Craft Shows

The decision was taken to attend some Craft Fairs to try and publicize our products. You must remember that we were Craft virgins and had no idea what to expect. Our first one gave us £70 in the kitty, which we were frankly disappointed with (if only we realized just how disappointing these events could really get). However, it was a miserable day so we thought that may have accounted for the apparently poor return. The next one was a weekend seafront Fair! If the first one was poor, this one made it seem like Cash In The Attic. It was that cold and wet that no one actually walked along the seafront unless they had to. Over sat and sun, we amassed a total of £40. However, it wasn't all bad news. At least I wasn't doing it. That pleasure belonged to one of my colleagues!
Foolishly believing that things couldn't get any worse (and as we know, they not only can, they invariably do), we went to a psychic fair. The thought process was that hippy, earth people may appreciate our products more. If you happen to be a White Witch/Pagan/Earth Mother etc, you my wish to look away now as this may prove to be offensive. Ok you were warned. Even before the start, there was a collection of people on a stage who all had to recite a prayer to various goddesses to bring luck onto all of us (it didn't work). Fair enough, not my cup a tea, but each to his own. However, at various times I was privy to watching someone have their life-force measured by someone wielding a (what they claimed) Eagles feather (it could have been a seagulls for all I knew), a lady who told me that in a previous life ( I never heard the rest, people are always Cleopatra etc and are never someone who was laying in a pool of gin in London), someone taking photographic auras of people (I was stood behind the photographer, they were all the same). I have no urge to dis others beliefs, but some there definitely needed help. The fact that I took £5 all day didn't help much. It was very funny to someone like me, so at least there was that to keep me going through the austerity.
After this, what can only be called a nadir in our fortunes, we had a regroup, came up with some new ideas and have done a few more successful shows since. In fact, they seem to be going better. The product is still hardly flying off the shelves, but gradually the fairs are showcasing the products, enabling us to highlight the fact that once they have been purchased, that's the end of it and that they glow all through the night, and to introduce us as a company of individuals to the world (not altogether the best plan we have ever come up with).