Outdoor market logistics

Did my first outdoor market on Sunday: the Shirt and Shirt Market at the Abbotsford Convent. It's a really lovely location for a market, set against the backdrop of the historic Convent buildings and their well-established gardens. The vibe is relaxed and upbeat, with lots of people coming for a late brekky at the Convent Bakery and families incorporating a bit market shopping into their day at the nearby children farm. Being a dedicated fashion market it was also a wonderful opportunity to check out the work of other Melbourne designers and chat with them about the ins and outs of marketeering. Being a bit of a late applicant into this market I found myself scrambling to get myself sorted for the day. Luckily, Dad donated his marquee for me to use. But when I received the market organisers email advising of potential high winds I had panicked visions of my flimsy Bunnings marque sailing off into the sky like an awkward air balloon, so I quickly tracked down a garden supplier and got myself some sandbags to weigh it down, as well as borrowing some 20L water containers to serve the same purpose. By my own admission, I went a bit overboard paranoid with weight thing. My poor little station wagon pulled up to the Convent in the morning, groaning under the weight about 160kg of weights along with all my other gear! It turned out to be a beautiful, clear day with hardly a breath of wind! Still, better safe than sorry, I suppose! According to the regular stallholders, it was pretty quiet day, but a made enough sales to make the day worthwhile and got some pretty valuable experience in what is involved in setting up an outdoor market stall. I came home satisfied but also completely knackered!