A weekend in the world called "market life"

LOVE - HATE RElaTIONSHIP

Last weekend - the 9th and 10th of September - I joined again a market with my SUN SAND SALT products. The markets are fun to do, but it is also a tough and physically hard job. To give you inside information, I am going to show you the schedule of preparations, the 2 market days and aftermath of the event!

This last market was the BLUE SUBUR MARKET in Sitges. A young event, organised by two very creative and enthusiast young ladies, Jenny and Lisa, with great eye for detail, service and support. Trying to establish a new monthly event, a market with a touch of festival. Full with happy live music, kids entertainment,a variety of products and services, food and drinks. A market which I like to support and help building up.
A market with focus on 0 km products, handmade, bio, eco, vintage, art, creative, free spirited, family life etc.

I mention " LOVE - HATE RELATIONSHIP" with regard to markets and the word love is quite accurate, hate is maybe a bit exaggerating, but definitely there are some things I dislike in the market business.

I do LOVE the interaction with customers, customers of all ages, countries, interests, backgrounds and levels.
I do LOVE the contact with the other market people, it is always a small family, helping each other.
I love the market vibes, watching people who enjoy time together, with friends, family, kids, dogs, alone.......relaxing, dancing, listening, eating & drinking, buying.
And I do LOVE that I can share information about my products, explain stories, backgrounds, which makes a product more interesting. And people like to hear about the stories.

But yes, I also DISLIKE some things. For example people who (or try to) steal products, staying at the market in bad weather circumstances, not enough visitors = not enough good vibes, the physical job of preparing, loading, unloading, setting up, decorating, packing again, loading and unloading again.
​Kilos and kilos of weight, a tent, a table, chairs, sticks and then all the bags with products. The days are long. And when my husband is traveling, I also have to go home in between to take care of our 3 dogs, which gives stress, pressure and also disconnects you from the atmosphere of the market.

DAY 1 - SATURDAY

Of course the market days start already the days before, with preparing, packing, making price tags and getting tent, table, chairs, lights, tools, etc. ready. This time I had the valuable support of my mother, who is also responsible of a lot of business matters in the Netherlands. Without her, I could not have joined this weekend!. Doing a market completely alone is almost impossible, well, at least in my case.

06h30 - Waking up
07h30 - Load the car & drive to Retiro in Sitges
08h00 - Unload the car, then hunting for a precious (free) parking spot, return and setting up tent and merchandising
11h00 - Start of the market
12h00 - Live music
14h00 - From this time the market gets more quiet, Sitges shops close, people go home for lunch, siesta  etc. 
15h00 - I drove back home to take care of the dogs and come back (this takes more or less an hour)
15h00 - And while I was away, my mother had to cover the whole stall in plastic because it started to rain heavy
16h00 - Also our lunch time, eating a sandwich or salad in the stall, but of course with a nice glass of wine
18h00 - Live music again and around 18h00 the rain stopped, people came and the atmosphere was great
21h00 - End of the market. Packing all the merchandising and bring it to the storage back stage
22h30 - Driving home, attention for the doggies, a very hot shower and to bed. Long and tiring day!​

DAY 2 - SUNDAY

07h30 - Waking up (an hour later today, because we left the stall and table all set-up = less work)
08h30 - Load some extra merchandising, drive to the market area, park & walk
09h00 - Get the merchandising from the storage and decorate the stall all over again
11h00 - Start of the market
12h00 - Live music
14h00 - From this time the market gets more quiet, Sitges shops close, people go home for lunch, siesta  etc. 
​15h00 - I drove back home to take care of the dogs and come back (this takes more or less an hour)
16h00 - Eating our lunch in the stall, accompanied with a cold glass of white wine again
18h30 - Live music
21h00 - End of the market, packing everything, tent, table, curtains, lights, power cables, merchandising
22h30 - Bringing all materials and bags to the backstage storage again.
23h00 - Driving home
23h30 - On the sofa, surrounded by the dogs, with another glass of wine, taking care of my blisters, which I had because of all the walking up and down to the car, which was not parked very close.
Time to reflect, talk a bit, count the money, have a hot shower and up to bed with a sore body of all the carrying.

The next morning we went to collect everything, with some fresh energy, with no stalls and cars blocking the entrance.
And now we have to shake off the soreness a bit and focus on the next market!!!
​
BLUE SUBUR SITGES again on the 30th of September and 1st of October, a bit earlier than the organisers wanted, but adjusting to the Sitges Film Festival dates which would clash otherwise.
​

ABOUT LITTLE BOYS OF 35+ YEARS OLD

And again kids have been the best and most interesting customers. It is almost like having a Sun Sand Salt Fanclub. 
They amaze me, their love and interest for specific products. You can not shoo them away with a cartoon bracelet, no they have interest in all the treasures which we sell. The small Buddhist good luck charms, the unpolished crystal hangers from India, the Thai amulets, Buddha statues, big shiny rings etc. They kept coming back, to look, ask, touch, try and negotiate prices, free gifts and exchanges. They know what they want and they have class and style!!!
Pushing parents to give more money, asking me to bring next time new things.
​Looking for treasures all the time!

And the best selling products were the Koinobori fishes, in general bought by "little boys of 35+ years old", interested in the Japanese tradition and even many knew about it. Today there was a special attraction.
With the most memorable one being a Japanese Tourist from Kyoto who was very surprised and pleased to see his Koinobori here at a market in Spain.

All together a good weekend, for kids of all ages!!!


(Photo credit: Sun Sand Salt - also with permission of the parents of the children)