Well my first proper experience as a vendor at a fair is over, and I thought I’d share the rich and pungent experience with you. Why pungent? You ask. Well it was hot, blindingly hot and sticky, and with stickiness comes pungency. Even though I kept slathering myself with sunscreen, I’m now a few shades darker than I was pre-weekend.
There are a couple of baffling things about being an oudoor vendor. The first is figuring out how to behave. Here are some questions that were  running through my head, that I may need a psychologist to help me with…
Should I stand out in front of my booth, or will that scare people away. Should I sit in the back and act uninterested, or will it seem as though I’m skulking and grim.
Exactly how much smiling  is considered scary?
How can I prevent myself from looking slightly psychotic after a day of standing in the sun smiling at people I don’t know?
Is there such a thing as being too approachable (especially with little children, who generally want to come home with me?)
How do I politely turn away people asking whether I can copy a strange  design onto a shirt, without looking guilty?
Am I really as pungent as I think I am?Â
I guess time and experience will equip me with the answers.
I’ll write about the other baffling things I noticed in my next post.
The Verdict
All in all, I had a good time. It was a very validating experience (some people actually want to buy my work. Yes they do!) and I feel even more motivated than ever to carry on doing what I’m doing.
Thank you to all those people who supported me and my fledgling tent. Now for some photos:
oh my goodness – how rather posh and professional it all looks! It looks like a proper stall! Glad you had fun and liked reading your blog today! xx
That’s funny! I would never have thought of it as looking professional 🙂 Thank you!
Congratulations! I love your tent shop and the display of your work is so professional and inviting. Your comments and questions are ones I have thought about often, after a couple of markets recently. It is a learned skill to sell and I am sure you will find your own way.