Best seller was honey. Sales were roughly matched between cash and card although the card machine didn't like the cold. Sales were initially very slow and not just the odd candle but then I got some matchsticks and offered people a chance to taste a bit of the honey. This is a massive game changer, I've found it 'converts' a lot of sales previously so if anyone here does stalls, I'd recommend sacrificing a jar for tasting. Wish I'd been quicker off the mark with it yesterday. While this helped with sales, I only offered people a taste and asked what they think, didn't follow up woth 'do you want to buy some', generally not needing to but also because part of my aim wasn't sales but to get people to know how good local honey tastes so the idea is in their heads. Unusually there were 2-3 people who didn't like honey both before and after but that was by far the exception. The other thing I need to sort are business cards! I hope your friend does better today.
The honey sales were mostly the type which I was offering for people to taste, even the almost identical one from a different apiary didn't sell anyway near as much so the tasting option really seems to work. I didn't have any set honey and a handful asked for that, sold a few jars of soft set and ran out ivy honey but only took four jars of that. After honey, Zettle tells me the next best seller was rhubarb and ginger scented candles and orange and cinnamon scented candles. Cash sales mean nativity tree beeswax candles and small skeps also sold similar numbers, approx. only 4-5 of each though.
Sold one beeswax wrap kit, some individual wraps and some packs. Rolled candles I had regular deep foundation variant in packs of three, usually burn for 8-10 hours each based on test burns, and cut comb deep foundation variant in packs of four at the same price, burn time usually around 5-6 hours each based on test burns. Details such as burn time and the fact the honey from my bees and pretty much everything was hand made by me seemed to make a difference to customers.
Managed to talk about food fraud to a couple and one, who had a relative that used to keep bees asked what they do in winter so I told him how they cluster to keep warm- he observed about the ones on the edge getting cold compared to the ones in the middle so I told him how bees think of the hive as the organism not the individual and so they change to a denser cluster which radiates heat more to keep the ones on the outside alive even though it has an energy cost- and said maybe humans could learn something from that! (didn't go in to the mathematical basis of altruism and genetic relatedness though!).
There were also some street preachers. As a Christian myself I respect their courage to do it though never know how much good it does- did manage to have a chat with a nearby stallholder as a result as it turns out we're both interested in the philosophy side of things so have hopefully gained a friend, and another stallholder who lamented society's loss of the ability to robustly and proudly disagree but still respect the 'other', especially in politics. There was also an amusing bit where the musicians and preacher were each turning up their speakers... Although it did get a bit loud!
My wife brought the girls for a little bit too which was a nice surprise.
Unsurprisingly as it was a Christmas market/fayre. I also got Whammed. Twice. So that's Whamageddon lost already this year!
Thanks Dani, sorry to hear your fair went worse than expected. They're supposedly sustainably sourced soy wax ('naturewax') scented candles with an NT wick. They burn for about 12-15 hours when I've tested them. I enjoyed the stall and making everything although the making did take a lot of time. I've got another shorter one at the local business park on Thursday so we'll see what else I can shift. Yesterday I was also approached by someone starting a local crafterd co-operative shop so once I've crunched the numbers that might work to shift some more stock.
@Curly green finger's @Rob H thanks both. Mark, the cone candles are one I like too but I didn't sell that many of them yesterday, perhaps one.
