Strawberry Festival

[cmzaha]

Hubby and I went to the Strawberry Festival in Oxnard, CA today, which is very popular and be going on for many years. It would have been great if it did not take us 2 hrs each way to go 77 miles

Of course I had to check out the 5 people selling soaps and I feel very sorry for them. The cost was $350 for 2 days and we saw no one selling. That goes for other types of vendors also. The B&B sellers just did not have enough to sell to even make the booth. Two had mainly bath bombs, a few butters and a few soaps. In my experience not many will pay $5 for one batch. The other interesting thing I noticed, because of course I am nosy, is all the different sellers had the same ingredient list and same order. Olive and CO first two ingredients, and they were selling them for less than I get at my tiny weekly market. I just do not get it. Their other problem is it is supposed to rain tomorrow and attendees at these kind of markets do not usually return the next days since tickets are $5-$12, with $5 being the price for kids plus $10 parking, and Sundays are very seldom as good as Sat. Only thing that sells well at these types of venues is food and the Kids games.

 

[Lin19687]

Ouch, that is always the worst part about Fairs. You have to apply so far in advance that if it is suppose to be crappy out, you are out
I lucked out last year and got a 4 day Country Fair, 1 hr drive away. A few people had not paid and there was an INSIDE a building spot... SOLD ! $250 FEE, mild to hot days but great things going on. Sold around $2,000 AND when it was sweltering on the last day I was not that bad. Going this year, same spot and even if it rains I won't lose my products..... you leave your stuff set up for the 4 days. only bad was it was 10am -10 pm

 

[Cellador]

I know Katie Carson recently released her soap oils blend through NS. I know the first ingredients are Olive & CO , so I'm wondering if newcomers are buying the blend and hoping to make a quick buck.

 

[shunt2011]

I don't do festivals either. I've attended several and it doesn't seem like vendor do much selling. I keep it to specifically handmade weekend shows or 1 day handmade on occasion. I refuse to do craft/vendor shows. It seems people don't purchase a lot at those events. It's getting harder and harder to find shows that aren't overpopulated with soap makers. I pretty much stick to my 3-4 shows that are in tourist areas.

 

[Kari Howie]

Hubby and I went to the Strawberry Festival in Oxnard, CA today, which is very popular and be going on for many years. It would have been great if it did not take us 2 hrs each way to go 77 miles

Of course I had to check out the 5 people selling soaps and I feel very sorry for them. The cost was $350 for 2 days and we saw no one selling. That goes for other types of vendors also. The B&B sellers just did not have enough to sell to even make the booth. Two had mainly bath bombs, a few butters and a few soaps. In my experience not many will pay $5 for one batch. The other interesting thing I noticed, because of course I am nosy, is all the different sellers had the same ingredient list and same order. Olive and CO first two ingredients, and they were selling them for less than I get at my tiny weekly market. I just do not get it. Their other problem is it is supposed to rain tomorrow and attendees at these kind of markets do not usually return the next days since tickets are $5-$12, with $5 being the price for kids plus $10 parking, and Sundays are very seldom as good as Sat. Only thing that sells well at these types of venues is food and the Kids games.

That’s awful! Those poor vendors!

 

[Lin19687]

FYI, I was the only soaper at this fair the person from the year before said she didn't sell anything. I don't know what soaps she had or how much they charged.
Worked out for me

 

[cmzaha]

Lin, that is not a bad price for 4 days and you did quite well. I would also return. I do a 2 weekend 5 day Holiday Craft Fair that usually nets me around 2500, about the same cost as your 4 day show.

@Cellador, maybe that is why the ingredients were the same, it just seemed odd.