5 years of market stalls, everything I've learnt

This November will mark five years of me doing art and craft fairs and market stalls, (4 years in Bristol and half a year on London) so I like to think I have a fairly good understanding of how they work by this point! So, in the nature of not gatekeeping, here’s a bunch of pointers from my fairly experienced perspective if you’re thinking of selling your products in this way! - Please note: most tips are generic for any kind of stall holders but some are specifically illustration based ✍🏻 

My first two market stalls back in 2021, with varying success…

Where to start:

In terms of opportunities, it depends on location. I’d recommend googling and searching on Instagram for markets in your area, there’s some good Facebook groups too, and ‘Craft & Flea’ is a good market option that tours to different cities! You’ll find once you attend your first, you will talk to other stall holders there, and find out about more through word of mouth!

Prices for stalls can vary A LOT, generally the more you pay, the better you can expect of the general organisation and advertising of the event, but of course this is not always the case.

What is needed:

  • A card machine or app that allows you to take card payment, I.e. Square, SumUp, or Zettle

  • A cash float, I usually have around £50 worth in coins and small notes 

  • A printed price list and potentially price labels on products too, some people don’t like to ask and some people still will even if it’s super clear

  • Deals like “buy 2, get the 3rd half price” and sales rack’s can be super helpful in encouraging additional sales!

  • You might need a table, a chair, and a table cloth. This depends on the venue, they should let you know if they provide them

  • Display options for your products, such as a card rack, a flick-through style rack, boxes to stand frames up on. Height is definitely a positive, people want to see things at eye level. You can get most of these things on Amazon or second hand on Facebook Market place

  • Clips, tape, string, cable ties etc to secure things in place

  • A sign or banner of some sort is also really useful with your brand name on it to draw people in and gain followers, along with business cards and a QR code 

  • Variety in your products and prices. I have big framed prints which bring in lots of money, but are not always fitting for everyone’s budget or space, so I also have smaller and cheaper products like stickers and bookmarks for £2. A good mix helps facilitate a more steady income when you can’t predict the audience

  • Frames can easily increase your profits as some people love the convenience, they also make prints more giftable, however they can add unnecessary weight to your market set up making it way less transportable. I personally can’t take my set-up on public transport and envy people that can!

  • Packaging, ideally you want to be as eco friendly as possibly, ie plastic free, recyclable or compostable, some markets even specify this in their application. I get most resources from Eco Craft or Cello Express.

  • Storage and transportation, the wheeled karts used for festivals are a great help

  • Public Liability Insurance, the vast majority of markets need this for legal reasons. I get mine through Axis Web basic membership, which is only £2.70 a month!

Bear in mind, you don’t need to spend hundreds on the perfect set up, just get the basics, see what works for you, and you can always get stuff as go on! Also don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t go great, it’s a real hit or miss industry, which some markets being incredibly profitable and some where I don’t even break even… but even without significant profits, doing market stalls is an amazing way to get yourself out there and you’ll often find doing them will increase your following and online sales. I’ve also found clients for commissions through markets!

I’m doing just a handful more markets in the summer, then I’ll be taking a break until closer to the lead up to Christmas, so I can enjoy my weekends again! I’m also finding the cost of market stalls in market London pretty ridiculous, so they don’t feel super worthwhile for the time being.

UPCOMING MARKET STALLS: