We can learn from our notes of what we sold at Christmas markets in East London in December 2014. What sells best at markets?

If we know which of our products sells best at markets, we can make more of those particular products or can work at improving them even more, or can even introduce a new range of similar products.

By looking at our notes of what we sold at Christmas markets in East London in December 2014 we can also see what didn’t sell so well, and can consider making and introducing another item in its place instead.

Our notes taken during the Christmas markets in East London also give us a rough idea of what sold best at each of the different venues or Christmas markets in East London. Although one never quite knows how well sales will go on any particular day or at any particular market venue, it is very often that certain of our market items will do better at one Christmas market venue compared to how they do at another Christmas market venue. We can make sure we have more of those particular items at that same venue next time.

We can even totally avoid some Christmas markets if our notes tell us it wasn’t really worthwhile to be at that Christmas market venue on that particular date. We could try a different market that may be on the same day, or can stay home and work at making more stock.

Our previous post was about the amounts of money we made at each of the Christmas markets in East London in December 2014, but this post is mostly about what we sold at each of those Christmas markets.

Christmas Market at Thomas River Historical Village Sunday 30112014

4 of our small tumblers cut from glass beer bottles at R20 each
1 large tumbler cut from an alcohol bottle at R25
2 Caste Light goblets at R30 each – we’ve stopped making goblets now
1 tabletop driftwood Christmas tree for R80
1 R5 kiddies bracelet.
Note to selves: probably avoid going to this market on this date again, but would like to try Art in the Park at the Ann Bryant Art Gallery in East London (was 29th November this year and we didn’t go to it).

Gonubie Main Road in front of the Library Saturday 06122014

nothing – we sold nothing
Note to selves: probably avoid going to this market on this date again.

Tea in the Trees in Chintsa West Sunday 07122014

11 small tumblers – noted that two were hansa, one was amstel, and one was heineken
also took an order for a custom driftwood piece with 12 candle holder holes in it, which we sold for R180
4 large tumblers (didn’t note down which ones they were)

2 tabletop driftwood Christmas trees at R80 each
1 small driftwood ornament Christmas tree for R10
1 small tabletop Christmas tree made from old book pages for R40
2 leather bracelets at R20 each
1 lariat sea glass (two pieces of sea glass) necklace for R30
2 eternity bracelets at R20 each
4 R5 kiddies bracelets

1 R5 keyring holder
1 R10 necklace
2 R30 necklaces (one had an olive wood pendant and can’t remember the other)
1 bottle necks candle holder (two bottle necks cut from beer bottles glued to each other at the rims) for R30.
Note to selves: 1) a bit of everything seems to sell at Tea in the Trees 2) have more driftwood pieces with candle holes in at Tea in the Trees in the future as we sold our previous one at Tea in the Trees too 3) Perhaps make larger driftwood Christmas trees too.

Acacia Tree Nursery School Moonlight Market Saturday 13122014 – Our 2nd one of these Annual Christmas Markets in East London

7 small tumblers – noted that 2 were savanna light, one was savanna dry, two were amstel, one was castle light and one was smirnoff
11 large tumblers – noted that 6 of the 11 were savanna dry, and one was black label

small driftwood boat and large driftwood boat at R40 and R60 – we had only one of each there
R80 windchime (we had only about 3 windchimes there)
5 twirleys (little hanging spiraling wires with a marble in each one)
little glass bottle of white sea glass for R10
sea glass bracelet and sea glass necklace pendant at R30 each
3 eternity bracelets at R20 each
3 leather bracelets at R20 each
one R20 leather ring
one black and hematite shambala style bracelet for R50
1 R20 bracelet
2 R10 bracelets
2 R10 earrings.
Note to selves: 1) our jewellery sold well at this market on this date, and we should have perhaps have had more shambala style bracelets in black, or in black and hematite, as well as eternity bracelets 2) We didn’t sell any tabletop driftwood Christmas trees at this market on this date, or even any of the small Christmas tree driftwood Christmas tree ornament ones.

