First, this is not a moan, just an observation - and, I guess, a query. Picture the scene: Christmas Fair. Same place. Two consecutive days. Same stall. Virtually same stock. Day 1: Lady approaches stall, fingers stuff. Me: "The glass beads are hand-crafted - I'm a glass bead maker." She: "Are you really? How fascinating!" Repeat that scene numerous times (with both men and women), liberally sprinkle with happy chats about different jewellery making techniques, the weather, tuition, matching colours, etc. End of day: pretty good, as far as the till is concerned. Frantic jewellery making to re-stock in the evening.
Day 2: Only slightly less footfall. Lady approaches stall, fingers stuff. Me: "The glass beads are hand-crafted - I'm a glass bead maker." She: "Oh yeah?" Insert fast exit here. Sprinkle with numerous people throwing a cursory glance at stall without ever wandering over. End of day: :o(
Overall, I'm not unhappy, the overall balance was okay. But why? Are Sunday shoppers casual shoppers? It's an out-of-the-way venue, no passing traffic, really, so everybody would have to make an effort to come in. Do craft-people exude invisible fumes on the second day, sending out messages like 'don't come near'? Are 'Saturdays' for spending (week-end grocery shop, etc.), and Sundays for leisure (i.e. 'browsing'? Was it just a fluke (which did repeat itself all over the fair, not just on my stall)?
And has anybody ever done a PhD on the psychology of craft fairs and their shoppers? Hmmmmmm...........................................
There's just something about Sundays. They have this air of quietness that makes people unwilling to do things, even if it's buying something.
ReplyDeleteGlad the first day was better though :)
Ach, schade. Aber wenigstens scheint der Sonnabend ja gut gewesen zu sein.
ReplyDeleteShopping ie browsing is a national pastime, is it not. People have nothing better to do on a Sunday and regard a craft fair as a "run out" perhaps. There's also the possiblility she was weighing up the idea of stealing from you.
ReplyDeleteDealing with the general public myself, I have come to the conclusion they are a rum lot on the whole. But there are plenty of nice ones so you have to focus on them. They make it all worthwhile.
Hi Sabine - your stall looks lovely. I just spoke to another artist who was at the fair both days and she had the same experience as you. Her sales on Saturday were very good and on Sunday much slower. So I'm guessing that this was the same for quite a few people?
ReplyDeletexx
Thanks all :o) It definitely wasn't just me, and I'm not overly grumpy, more intrigued. How come on Saturday, 6 people inquired about glass bead making tuition, and on Sunday, the same number of people were disappointed that I hadn't hand-knitted the wire mesh I'd used for two of my necklaces? It was like they'd been programmed when they got out of bed to focus on the same thing? There were a couple of lovely people there on Sunday, don't get me wrong, and I got asked for my card plenty of times both days...maybe Sunday craft fair visitors are more deliberate, and they'll storm my website this week, eh? Here's hoping ;o)
ReplyDeleteI had exactly the same thing at my fair last weekend. Fri evening was pretty good, Sat was really good, Sun was rubbish!! The show was probably busiest on the Sunday, but nobody spending. Interestingly, the show I'm doing this week is Friday and Saturday only!!
ReplyDeleteso from now on i think all us crafters should only do fairs on fridays and saturdays, and have a long lye in on a sunday, (ha)
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