Juried Markets

[Miz Jenny]

I'm excited this beautiful Monday morning - I've been approved for a juried farmers' market. I sent pics of my soaping shop andpproducts and heard back this morning. They are very strict about products being handmade locally. I refuse to do markets or shows that allow retailers. Crafters work too hard for little money, to have to compete with factory-made. That's just my personal opinion, of course.

 

[lizflowers42]

It's a perfect opinion, IMHO :-D I can't stand going to those kinds of places as well. If I wanted manufactured things I wouldn't be looking at a craft fair! Big congrats to you Jenny! Keep us posted!

 

[MaitriBB]

I tried doing the "vendor and crafter show" thing and there's tons of the Avon-ThirtyOne-Tutus-Basket dealers there, so no one shows up. Same old same old. So now I'm only doing "craft" shows where the items have to be 100% handmade, or farmers' markets.

 

[shunt2011]

I too only do handcrafted shows and farmers markets. I've done a couple that allow mass produced vendor stuff and didn't do well at all. That was early in my exploration days. I love juried shows as they are usually more decisive on how many of each craft they will allow to sell.

 

[melstan775]

A recent "craft fair" in my town saw only two handcrafters and two dozen reseller retailers. When I inquired about it someone said,"what do you think a craft fair is?". The person was annoyed I would question it. My response: "I don't know, crafts??"

 

[soapsydaisy]

I managed a farmer's market for two years. I only admitted hand made products, farmers, and nursery plants. I was surprised by the number of people that would approach me to sell Avon, Princess House, Tupperware, As Seen on TV products, etc... Our regular customers often thanked me for keeping our market "exclusive". I could have made easy money admitting the wholesalers but I think the feel of our market would have suffered.

 

[bodybym]

When I am a customer at a craft fair of Farmer's Market I really do prefer when it is cottage industry. Commercial items make me think that the people running it only wanted additional booth fees, and I get turned off by it.

 

[heartsong]

when I go to a farmers market or craft fair, I don't mind a bit if there is a $1 entrance fee when it's exclusively handmade from local and regional crafters...it helps pay for business lost by the organizer to keep it so exclusive...the mass production stuff I can buy online without leaving home.

 

[savonierre]

Congrats, that sounds like a great market to be part of..

 

[CaraCara]

Your soaps look great and I hope you do well.