The Blue Barn in Mooiplaas Sunday 14122014

3 small tumblers (one hansa and two amstel)
4 large black label tumblers
driftwood on driftwood two votive candles candle holder for R40
1 hanging bottle neck votive candle holder
3 R5 kiddies bracelets
1 R10 bracelet
1 woven waxed cord bracelet for R20
2 R20 leather rings
10 R20 leather bracelets.
Note to selves: 1) Should we do this market again on this date, we should make more leather bracelets and more leather rings for it 2) Driftwood Christmas trees didn’t sell at this Christmas market.

Kidds Beach Annual Christmas Market Tuesday 16122014

21 small tumblers – we noted down some of the specifics – 4 heineken, 1 hansa, 1 savanna, 2 savanna packs (each containing 4 glasses one of each kind of savanna – we had only 3 packs there), 1 castle light, 1 brutal fruit, 1 smirnoff, and 4 we didn’t note down what type
16 large tumblers – we noted these were: 4 heineken, 2 black label, 2 captain morgan, 1 j&b, 1 amarula, 1 malibu, 1 smirnoff, and 4 we didn’t note down what type
4 mini driftwood Christmas trees (Christmas tree ornaments) from about only 7 that we had there, at R10 each

1 R80 tabletop driftwood Christmas tree
4 twirleys
1 R80 windchime (of only two we had there)
1 R30 dinner gong
1 R20 tie-dyed kiddies tshirt (of 6 we had there)
1 R30 brown sea glass bracelet
1 R30 sea glass pendant
3 R20 pink and brown leather bracelets

1 R20 bracelet
2 R5 bracelets
1 R5 leather ring
1 R10 necklace.
Note to selves: 1) need more large tumblers for this Christmas market, especially from heineken and black label bottles 2) need more mini driftwood Christmas trees (Christmas tree ornaments).

Chintsa East Christmas Market Saturday 20122014

21 small tumblers – the types we noted down were: savanna pack (4 different ones in a pack), 5 amstel, 1 savanna light, 2 black label, 9 we didn’t note down the types
13 large tumblers – the types we noted down were: 2 black label, 3 heineken, 4 captain morgan, 1 russian bear, and 3 types not noted down
3 R80 tabletop driftwood Christmas trees (of about 5 we had there)
3 mini R10 driftwood Christmas tree ornaments
3 twirleys
1 driftwood piece for holding 4 votive candles for R80
3 kiddies tie-dyed tshirts
1 R50 sarong (for somebody else – R15 for us)
R5 keyring holder and 2 R10 leather “oval loop” keyring holders

1 R30 dinner gong
1 R30 sea glass bracelet
1 R20 leather bracelet
1 R20 brown braided waxed cord bracelet with metal clasp
1 R10 necklace.
Note to selves: 1) have more large tumblers and more tabletop driftwood Christmas trees at the next Chintsa East Christmas market – perhaps a few larger ones too 2) have more jewellery – we didn’t have much stock left at this stage of the Christmas markets in East London 3) consider getting hold of some inexpensive material and cotton and having somebody sew up some sarongs for us – or find inexpensive ones to resell at a profit – at this market and perhaps at the Kidds Beach annual market on the 16th too – also consider other inexpensive items to buy and for reselling at these two Christmas markets in East London, perhaps jewellery bought in bulk, perhaps some mugs, perhaps some sweets.

2 Swans Christmas Market Saturday 20122014

16 small tumblers – noted they were: savanna pack (4 different savanna glasses), 5 castle light, 2 flying fish, 1 amstel, 1 hansa, 1 smirnoff spin, 2 heineken
5 large tumblers – 1 black label, 4 heineken
6 small driftwood Christmas trees (Christmas tree ornaments at R10 each)
6 twirleys

1 R20 leather ring
1 thick and broad single piece leather bracelet for R20
1 R30 sea glass pendant
1 R30 sea glass bracelet (white glass, with thin black waxed cord).
Note to selves: 1) need more glasses in general, both small and large 2) more mini driftwood Christmas trees (the R10 ones) 3) more jewellery in general 4) Shambala style bracelets (black or black and hematite) may do well here.

