Reflections of Vending at the Funky Flea Market

Good day, my dears,

I want to say thank you all for your support and encouragement. As of this past Sunday, I've been a vendor at the Funky Flea Market at the Halifax Exhibition Grounds for two weekends, and I'm really enjoying it!

My Display and I at My First Funky Flea Market!

Now, I want to share some of the advice and moments with you. I know I have barely begun my journey being a vendor at events and selling my wares. But, I think it's important for myself to document this from the beginning, and even more so, to share it with any other artists that are starting off. 

Advice from Artists/Vendors to Another:

First a Big Thank You to MJ - Urbanmantraart - for telling me about the Funky Flea Market and making me feel comfortable enough to give it a shot! I wouldn't even be doing this if it wasn't for them!

One older vendor gave a very important piece of advice: 

Do not look at each stand alone day you sell as a determination of how you are doing. You need to remember that this takes time. Time to be established, time to be noticed and time to find your people and expand your inventory. Try to remind yourself that you should look at your year, how you've done as a whole, not how each day is on its own.

Another darling vendor I adore, Mike and Ember - Any Witch Way Emporium - gave this advice:

Sometimes you only make your table fees in sales. Sometimes it's about exposure rather than profit. And what makes these moments are the people at the event, be it customers, or other vendors. 

Pride Chainmail Earrings

Sweet Moments:

The Vendors have all been very supportive and encouraging towards each other. 

The first weekend I was next to a couple of lovely people. One lovely vendor, Coraly - Cosy._draw - I got along so well with! We made a pretty good team for both being at the market for the first time. I hope that we can be neighbours again because it really did make the time enjoyable. She makes delightful crochet pieces, the kids loved them, and she even has surprise boxes that she's custom designed with her logo and brand! And this was her first event ever! It really made me feel more at ease as we talked about how we were both nervous and anxious beforehand. 

This past Sunday I had one lovely man, Charles, who makes amazing Fairy Floss help me bring my supplies to my car. We spoke about both being apart of the LGBTQIA+ community, and how much Gatekeeping within the community hurts. We also spoke about how it hurts to realize that you didn't understand another's lived experience, because it wasn't something you had ever personally experienced. This is one reason why it's so important to be an actual community. Why we try to understand one another, why we call out Ace-phobia, Bi-phobia and Bi-erasure, and gatekeeping. We're each apart of a marginalized group, some with more privileged than others, and we need to use our privilege to help each other, not put down or gaslight someone's experience.

Another vendor from Brazil suggested fold up carts we could invest in, and where to purchase them. And other vendors would compliment each other's tables, their artwork, and the work they've put into their craft.

Pride Scalemail Keychains

Conclusion:

These moments and pieces of advice really do make such a market and such a community feel like home. It feels like we have each other's backs, especially when you see how different vendors help support one another. Some will watch each other's tables if they can't make it, so they don't lose out on sales. And getting to see everyone interact, laughing, having a good time, really does make you feel less lonely and scared if you're vending by yourself. 

I was nervous and anxious my first weekend. I was also feeling a bit lonely the second weekend. But those feelings did ebb and flow as the days continued onward. I am grateful I didn't get stuck on those fears, and I didn't let them stop me either. I've made some beautiful connections already and that sense of community is what I truly do adore. 

So for any other artists out there who's considering being a vendor at a market: do some research and try it! Reach out to the community and see what other artists say about it. It's okay to ask ones who have been there before for assistance, even to check out your table and provide some feedback on your layout. And no one minds watching the table when you need to go to the bathroom.

Either way, keep on moving forward, keep on taking those steps forward, even if they're babysteps. You deserve to create, to share your artwork, and to do what you love. 

Much love,

Katherine

Chubby Wubby Dragon Art