Well, that was humbling. My first craft fair went really well. I met some lovely people, had some brilliant conversations, sold a few things and came away feeling rather pleased with myself.
I went into my second market feeling quite optimistic - like I’d cracked all of this wide open. I'd had a positive first experience, I'd been making more stock, and I was looking forward to getting my little stall out into the world again.
And then it was a bit of a flop. Sales were slow, footfall wasn't what I'd hoped for, and the day didn't quite turn out how I'd imagined.
Which is disappointing when you've spent weeks making products, preparing displays, pricing everything, packing the car and generally organising your life around a single Saturday. As it turns out, not every market is going to be a roaring success, but there are a few things I’ve taken away from the experience.
Not Every Craft Fair Is the Same
This is probably the most obvious lesson, but it's one I hadn't really appreciated until now. My first market was busy, people were interested in what I was selling, and there was a lovely atmosphere.
My second was a very different experience. Different venue, different audience, different footfall, different circumstances. And that's the thing about selling at craft fairs and makers markets - you can prepare as much as humanly possible, make beautiful products, create an attractive stall and get everything set up perfectly.
You can't control how many people walk through the door. You can't control whether they're shopping, browsing, looking for something specific, or simply accompanying someone else who wanted to come along. And you certainly can't control whether the people attending are interested in handbound books, handmade Kindle sleeves, literary bookmarks and bookish gifts.
Sometimes the right people come along. Sometimes they don't. It's frustrating, but it's also part of selling in person.
A Good Stall Doesn't Guarantee Good Sales
I was happy with how my stall looked. My spinning medieval tower was doing its job, the bookmarks were displayed, the handmade Kindle sleeves were laid out, and the handbound novels, journals and sketchbooks were all there to be admired.
I'd put a lot of thought into creating a display that felt like an extension of my little shop. And I still think that's important.
A well-presented market stall helps people understand what you're selling, gives them somewhere inviting to browse and makes your products look their best. But a lovely display can't manufacture customers. I think that's something worth remembering when you're running a small handmade business.
It's very easy to look at a disappointing sales day and immediately start questioning everything.
Were the products wrong? Was the pricing wrong? Was the display wrong?
Should I have brought more bookmarks? Should I have brought fewer bookmarks? Should I have brought a small Victorian child to stand beside the medieval tower and attract attention?
Possibly. But sometimes the simplest explanation is that it just wasn't a particularly good day for sales.
You Can't Judge Your Business on One Day
This is probably the biggest thing I'm trying to remind myself. One disappointing craft fair doesn't mean my products aren't good. It doesn't mean people don't want handmade books, handmade Kindle sleeves or bookish gifts. It doesn't mean I should pack everything away and take up competitive gardening instead. It means one market didn't go particularly well. That's all.
When you run a small business, especially one where you're making everything yourself, it's difficult not to take things personally. You've spent hours binding books, sewing sleeves, designing prints, making bookmarks and preparing everything for sale. There's a lot of yourself in the things you're putting out into the world. So when people don't buy them, it's easy to feel as though they're rejecting the work itself. But that's not necessarily what's happening.
People might not have been looking to buy anything that day. They might not have been your target audience. They might have already spent their money elsewhere.
There are all sorts of reasons why someone doesn't buy something. And most of them have absolutely nothing to do with you.
There Are Still Things I Can Learn From It
I don't want to dismiss the experience entirely - even a disappointing market is useful if I take something away from it.
I'm still learning what works for my products, which displays attract attention, what people are interested in picking up, and how to make my little stall work as well as possible.
I'm also learning more about the practical side of selling at markets - how much to bring, how to organise everything, how to set up the table in under an hour (panic and sweat, as it turns out).
Despite the slow day, there were still some lovely moments. People came over to have a look, picked things up, asked questions and had a chat.
And I don't want to overlook that just because the sales weren't what I'd hoped for. It's easy to measure a market entirely by how much money you make, especially when you're trying to build a business and every expense matters. Getting your work in front of people is valuable in its own right. Someone might see your products and remember them later. Someone might follow your shop on Instagram. Someone might tell a friend about your handmade Kindle sleeves or come back when they're looking for a gift.
Not every interaction turns into an immediate sale, and that's ok.
So, What's Next?
I'm not giving up on markets.
I still really enjoy the experience of meeting other makers, talking to people about books and showing off the things I've spent so much time making. I just need to remember that every event will be different. There will be good days and bad days, and that is part of running a small business. You learn what you can, make adjustments and carry on.
I've still got plenty of things I want to make, lots of ideas for new products, and a shop full of handmade Kindle sleeves, handbound books, journals, sketchbooks, literary bookmarks and other bookish gifts that I'd like people to discover.
And there are still more markets to come. So, no dramatic business closure announcement just yet. The medieval tower lives to spin another day.
A Flop Is Still Part of the Process
I suppose the biggest lesson from my second craft fair is that I need to get comfortable with the fact that not everything will go brilliantly.
My first market showed me that people enjoy what I make. My second reminded me that success isn't guaranteed just because I've put the effort in. Both experiences are useful.
And if there's one thing I'm taking away from this, it's that I don't want to let one disappointing day dictate what happens next.
I'm still building this business, I'm still learning, and I'm still very much enjoying making things, even when the business side of things occasionally decides to give me a little slap.
So here's to the next one. Hopefully with more customers, more conversations and slightly less existential reflection in the car on the way home.
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