For the first time in my life, I attended a market not as a buyer, but as a seller. I was a casual trader at South London’s Merton Abbey Mills. Hubby and I were really excited and looked forward to meeting people and making loads of sales. Unfortunately the weather was yucky and we realised that the market crowd was not the kind of crowd that appreciates hand made goods. Toddlers and children were drawn to the bright colours of my clocks like moths to a flame, but unfortunately their parents were not.

I’m taking today as a learning experience. I learned that:

• Children love the bright colours so I’m right in aiming at least some of the clocks, to children’s playrooms and nurseries;
• I should add the word “brooch” on the price tags for the brooches;
• Business cards should be placed prominently on the table so that people can take one without having to ask for one;
• The location and type of market is very important; and
• The weather has to be good.

I really love what I do, and I know the clocks are liked (if I look at the Favourites and responses I get from Etsy), so I’m not disheartened. In fact, I feel really motivated to create even more “mad” (as one women described the clocks) designs and colours. I basically just need to find the right market where the right kind of person wanders around.

In the words of Tupac

You can spend minutes hours days weeks or even months over analyzing a situation trying to fit the pieces together, justifying what would’ve or should’ve happend. Or you could leave the pieces on the floor and move the **** on.

Have you had a similar experience with market stalls? Wrong market, wrong time? If so, leave me a comment.