Finders Keepers and showcasing your work at a larger design market

It’s only been a couple of weeks since I was at Finders Keepers and I am already missing the buzz of being at this 3-day event. I wanted to write this blog post, as I know there are many creative designers and makers out there who are thinking or have been doing markets and would be interested to know what’s involved in doing a big event like Finders Keepers.

I have been a market lover long before I participated in any markets myself. It was one of my favourite things to do when I was travelling abroad and even at home in Melbourne. I always found it an inspiring experience seeing so many creative people in one space. When I first started doing markets, Finders Keepers was on my wish list, but I couldn’t really see my work at that level to apply.

My market journey started with small and local markets that didn’t cost too much to have a stall. Even so, there were times when I didn’t sell much and stood around looking awkward for most of the day. I’m not sure why I continued, I guess I really enjoyed seeing what people gravitated towards and it felt like a bit of a novelty setting up a stall to sell things. And when I did sell a few things that encouraged me to continue.

Am I ready for a big design market?

Most markets require you to apply to become a stall holder. Every application process varies. For Finders Keepers, you should have an online presence such as a website, online shop and social media and a handful of decent photos that you can use for your application. If you’re totally new to markets, my suggestion would be to spend some time (for me it was a couple of years), doing some smaller/local markets to test the waters and refine your product/pricing. You’ll get a good grasp of what sells (and what doesn’t) and you can gauge how much stock you need when you do a bigger market, which is important when you’re hand making your products. 

Good photography is important

I applied for Finders Keepers at least two times before I got into with a debut stall. After years of trying to do my own photography to save $, I finally engaged a photographer to take some shots of my range and I believe this helped enormously with my market application. If you have an eye for photography and styling, then you can probably do your own photography, however if you are like me and struggle with making professional and consistent looking images, it can be worth the investment to get some photos shot. They can also be re-used for your website/online shop, social media or to be used to promote you by other businesses. 

How do I get in?

Not everyone who applies for Finders Keepers gets in. As mentioned before, I applied twice before I was accepted. I continued to do some smaller markets, add new designs/products, build my social media, update my website, adjust my pricing and made the investment to get some proper photography done before I was accepted. Doing smaller markets also helps you build confidence and gives you some experience to work out if markets are something you want to keep doing. And if markets are an avenue you want to keep exploring, just keep applying. 

How much do I need to invest in a bigger market?

One of the other reasons why I suggest you spend time doing smaller markets, is because you need some level of confidence that your products will sell. Of course, you can never be sure how much you will sell at any market, you do want to feel confident that there are people who like your work and are prepared to pay for it at your price points. 

One thing I learnt about doing markets was that I needed to have different items at difference price points. Most of the smaller/one-day markets I’ve done charge more than $100 for a stall. When you are just starting out, $100 is quite a bit of money and it means you need to sell that amount before you can even start thinking about making any money. And you also need to factor in the time and transport costs to and from the market.

At the time of writing this, the cheapest stall at FK is just over $1400 for the 3 days. This is a significant amount of dough that you need to have. You also need to pay for the stock in advance and think about whether you need to purchase in any display pieces to make sure your stall looks professional. Kmart and Daiso often have storage items that make cost-effective displays or you can invest in some larger (and more expensive) displays. I’ve always tried to keep things low cost or DIY.

How much stock do I need?

I asked this question myself when I had got into my first Finders Keepers and had no idea what to expect. On one hand you don’t want to sell-out of stock, and on the other hand you don’t want too much in case it doesn’t sell. If you’ve been doing markets for some time, you’ll have a good idea of what sells and know to make more of one thing over another. 

I was told to think about the best day you’ve had at any of your one-day markets and times that by 3 days. I always found this to be helpful.

When I did my debut stall, I had a handful of new products, and I decided to have one or two of each design. These sold and I didn’t have any stock to replenish it with. Then I had gift wrap printed up and plenty of it and it hardly sold. Sometimes you just never know.

How much prep work is involved?

My preparation starts at least a couple of months before, if not longer. This can be ordering supplies in advance and giving myself ample time to make products. For my greeting cards, I need to allow myself more time to design, but the printing turnaround is fairly quick. For my fabric products, I need to order the fabric (and have the other supplies) well in advance so I have time to sew up the products. If you’re like me, and your creative business has to fit in between work, family and other commitments, the more time you allow yourself to prepare, the better. And any left-over stock can be added to your online shop and used for future markets.

I also like to set-up a mock display for my stand at home a week or so beforehand if it’s a new set-up. Sometimes you’ll realise you need some extra tape, blue-tac or other display items, once you put it all together. 

You’ll also need to be organised and get there to set-up the day before, so having your transport, babysitting etc covered is important.

Market time! What’s it like being at the event?

It is an incredible buzz being at this well organised event! When I first did Finders Keepers, I was on cloud 9, pinching myself that I was at the Royal Exhibition Buildings as a stallholder, after many years of going there as a shopper. You get to meet so many creative people and I felt very much in my element.

As an introvert, I do find it hard to chat to people, but I always find these events get me out of my shell. And I find after the first day, you start to feel a bit more comfortable talking to people. They also had stallholder drinks on the Saturday after the market closed and I thought this was a great opportunity to connect with other stallholders. 

If you don’t have a buddy coming to help, I was able to duck out to the bathroom and ask my stallholder neighbour to cover me. So it’s always good to introduce yourself to your neighbours. And I packed my own food, but you can take advantage of the food or lunch order deliveries Finders Keepers offer.

You can see why it costs so much to have a stall there, because they do bring in the crowds, who will line up to get in.

It was consistently busy for me throughout most of the day, but I did find it tapered off quite a bit in the last 1-2 hours before close. This is pretty normal for most markets though. As with any other market, sometimes you do see other stalls getting an huge amount of people crowding around and buying, while you are not so busy.

Is it worth it?

Even though FK does pull in the crowds, it doesn’t automatically mean you will do very well. And what a ‘hot’ market looks like is different for everyone. For some it’s just a side business that brings in extra income. For others, they are relying on it for their sole income. 

The second time I did FK, I sold the same as my debut stall, even though the stall cost was more than double the debut. For my more recent event, I sold more than I ever had, but when you minus the stall and supplies, you do get to the nitty gritty of what you’ve made. But it was still worthwhile for me.

Aside from the sales, there are other added benefits; networking with other makers, increasing your brand exposure, gaining more followers and potential repeat and wholesale customers. I always think it’s worth experiencing something at least once, but I am learning you do need to continue doing them to build up a customer base. Some people might get an influx of online sales during or after the event, however I haven’t found my online sales increased greatly. 

The three-day event is tiring though. Standing on your feet and not eating proper meals does wear you down, so you do need to make sure you get some rest during and after the event. 

Final words

I hope you found my recap and experience worth reading. If you are keen to do Finders Keepers or similar event, I would just encourage you to keep doing markets and you will know when the time is right to apply for a bigger market event. It will feel like it’s the next step, even though it can be daunting preparing for such a big event, doing lots of smaller markets will give you the experience and confidence.

Happy creating and making.

Image credit: Finders Keepers Melbourne market graphic from Finders Keepers