How to setup a craft booth at a weekly Farmer's Market part 3

What do you do if you’re planning to have a craft booth at your local weekly market? How do you setup? How do you prepare? This is the third in a series of articles about my craft booth experience in my local weekly farmer’s market. I'm sharing some of the valuable lessons I learned with the hopes that you'll benefit from my mistakes in order to avoid your own!

Part 3 - Sales

Probably the most important thing I learned about doing a weekly market is that it is completely impossible to predict what will sell each week. Or how much will sell each week for that matter. I’ve had items sit completely ignored for a month only to have three people come along in one day and snap them up. I’ve had terrific, fun new items that have been totally overlooked in favor of some old thing that’s been hanging around for months. There is simply no rhyme or reason to what will sell each week. I’ve made my peace with that.

But it’s harder to accept the fact that it’s also impossible to predict how much you will sell each week. It feels fantastic when sales are up and everyone is in love with your wares and must walk away with something from your booth. It’s much less fun when lots of folks stroll by with a causal glance at your booth.

The monetary compensation for all your hard work and effort is a real validation of your artistic skills. So when the money starts flowing in you start feeling more and more wonderful and come away from the market with an overall feeling of well-being.

Unfortunately, the opposite is true when no money flows in. You start to question how good your items really are and why no one is buying them. You also ask yourself if it’s really worth your time to drag all your stuff out each week and spend so much time setting up only to make two dollars.

The first few months I set up at my weekly market I was continually subject to these mood swings. After some time though, I spotted this pattern and decided that I had to put myself on a more even emotional keel. I decided not to worry about the week to week sales and to focus on the trend over time. I kept records of what and how much I sold each week for just this purpose, as well as figuring out which of my products is most popular. I can check back and see what the overall weekly average have been throughout the course of the market. This makes me feel a lot better when things are moving a bit slow.

Now I have to warn you about the sad fact of customer haggling. Insert heavy sigh here. Unfortunately, it’s something you’ll probably have to deal with. I did and I sort of hated it. Many folks who attend the market will not really understand the concept of a farmer’s market. This confusion leads to many folks thinking of it as a flea market which is turn leads to them haggling about your prices. I tried not to take it personally. The haggler doesn’t know the love, time, and energy you put into making that item. All they know is that they want to save money and they think the price is too high.

I have in fact had folks pick up an item, inquire about the price, visually and audibly scoff at the amount, throw the item down and stalk off in a huff. Again, I try to turn the other cheek and realize that this person most likely shops at Voldemart and expects the type of low prices and low quality available there. This doesn’t mean that you have to lower your prices. Sometimes it just means that you have to explain to people what makes an item the price it is marked. A little bit of explanation can go a long way.

Next time I'll talk about Other Vendors.

Click here to visit my Fluffy Flowers shop.

Comments

[Brandy]

Again, thanks for this. Especially the part about hagglers. I know that will be hard to take if I'm ever brave enough to go the market route. I went with someone to a market once and they tried to haggle over a plant. The man stood his ground about the quality of his plant. Solidarity!

[Shaina]

you hit the nail on the head!

[colleen]

Fun little critters and such. I love that they are made from recycled materials. The one with the eye patch is great.

[colleen]

Fun little critters and such. I love that they are made from recycled materials. The one with the eye patch is great.

[Marci]

Shops at Voldemort! *snerk*

I spewed my tea when I read that. Thanks for the laugh, Felicia. It was a great way to start the day.

I've been enjoying these tutorials on markets. Keep 'em coming!

[the feathered nest]

Jeez people are so rude sometimes! Interesting post!

Manuela

[Merisi's]

Thank you for the kind comment on my blog!
I prefer to buy handmade local gifts, especially for Christmas. I enjoy for example the Christmas Markets here in Vienna quite a lot. Due to the strict guide lines they put forth, there are mostly hand-crafted items for sale.
Sometimes I feel bad that I cannot buy from every crafts person I encounter. I hope they do not feel bad when I am "only" interested in their creations, but do not buy them. One has only so much money to spend. I do collect business cards, so that I have a record and know where do go when I find myself later looking for just the kind of item I saw.
Good luck!

[Merisi's]

Oh, I forgot: Loved the "Valdemart" too. Great word play!!! :-)))

[Elizabeth]

Love the angels!
Greetings from sunny Marrakech.
Came to your site through
passementeries-diary

[Danielle Nilsson]

Hehheheheh about Voldemart ehehheeheheh :)

THanks for all the great info!

[Nancy ~ Fete et Fleur]

I love this! Thank you for sharing your experience with all of us. I love handmade. I don't think there is anything more wonderful than a handmade item.

Hugs! Nancy

[Jennifer]

OK-- another LOL at Voldemart!! THAT's going to be our official new name for it! You're doing such a great service by sharing your market experience; makes me appreciate even more what independent sellers go through!

[Jodie]

oh that haggling can be so deflating!

[Alison Whittington]

Great information, again. Thank you for sharing.

[Brenda]

Really enjoying this series, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

It's sad how a lot of people don't appreciate the time and effort that go in to handcrafted items, how awful that the scoff at the prices. Equally bad are those crafters that under price, they undermine the time and effort not only of themselves, but the rest of us as well.

[Karyn]

Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us Felicia!! I hadn't actually considered the fact that people would try to haggle with you over the price!! That would drive me nutso! (short drive) ;)

[Priscilla]

Hi, thank you so much for all the information, I am looking to atart selling my crafts, and have no idea where to start.... I have really enjoyed reading your posts!

Prisiclla x

[Julia]

(snort!) I also love the "Voldemart" term!! If you don't mind I'd like to start using that in casual conversation.

Thank you so very much for this series on farmers markets. I've been kicking around the idea for the past 6 months myself. Maybe this will help me drag out my gumption and book a space!

[iSew]

Voldemart is probably my favorite nick-name ever! You're hilarious, thank you for that.

As for the article, again I completely agree. Ups and downs, mood swings. Same for me. Though I've only had a few really bad market days, usually in bad weather, but it's still very disheartening when you don't make the first sale until 2 hours into it.

The haggling thing is despicable.
I actually had a woman come in and look at everything, ask me each price (though everything is labeled), tell me she liked something but it's too expensive. She asked me to lower the price, I said no. She walked out. The next week she came back & did the same thing with another item, then told me that the week before it had been priced lower. I sternly said no. (This is the best part) She then asked me if I was the person who had been in the booth last week. I, of course, said I was and she just turned and walked out. I felt like just pushing her. *$&%^ I can't believe the nerve some people have, but most are pretty nice.