Merry Christmas! How much money did we make at each Christmas market in East London this month? And what was the total? The results are in!
uses for glass blottles upcycling into glasses – some of our market products
We like to keep track of our earnings at the flea markets and craft markets that we go to, and we like to list the things we’ve sold, for several reasons:
1.
We like to compare our earnings with other earnings made at the same market venue at other earlier times, which helps us decide if it is worth selling at that market venue again in the future.
2.
We can compare earnings made at different markets, perhaps in any one particular month, which can help us decide if we should rather have gone to a different market that was on the same day, or if we should have just rather stayed home to make more stock ahead of a market we know we are likely to do quite well at.
3.
We can work out what we need to do to improve our earnings at markets in the future.
How Much Money We Made at Christmas Markets in East London in 2014
(with totals at the bottom and grand total at the very bottom)
Christmas Market at Thomas River Historical Village Sunday 30112014
at Thomas River
Market Costs: petrol R180 and stall space fee nil
Market Sales: R250
Market Profit: R70
Conclusion: It is highly unlikely that we will sell at this market again, unless we already have plenty of stock for the Christmas markets that come after it, and we simply feel like an outing – since the drive to Thomas River is scenic and Thomas River Historical Village itself is a great place for taking photos – and also unless of course if there is no other market happening on the same day that we know we are likely to do quite well at.
Gonubie Main Road in front of the Library Saturday 06122014
at Gonubie Main Road market near the library
Market Costs: petrol R50 and stall space fee R50
Market Sales: nil
Market Profit: minus R100
Conclusion: We can refer back to our notes and can avoid going to sell at this particular Gonubie Christmas market in the future. We may consider trying again if it is held later in December, and doesn’t clash with another market we’d rather be selling at.
Tea in the Trees in Chintsa West Sunday 07122014
teapots in the trees at Tea in the Trees
Market Costs: petrol R70 and stall space fee R50
Market Sales: R725
Market Profit: R605
Conclusion: We’ve had up and down days at Tea in the Trees throughout the past two years, but this was a fair enough day, and we are likely to do this Christmas market (first Sunday of December) again in the future.
Acacia Tree Nursery School Moonlight Market Saturday 13122014
Christmas market at Acacia Tree Nursery School
Market Costs: petrol R75 and stall space fee R60
Market Sales: R1 035
Market Profit: R900
Conclusion: This was our second annual Acacia Tree Nursery School Moonlight Market. The one in 2013 was a week earlier, and then we made a third of what we did this time. We need to take this into consideration next time, but since it is an evening market, and if it doesn’t clash with any other good evening market, we will very likely go sell at this annual market again, even if it is earlier in December than it was this year, and even if we were selling at another market in the morning. We like the place and the atmosphere during their Christmas market.
The Blue Barn in Mooiplaas Sunday 14122014
sepia photo wagon wheel at the Blue Barn
Market Costs: petrol R90 and stall space fee R20
Market Sales: R462.50
Market Profit: R352.50
Conclusion: If this Christmas market is at the same time next year this will be a tricky one for us to decide about. This year it was The Blue Barn’s grand opening day, and the place may be a lot more popular this time next year, but their stall space fee may be more then. This year it also clashed with a Christmas market at Tea in the Trees, which, as said before, has been up and down for us. In Tea in the Tree’s favour is that people are familiar with seeing us there from time to time, and it is R20 less petrol for us. Or if these two clash again next year, maybe Tony and I can split up. He could drop me at Tea in the Trees with half the stock, and then carry on to The Blue Barn, fetching me again on his way home. Two stall space fees, but only one lot of petrol for the car, and twice the exposure. However, in a case like this, if the weather was suspect (drizzling, windy or looks like it might rain) then we’d just both go to the Blue Barn as we can set up our market stall indoors there.
Kidds Beach Annual Christmas Market Tuesday 16122014
lots of people at the Kidds Beach market
Market Costs: petrol R80 and stall space fee R60
Market Sales: R1 295
Market Profit: R1 155
Conclusion: The Kidds Beach Annual Christmas Market in December 2014 clashed with a Christmas market at Yellowwood Forest Campsite in Morgan Bay – they’re in opposite directions of East London. We had done markets at Yellowwood Forest Campsite before, but not one on the 16th of December. We’d never done the 16th of December Kidds Beach Annual Christmas Market before and decided to give it a bash. We were pleased with the results, and will likely do the Kidds Beach Annual Christmas Market on the 16th of December every year in future. We got sunburnt, though, so for the next one might need either sunblock or a gazebo, or both, or at least one or two large beach umbrellas just for where we sit behind our tables.
Chintsa East Christmas Market Saturday 20122014
market stalls and people at Chintsa East Christmas market
Market Costs: petrol R85, but another market on way home that evening so calling it R42.50 and stall space fee R30 (paid in advance for a discount).
Market Sales: R1 355
Market Profit: R1 282.50
Conclusion: If this market is at roughly the same time of the month next year, we will do this one again, even if we’re not also saving petrol by also going to an evening market on the way home.
2 Swans Christmas Market Saturday 20122014
2 fake swans on the dam at 2 Swans
Market Costs: petrol R42.50 (half of Chintsa East trip done ealier on same day) and stall space fee R120
Market Sales: R665
Market Profit: R502.50
Conclusion: Market sales were fair. Even if the Chinsta East market wasn’t happening earlier in the same day (so we could save petrol) we will likely do the 2 Swans Christmas market again.
Tea in the Trees in Chintsa West Sunday 21122014
a windchime in the trees at Tea in the Trees
Market Costs: petrol R70 and stall space fee R50
Market Sales: R415
Market Profit: R295
Conclusion: We had similar below average sales on roughly the same date at Tea in the Trees in Chintsa West a year before, in December 2013. One never knows who will be visiting a market, or how many people might be visiting that market, but two years in a row of below average sales on roughly this date tells us that in December 2015 we’d probably rather choose another market (if there is one) on this date, or stay home and make more stock for another December market in or around East London.
Yellowwood Forest Campsite in Morgan Bay Farmers Market and Craft Market Tuesday 23122014
busy Christmas market at Yellowwood Forest
Market Costs: petrol R165 and stall space fee R100
Market Sales: R2 495
Market Profit: R2 230
Conclusion: We made less than half this amount at the same market last year in 2013. We’re not sure why we didn’t do too well then or why we did so much better now, but even if we made less than half of this December 2014 amount again in December 2015, like we did in December 2013, we are highly likely to go sell at this particular (last one before Christmas Day) Yellowwood Forest Campsite Christmas market again in 2015. We love the atmosphere at Yellowwood Forest Campsite, and the setting – and even enjoy the early morning drive out to Morgan Bay from East London.
Total Christmas Market Costs: R1 405
Total Christmas Market Sales: R8 697.50
Total Christmas Market Profit: R7 292.50
Can you also make money at Christmas markets in or around East London? Yes! Why not!? It’s a great way to earn some extra money just before Christmas. However, it is impossible to say how much you might earn. You might earn more than we did at Christmas markets in East London (or near to East London) this year (December 2014) or you might earn less than we did. One needs to take many things into consideration, like the market venue, the date, what one’s market products are, how one’s market stall looks, and even then, one never quite knows how any one particular day of market sales will go.
We will be going to sell at another market at Yellowwood Forest Campsite in Morgan Bay on the 28th of December, and at the end of that market (not really a Christmas market at it is after Christmas Day) we will also be able to see how much money we made at markets for the entire month of December (well, from 30 November to 28 December).
© Copyright Teresa Schultz 2014
