I attended my first ever craft market as a vendor on Saturday.

Was I a ball of anxiety/anticipation? Yes. Yes, I was. But was it worth it? Totally.

You know, putting yourself out there in this way is super scary. What if people don’t like my product? What if I don’t sell enough to cover the cost of the stall? What if I’m a complete failure?

I was lucky to end up next to the nicest market alums, who helped calm my nerves and gave me loads of tips and advice for next time. And since this is Calgary and people basically ooze friendliness, the whole experience was so rewarding!

I’m excited to keep this momentum going. And thankfully, I did sell enough to cover the cost of the stall. 😁

What I Learned for Future Markets

* The way you display products is almost as important as the products themselves

But holy moly (yeah, I’m old enough to use holy moly in sentences) display stands are expensive! Luckily, nice-looking displays don’t have to break the bank.

My epic husband helped me make simple stands and platforms from random wood/MDF cut-offs we had at home, but I’ll write all about that in another post.

Also, don’t forget a table covering. It’s the simplest thing that makes the biggest difference in the overall look of a table.

* Small talk goes a long way

Engaging customers is more likely to draw them to your table than not. Just a smile or a simple ‘hello’ will do the trick! And sure, as an introvert this meant hours of solo recharge once the event was over, but it made a tangible difference during selling time.

One of my neighbours also offered free stickers to the kids passing by, which almost always drew in the parents for a closer look.

* Don’t take it personally when you don’t make a sale

Not everyone is going to love your product, and that’s okay!

* Making a checklist a few days before the event saved my life

I added to it as I remembered items I needed to bring along. Simple things, like a flask of coffee, a battery bank and charging cable (I also put ‘charge the battery bank’ on the list), a cleaning cloth, a mirror, and extra business cards. If I hadn’t made this list while everything was calm, I’d have been in a total frenzy the morning of.

* Make the price obvious

Though I placed cute letterboards displaying the prices of my products, I found myself constantly having to explain the prices to customers. If I’d priced the individual products, or made small stands with prices in each area, it would’ve streamlined the selling process.

Anyway, folks. I still have loads of products available. If you’d like to see more, be a dear and follow Foxie and the Moon on Instagram, or send me a mail for details!

Have a good one,

Yolandie