Craft fair fever

[roo_bear]

Hi everyone, My boyfriend is taking me to a craft fair at the NEC for my birthday. I have never been to a craft fair but I am really excited. I am hoping that most people are going to give me money for my birthday to spend at this craft fair, my grandparents give me a bit of pocket money whenever I go and see them, so I have been saving up that and my boyfriend has said he will give me £40 towards whatever I want at this craft fair.

Now I spoke to his mum who went to a similar but slightly smaller craft fair recently and told me about what was there and she said there were loads of stalls that had exclusive fair deals and a discounts including one that was selling craft lamps (she posted me leaflet). I have set my heart on a specific lamp and it is one is saw in a magazine and have wanted for while. My boyfriend looked it up on line and it is about £90, I don't know how much money I will have, my family aren't particularly loaded and I now some people will get me presents anyway, usually I end up with about £50 in total.

My actual question is if i get to this craft fair and they don't have my lamp or I can't afford it. What would you buy? Would you stock up on loads of bits and pieces, threads, aida etc. or do you know of one specific thing that you would buy?

[millymolly]

If you are set on the lamp i would save the majority of your money for that if you cant get it at the fair! Or go daft and stash up! Fairs are good for new things that you havent tried before! Stash up on different fabrics and threads or depending on how you finish your stitching, some embellishments / cards. Im sure you will know what you want as soon as you get there and have a look around!

[Angel]

If this is your first craft fair, can I give you some advice? Beware! For the most part you will get some great deals and people are wonderful, but there are some devious people out there. For example, the last time I went to one there was a woman running a zentangle stall. Her claim? New craft. She's brought it over. Special, low price discount for buying today. Cannot get the items anywhere else in the UK. Shipping from America will cost you twice as much. She sounded fishy, mostly because zentangle is not a new craft that she's brought over, I've been recieving zentangles through http://www.swap-bot.com" target="_blank" target="_blank for YEARS! So I decided not to get the books. Afterwards I went on Amazon and they were selling the exact same books, plus shipping in the UK for less than half what she was selling, and to import from America...only half of what she was selling them for. Sadly a lady from my knitting club had bought from her and spent more than twice as much getting the same things I got from amazon!

So take care and if it sounds fishy, or someone is seriously adamant that you buy today, walk away and if you can get internet on your phone, do a quick google. There are some sharks, but on the whole, deals are deals.

[Mystonique]

Have you goolged the fair? The ones we have in Sydney have websites that list the retailers who will be there and that allows me to google a bunch of stuff before I go ...

I agree that you have to watch prices - definitely some fabulous bargains to be had. E.G. I got my daylight for about $90.00 from a fair when it retails normally for about $300. So fabulous bargain there.

But also definitely some shysters looking to cash in. One stall I often see at our fairs sells HAED charts for around $70.00Aud ... when the same is available from HAED for less than $20.00Aud but she obviously banks on people not being on the internet and she must sell a few because she's always there with new stock.

So it pays to do a bit of shopping before hand and have an idea of prices OR take a mobile you can google on and once you've collected prices of things you want do a quick google over lunch and go and buy after lunch. And it pays to walk all the way around before buying - mark off things you want on your fair map to go back to.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I love going to the Knitting & Stitching Show every year, but I tend to use it for doing workshops and getting ideas, although I do also buy some stash. If I'm considering a really big purchase I tend to do lots of online research beforehand, but mostly I take notes and talk to people and then buy from their websites (or by telephone) later.
But just walking round there and seeing all the lovely stash is GLORIOUS!

[roo_bear]

Thanks for all the info and definitely thanks for the warnings, my bf is coming (despite him not being that into craft, its my birthday present from him) and he has an iPhone so he can always check things for me. I think he is more looking forward to the effect it will have on me rather the the craft fair itself, I just have to go into hobbycraft and I'm like a kid in a candy store. I don't trust myself to buy kits, cos I will want to start it, but I have a sampler to finish for my grandma's Christmas present and Christmas cards to make.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is HAED?

[Mystonique]

Heaven And Earth Designs - they are a very popular designer of cross stitch charts which are very detailed (lots of colours, lots of confetti).

Oh you are going to love the fair 8} have fun.

[roo_bear]

Argh, that was the most amazing thing I have ever done, it was awesome, I had sooo much fun. I did manage to get my lamp for a bargain £60 and they held onto it for the day so I didn't have to carry it around. I got a goody bag with all sorts of papery bits and silicone glue cos I am just getting into paper craft, i got an embossing folder cos my brother bought me an embossing machine for my birthday, I got a sampler kit from the historical sampler company which i love, and i saw soemthing new ( dunno actually how new it is but its new to me) called friendly plastic which looked really col so I got a packet of plastic an instruction booklet and all the tools for £40.

It was all a bit overwhelming at first but I had a fabulous day and even my boyfriend found something he liked a leather working kit, he claims he just wanted the hammer, but he has already made me a keyring and has been banging away ever since.

[rcperryls]

Sounds like an awesome day. I hope you will post pics of what you create with all your new materials. And how cool that your boyfriend has found a craft he likes too. Good day all round!

Carole

[Squirrel]

What a great day you both had. You now have quite a few things to keep you busy by the sounds of it.

[Mystonique]

So glad you had a great day