How to take part in our online Christmas Market 2022
Our successful online market is returning for its seasonal outing this November! This will be an opportunity for people to buy one-of-a-kind gifts and decorations that don’t cost the earth – and support the makers while doing it.
The market will be hosted online on Tresstle, where customers will be able to shop all the virtual stalls. Alongside the shopping, we’re hoping to run craft demonstrations and ‘market walk’ videos where we talk to stallholders about their products.
The Folksy Online Spring Market is happening over the weekend of 19-20 November 2022.
Applications for stallholders are now closed.
Scroll down for prices and terms & conditions.
FAQ
What is an online market and how do they work?
If you haven’t sold at an online market before and you’re not sure how they work, we recommend reading this guide: https://blog.folksy.com/2021/09/15/guide-to-selling-at-online-markets
What are the benefits of selling at an online market?
This article and video explains all: https://blog.folksy.com/2021/06/21/benefits-of-online-markets
How much does it cost to have a stall at the Folksy Christmas Market?
The price of a stall is £15. Pedddle members get a discounted rate.
To apply for a stall, you first need to be registered on Tresstle. Registration on Tresstle costs £10. This is a one-off fee, after which you’ll be able to apply to join any upcoming events on their platform (not just those run by Folksy). This fee is paid to Tresstle and is not refundable if you are not accepted to the market.
Do I need a Folksy shop to take part in the Folksy Christmas Market?
Yes! This online market is just for Folksy sellers, so you will need a Folksy shop to take part. You will also need to make sure the link on your ‘stall’ on Tresstle links to your Folksy shop (rather than any other online shop) for the duration of the market. Unfortunately we will have to remove any stalls that do not link to Folksy from the market.
Do I need to set up a stall in my house to be part of the market?
Some sellers like to recreate the feeling of a real life craft fair by setting up a real stall at home and then photographing it or filming it for social media, while others use it as a backdrop during their market walks (see below to learn more about those). It’s absolutely NOT essential though.
I’m going to be at another in-person event while the online market is on. Can I still take part?
Yes! One of the good things about doing an online craft fair is that you don’t have to man your stall all day. You can schedule your social media posts in advance, and check the market hashtag, posts from your Folksy Local group and posts from the Folksy team over the weekend to comment on, reply to share posts, which will then help the market reach more customers.
Is the market curated or is everyone who applies guaranteed a stall?
In the past we have found that online markets work best when they are not too big – too many stalls can be overwhelming for customers. So while we would love to offer everyone a stall, in practice it isn’t usually possible. Stallholders also need have good product photos to keep the quality high, and it also helps if stallholders are active on social media, so you may be rejected if we feel either of those aspects need a little more work.
What is a ‘Market Walk’?
A ‘market walk’ is essentially an interview done over video, where we talk to some of our stallholder about the products they have for sale at the market. The idea behind them is to recreate the interaction you would normally have at an in-person market, when you can talk to the maker at their stall. We usually film them in advance to take off the pressure and allow for any technical glitches! Watch an example of our Market Walks here: https://youtu.be/51vL29H4t58
Do I have to do a market walk or a craft demonstration if I take part at the market?
No! These are opportunities we want to offer our stallholders to give them more visibility and hopefully maximise engagement with customers. When all the stallholders have been confirmed we put a call-out to see who would like to take part and then give everyone who does, as much guidance and help as possible. You can watch an example of one of the craft demonstrations from our last Christmas Market here: https://youtu.be/mNOYWyssUUk
Application details
- A stall at the Folksy Online Christmas Market 2022 costs £15.
- The market is being run on Tresstle.
- To apply as a stallholder, you will first need to register as a user on Tresstle.
- Registration on Tresstle costs £10 (50% off for Pedddle members). This is a one-off fee, after which you’ll be able to apply to join any upcoming events on their platform (not just those run by Folksy) or even host your own events.
- Customers won’t need to register on Tresstle to shop at the market.
- Applications close at 11pm on Sunday 2 October 2022.
- Stalls at the market will be curated by Folksy and the Folksy Local team captains.
- We will let everyone know if their applications have been successful before Friday 7th October.
- If your application to the Folksy Christmas Market is successful, you will receive an acceptance email with an invoice and details of how to pay. Your place will only be confirmed once the payment has cleared.
- We are unable to refund the Tresstle registration fee if your application to the Folksy market is unsuccessful.
- Stallholders must make sure the shop link on their Tresstle ‘stall’ goes to their Folksy shop (rather than any other online shop) for the duration of the market. Unfortunately we will have to remove any stalls that do not link to Folksy from the market.
- Before applying, please ensure you read our terms and cancellation policy: https://folksy.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/1974345-online-market-terms-and-conditions
What you’ll get as a stallholder
As a stallholder you’ll get:
- Your own ‘stall’ on the Folksy Online Christmas Market page on Tresstle, which links straight through to your Folksy shop
- To be part of a collective of stallholders, all coming together to pool resources, pointing to the same page and promoting the event (along with us!)
- Promotion on Folksy and/or Folksy Local social media channels
- Graphics and customisable templates to promote the event
- A Zoom Q&A with the organisers (us!) – to ask questions and get advice
- The opportunity to feature in live interviews/market walks or do a live or pre-recorded craft demo
We will be promoting the event and our stallholders using paid social media adverts, across our social media channels and in our newsletter.
