I've never seen it at a folk club, but Sidmouth festival used to discourage artists from selling CDs direct. They wanted you to go though the main music stallholders (who pay the festival for the privilege, of course, and take a cut on the sales). It didn't stop some prominent artists from setting up shop at their concert spots regardless, and you can't turn away empty handed someone who comes up to you asking for a CD so we always carry a handful with us in instrument cases.

Contrast with Wadebridge, where someone set up a stall selling CDs at no profit at all - it was considered a service to artists provided by the festival.

Anahata