Christmas Arts & Crafts Fairs

Jules

Jules

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‘Tis the season of local arts and craft fairs. Do you attend? I like them to support local artisans and to keep my dollars in the community. Imo, it’s better than gifting imported Chinese junk. Nowadays I just like browsing and only purchase for myself, since I don't give presents.

Reports from recent events have said sales are way down. It’s more a sign of people cutting back on what they’re spending this year.
 

I love to browse craft fairs. But, most are gone replaced by imports. I may find one when I go out on Saturday. I love to browse in season decorated stores this time of year. It gets me into the mood for Christmas.
 
I've had numerous friends who took their wares to one or more each year. Pottery, small stained glass, jewelry, fabric crafts, homemade treats, all that kind of thing. I participated in two or three, bringing cutting boards, knife racks, spoon racks and those sorts of woodworking that I'd crafted. For me it was just brief, a sideline during my stretch of working in building trades & doing handyman stuff.

It was pretty nice, though, because there was a kind of camaraderie among the people who had booths, and the interaction with customers was amicable.

Being with other people & being with potential customers was at the core. Selling imports that have cheap wholesale prices couldn't compare at all with that. It's sad if sales of original work are way down now.
 

One of our struggling malls has opened what they call an "arts and crafts marketplace" in one of the empty spaces.

I went last week just to check it out and it was pitiful. Very heavy on the crocheted toilet paper covers and garden flags variety of crafts and lots and lots of Chinese junk. One guy had a bunch of old electronic equipment and old phones for sale. Not what I call arts and crafts. New cheap toys, again mostly Chinese stuff.

I was about the only person in there. I don't think it's going to be much of a success but they have nothing to lose because practically everything else in the mall has closed except for a couple of anchor stores, several jewelry stores, t-shirt shops, sneaker shops and nail places. How any of them stay in business, I don't know. The place was deserted.

Oh, and there was a big "garage sale" going on in another empty store, run by one of those estate sale businesses. Nothing but overpriced junk.
 
Way back when, there were craft fairs all over the place. I still have things I bought from them. Homemade crafts such as stained glass, and woven place mats. Rare to see handmade items anymore.
 
Pinky said:
Way back when, there were craft fairs all over the place. I still have things I bought from them. Homemade crafts such as stained glass, and woven place mats. Rare to see handmade items anymore.
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Wow. That’s sad. Perhaps it’s because Toronto is so huge the sales don’t have the appeal or if they do have one it costs the crafters too much to rent a spot. I heard that they range from free to $200 for a spot here. Toronto has One of a Kind, which is very high end. It’s very professional. I just checked and the final day this season is Sunday.
 
Jules said:
Wow. That’s sad. Perhaps it’s because Toronto is so huge the sales don’t have the appeal or if they do have one it costs the crafters too much to rent a spot. I heard that they range from free to $200 for a spot here. Toronto has One of a Kind, which is very high end. It’s very professional. I just checked and the final day this season is Sunday.
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We used to go to the One of a Kind craft show. Beautiful crafts .. $$$ We have articles from them, still on display in our home, though we haven't been in a few years.
 
There used to be a craft holiday event at the fair grounds every year. Both buildings full. It then went down to one building. They lost the sponsor or something and it was gone. There was one last year or the year before under a different name. Supposed to be kind of alternative. It sucked. I'd love to go to a good artist/craft fair.

There was a woman selling pottery at the AM farmers market a few weeks ago who I had never seen before. She had one tree out. I asked her if she had more. She said yes, but didn't know if people would be interested yet. She unboxed several. I bought 2. Glad I asked, they were reasonably priced.
 
At Cracker Christmas this weekend, there were a lot of vendors, many with some spectacular stuff.

Prices tended to be reasonable, too.

I just don't need any more "stuff", though.

The little ones got matching necklaces for $4 each and I bought my granddaughter a gorgeous pendant of seaglass wrapped in silver wire...$12.
 

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