Traders at Folk Festivals

Subject: RE: Traders at Folk Festivals
From: Leadfingers
Date: 22 Apr 08 - 08:03 AM

I am well aware of at least one festival where the traders were being charged so much to be on the site that they just stopped going .
The number of stalls went from about thirty to SIX in three years !
One trader I bought from said he would NOT be back unless the concession price came down to the point where he could at least cover his costs

Subject: RE: Traders at Folk Festivals
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Apr 08 - 07:55 AM

traders are very welcome at the Ballydehob jazz festival may 2 3 4,2008,all stalls are free,if traders do well donations would be appreciated.
as far as we are concerned,our aims are to promote music and promote Ballydehob.
obviously, funding is difficult,but we would rather have more stalls and a buzz around the place ,than charge and put people off.
most people are decent enough that if they do well,they will donate.
Dick Miles

Subject: RE: Traders at Folk Festivals
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 22 Apr 08 - 04:48 AM

A lot of traders bring 4 and 5 people with them. This is presumably so that they can take it in turns on the stall. This means an awful lot of free time for those that are not working. I expect they would be in the venues if they had free tickets. Just call me mean (I can take it) but there is a cost and it does have to be taken into consideration. Numbers have to be carefully calculated for obvious reasons. I won't even mention the trader who took festival tickets and didn't even bother to set up their stall....

Subject: RE: Traders at Folk Festivals
From: Folkiedave
Date: 22 Apr 08 - 04:19 AM

I am a trader and I sell second-hand folk books. Nothing else. A number of 'catters know me of course and I am luycky enough to be able to attend a number of festivals.

I take Sandra's point about stalls being shut. But restricted access to events - or a charge - comes to the same thing. I normally trade from around 10.00 am until the start of the final concert each day - but in the height of the summer until quite late and if I am doing business then even later!

But once I have packed up (and where I am outdoors this takes a while), it would be nice to go to feel I could go to the end of a concert or to the ceilidh without too much of a restriction.

At one festival there were some people taking advantage of their tickets - but instead of sorting them out, a blanket ban was placed on traders attending everything except the ceilidh.

I am not a ceidldh goer so that left the bar. And my wife - who helps at big festivals couldn't go to the one workshop she fancied.

And because there is generally only me doing festivals with folk books organisers are not sure which bracket to put me in!!

Finally (and then rant over) I took sufficient money to pay for my stall at the largest festival I went to last year breaking even on the final sale of the final book on Sunday afternoon - literally as I was packing.

However I went to a small festival where I took three times as much money as I had at the large one!!

Subject: RE: Traders at Folk Festivals
From: treewind
Date: 22 Apr 08 - 04:14 AM

You might just as well let the traders have a free ticket, because they have bugger all time and energy to actually go to any concerts so won't often take up a paid-for seat.

Sidmouth, when they still had the arena showground, were in the last years charging the traders so much that in the end all the interesting ones went away and we were left with a load of tat.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Traders at Folk Festivals
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 22 Apr 08 - 04:05 AM

I forgot to mention that CF people are offered a large discount on SFF festival tickets.

Subject: RE: Traders at Folk Festivals
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 22 Apr 08 - 03:50 AM

Craft Fair traders find that Shrewsbury Folk Festival charges considerably less than a lot of other festivals - that's why many come back year after year. I want quality and variety and I think we have that. There is an incentive for people who make their own items - they pay 30% less than traders but they are thin on the ground these days and there is nothing I can do about that. I used to give the CF people free tickets to the festival until I found stalls shut because the stall holders were in the concerts. So, they were paying a lot less for their stall than a festival ticket cost – making money when they wanted to and then seeing concerts. Some would say they took advantage.

I noticed on another thread that Sally Lemon grumbled about being asked to submit a tender. This, by the way, only applies to caterers. As an organiser I didn't want to overcharge nor undercharge and decided that the best thing to do was ask the caterers what it was worth to them. What's wrong with that? The result was that I had been undercharging. Now the fees are much more realistic. It's not all about money because I turned down two caterers who were offering quite a bit more than others. It's all about getting the balance right and that is all I attempt to do.

Subject: Traders at Folk Festivals
From: Mr Red
Date: 22 Apr 08 - 03:00 AM

I have heard a few sad comments from traders over the past 2 years. Basically they are being squeezed financially. I doubt many will post here because it is not good business to moan. eg Traders not invited because they have a traders selling that sort of "thing" and now we hear of traders having to quote for the priviledge of attending. And having to buy tickets for the 1/4 of the time left to them.

I personally like the stalls, but currently the choice I find has diminished at some festivals. Making it harder to "like".

Notable by exception are Upton and Chippenham where the public have full access. Indeed Chippenham BH Monday is a riot of stalls in the high street. Which is organised by the Rotarians I believe.

Organisers should be aware - if you are serious about festivals - traders are part of the buzz, don't be greedy. And traders are as traditional as Folk Song - and as a tradition, as old. They are part of the line-up.