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My 2nd of 4-in-a-row shows was yesterday.  This show was more like one of your small town shows (but still a long way to go in the form of having some more ART!)

The show was put on by a local branch of the Brain Foundation and has been running for almost a decade.  Situated in a large regional town it is billed as a "christmas fair" and has become a regular outing for the rural ladies, the well-heeled local ladies from surrounding districts ... and some that aspire to that! ... as well as a few locals.   (Other regular shows in the district include the agricultural show (yearly event), a monthly handmade/farmers market held in the main street on a Sunday morning, and a monthly market held at the showgrounds with predominately buy/sell.)

Around 40 exhibitors are hosted under cover (roof but only partial walls) at the local racecourse (it's the betting ring I believe).  There is live music (nice background music, not too loud) in the grassy area adjoining the pavillion where the booths are and the local pipe band do a walk around the fair twice during the day.  Food is limited to healthy lunch plates, bbq sausages/steak and ice cream.  No alcoholic beverages.    Dolly in and out but parking is close by.   If you have large items you can come early and drive in to unload.  

This is more of a craft market/shopping opportunity with about 50/50 handmade/buy-sell.  The organisers endeavour to have a mix of items and attempt not to replicate items (not always successfully, but they try to remedy double ups the following year).  Spaces are 3x3 - you can do what you like within your space for display - a couple erect tents, a couple use the tent frames as display, others just use their display tables/equipment.

Cost of the show is from $50-100 depending on site and $25 extra for power, plus 10% of sales (honour based) at the conclusion of show to the charity.  There is a $5 entry fee for adults to the show.

Show time is 9.30am to 4.00pm.  As it is late in November its getting hot and after experience, buyers have learned to come early to beat the heat.   Yesterday was fairly hot but there was an occasional breeze to revive everyone.  Most of the buyers were gone by 1pm but I still made sales until 3.30pm.

Jewellery - 7 booths  - 1 high end manufacturing jeweller, me mid-range handmade, 1 high end with stamped silver discs etc.- purchased components but hand stamped with personalised message/words and highly overpriced) and 4 with buy-sell mid range (one semi-precious and resin, one costume jewellery with a bit of silver, two with tibetan silver and wood).

Craft -handmade fabric bunting and framed fabric pictures (as in pictures made with pieces of fabric see photos below - they're on the left of the pic); handmade leather goods, buy-sell greeting cards.

Clothing & Accessories for adults - handmade wool garments;  buy-sell scarves; buy-sell ladies tops and dresses;  handmade aprons; handmade canvas duffle bags & shopping bags; handmade (but awful) plastic covered carry bags - childrens versions as well (lucky kids... NOT!); Pakistani jewellery and locally made but Pakistan-inspired clothing (sold by a local woman hailing from Pakistan);  a couple of ladies boutiques sent a selection of items.

Childrens - handmade children's dresses, skirts and aprons; handmade children's accessories ( a few of these); buy-sell toys (three different styles).

For the home -antiques, locally made timber furniture, buy-sell country-style kitchen goods; Polish glass vases and ornaments (apparently designed by the sellers but made in Poland); plants; handmade soaps.

Food items - local olive oil (and olive oil based beauty products) ; local berry products; buy/sell xmas puddings ; locally made spice mixes and gift packs; locally made preserves.

This is my third year at the event.  I had previously attended the handmade monthly market held in the main street a few times so wasn't a complete unknown to the district and my first year sales were good although it was so terribly hot (45 C) that not many people came out.   Last year my sales were down a bit - I thought there were less people through and there was a poorer quality of items on show plus there were two additional jewellery booths with a similar price range to mine (one buy/sell, one handmade) which weren't there this year.  

This year was by far the best out of the three for sales.   Although most of my sales were at the lower end, they made up for it by purchasing multiple items so that the total for each person was a decent amount.  One larger piece (pricewise) sold.  A few customers come particularly to see and buy from me since its the only time I get to the town each year, which is very flattering.   People were definitely shopping for gifts and there were lots of bags of various sizes going past by the middle of the day.    

How did everyone else do?  Up and down to all accounts and I don't think anyone wouldn't have made booth fee as people were definitely there to shop - if you had what you wanted (or could make them think you did, you would sell). 

The girl with the buy/sell stationery did less than last year as did the Polish glass people and the spice girl.   I think the two ladies with exactly the same clothing suffered.  The high end jeweller always does well.   The buy-sell costume jewellery lady opposite me did OK although I think she suffered with others there doing buy/sell in her price range.   Two of the toy people did well as they had items that you didn't see down the street in a store, the handmade soaps did well - they offered gift packages, mix your own and the soaps were colourful.  

The stamped jewellery had a lot of interest (it was their first year) although I don't know how they did at the end of the day.  The buy-sell semi precious jewellery always seems to be happy with her sales.     The canvas bags had a lot less stock by the end of the day as did the pretty children's clothing.   Some of the children's accessories did well, others not (particularly the ones who sat at the back of their booth most of the day and didn't engage with customers!).   The others were too far away for me to see/hear how they did.

And, I even remembered the camera...

My own show next week - this is like a trunk show held in a local shop in town for 2 days, then, finally, an art market to finish the year off.