Tea in the Trees in Chintsa West Sunday 21122014

3 small tumblers – 1 amstel, 1 savanna dark, 1 brutal fruit
1 large tumbler – smirnoff red
7 thick and broad single piece leather bracelets at R20 each (sold to same customer as day before at 2 Swans)

R20 tie-dyed kiddies tshirt
1 R20 leather bracelet
2 blue suede bracelets at R20 each
1 R20 hematite pendant necklace
1 R80 tabletop driftwood Christmas tree.
Note to selves: likely to avoid this market on this date next time, as two years in a row now bad sales at this market on this date.

Yellowwood Forest Campsite in Morgan Bay Farmers Market and Craft Market Tuesday 23122014

58 small tumblers – 2 savanna packs (4 different types in each pack), 8 savanna for one customer (would have been 12 had we had more of each of the 4 types), 13 brutal fruit, 10 savanna, 2 savanna dark, 3 castle lite, 3 smirnoff, 2 heineken, 1 flying fish, 2 amstel, 6 didn’t note down
25 large tumblers – 1 castle light, 5 savanna, 3 heineken, 1 smirnoff red, 2 smirnoff, 5 black label, 1 richelieu, 1 nederburg, 3 captain morgan, 1 famous grouse, 2 didn’t note down
4 walking sticks (broomstick stick and driftwood handle) at R40 each
2 sea glass packets one for R35 and one for R85
4 leather bracelets at R20
1 shambala style bracelet only few beads (black and hematite) for R30
2 brown sea glass bracelets for R30 each
sea glass necklace pendant for R30
brown sea glass earrings with copper wire for R30

2 leather rings at R20 each
1 olive wood necklace at R20
1 hematite necklace for R20
1 R10 bracelet
2 little Christmas tree ornaments (driftwood Christmas tree ornaments)
2 tabletop driftwood Christmas trees at R80 each.
Note to selves: 1) need tons more jewellery, especially leather bracelets, sea glass bracelets, necklaces, and leather rings 2) need more of each of the popular glasses, both large and small, and more gift packs 3) more walking sticks, but entirely driftwood with rubber stopper that we can sell for more than R40 each 4) perhaps consider making and selling some Christmas gift bags and tags for markets from the 16th of December through to this one 5) twirleys didn’t sell at this market on this date 6) have more but cheaper packets of sea glass.

General Conclusion and Notes:

Total amount of small tumblers sold at Christmas markets in East London (or near East London) in December 2014: 144.

Total amount of large tumblers sold at Christmas markets in East London (or near East London) in December 2014: 80.

Sold 10 table top driftwood Christmas trees.

Sold 16 small driftwood Christmas trees (Christmas tree ornaments).

Sold 18 twirleys.

Sold some jewellery and other items.

To take into consideration for Christmas markets in East London (or near East London) in December 2015:

Need more tumblers, both large and small.

Need more tabletop driftwood Christmas trees sooner rather than later, and consider making larger ones too.

Need more small driftwood Christmas trees (Christmas tree ornaments) sooner rather than later.

Need more twirleys.

Need tons more jewellery, in particular leather bracelets, leather rings, shambala style bracelets, eternity bracelets, sea glass bracelets, necklaces, earrings, a new variety of other bracelets including wire bracelets.

Smaller and cheaper packets of sea glass.

Driftwood pieces and other driftwood items.

Driftwood, wire and sea glass garden ornaments.

Walking sticks each made entirely from one driftwood piece each.

Need more driftwood candle holders, wind chimes, perhaps something beachy we can put plants in, too, and some new beachy-related or Christmas or Christmas gift items we’ve not yet made and sold before.

Consider doing the Kings Mall in Gonubie Christmas market and perhaps a Christmas market at Port Alfred or Bathurst too.

© Copyright Teresa Schultz 2014