country fair products

[harvey b davison]

Hi all. I'm thinking about setting up a stall at some local country shows. I'm just wondering who does them and what type of products sell. Also do you just take along samples of larger stuff and then make them to order ( this is what i have in mind ).

 

So what type of products are the best. I was thinking about a gate, a bench, maybe a kitchen table, a couple of different planters, and bird boxes so far.

 

Any info would be much appreciated.

[se7enthdevil]

depends what your local market will be.

 

when i started turning i took loads of different things like rolling pins, bottle stoppers, kitchen roll holders and spatulas but found that people were more interested in my bowls than anything else.

 

you may have to take along a variety of pieces before you find out what the local market is after.

[harvey b davison]

thats what i was thinking, it will be a guessing game the first few times i think.

[Gray git]

You can guarantee 1 thing about these shows that whatever you have the least of will generally sell best then you take more of these next time and they don't go but what didn't last time so less with you fly off the stand, fickleness of the public!

 

sent while pretending to do something important on my mobile.

[dervishcarving]

we do a local fair or two with the bodging group. What will sell seems a bit of a lottery. The main one we do is not a big thing, a small town fair, so price is key. This year we will not be trying to sell expensive items, just a lot of cheaper ones. Spurtles. dibbers, rolling pins, keyrings... all priced low to sell easy. Ill take along some smaller bowls and sell t hem fairly cheep (its for the club's insurance not for my pocket so i dont mind) and soem short stools we make during the winter. Last year bigger stools, priced at about £30 didnt sell very well. this year smaller oens at half price is the aim. Oh, all our stuff is turned on a pole lathe and we take along a few pole lathes and let people have a go. this kinda encourages the idea that 'this isnt mass-produced in a factory, this is all hand made'. helps a bit with the sales pitch

[forestgough]

Rough old wooden mushrooms don't take long and seem to sell

[spandit]

Swedish fire logs/candles (bit of leylandii with some chainsaw cuts down it) seem to fetch unbelievable prices