my life. I want to scream on a daily basis at all the wannabes. Can I use this quote next time I get crazy and mad at all the well ... noise for want of a polite term.

If people only knew how tough this is, there wouldn't be so many people wanting to get into the business of selling soap!

 

[Neve]

Also yarn is crazy expensive and I have a pile of hats that suddenly stopped selling...

 

[cmzaha]

Also yarn is crazy expensive and I have a pile of hats that suddenly stopped selling...

Navigator is correct, I use coupons at Michaels so I get the yarn cheap without buying cheap yarn. It only takes the sale of a hat or two to help with the night and my $60 booth cost. My hats sell for $22-$25 and sell quite well.
@Navigator, we have a lady in our market that makes quality childrens that she gets $15 - $22 for. We also have people in our market selling china cheap hats, and my friend still sells a lot of hats. People that want quality do recognize it. It is almost impossible to just depend on soap sales. Fortunetly the owner of the market and the market manager let. me get away with alot. LOL, one market I was doing in which I did complain about another soaper coming in, same owner, I got my booth for free when she was there. I loved it when she showed up!!

 

[navigator9]

Navigator is correct, I use coupons at Michaels so I get the yarn cheap without buying cheap yarn. It only takes the sale of a hat or two to help with the night and my $60 booth cost. My hats sell for $22-$25 and sell quite well.
@Navigator, we have a lady in our market that makes quality childrens that she gets $15 - $22 for. We also have people in our market selling china cheap hats, and my friend still sells a lot of hats. People that want quality do recognize it. It is almost impossible to just depend on soap sales.

I'm glad to hear that you're able to get what your hats are worth. So many times people don't want to pay what all that handwork is really worth. The cheap stuff from China is tempting in a poor economy. It's encouraging to know that there are still people who want beautiful, handmade items.

 

[cmzaha]

I'm glad to hear that you're able to get what your hats are worth. So many times people don't want to pay what all that handwork is really worth. The cheap stuff from China is tempting in a poor economy. It's encouraging to know that there are still people who want beautiful, handmade items.

Sure I do not sell as many as I would with a lower cost, closer to China prices, but it gives me something to do on slow nights and I sell some and donate some to City of Hope. Actually do a farmer market at COH is what got me started making more hats. I sell them for 1/2 price to patients