For Craft Makers
We want the Christmas barn to be as much for the crafters as it is for us, giving them a chance to display their work and promote themselves without the hassle and expense of craft fairs, so we are always looking to find well-crafted handmade items to display in the barn. Whatever your product - be it sewing to willow weaving, potting to painting, preserving to crochet - if you are a crafter and are interested in displaying some of your items on a sale or return basis then we would love to hear from you.
We aim to stock a diverse range of items and although many of our crafters are local we also take items from makers who are further afield (although you would need to take into consideration the cost of delivery/postage etc). We also aim to build a good relationship with crafters and love to meet as many of those displaying here as possible.
Whether you are interested in displaying one piece or many we look for items that are traditional or contemporary but most importantly, well made.
Please feel free to contact us for further information and, where possible, send photos of your items, your location and a rough idea of the retail prices.
Frequently asked Questions:
How does sale or return work?
- We display your items, you set the retail price and we take a commission of 25% when they sell, paying you at the end of the season.
Shall I label items?
- Yes, please label all items and if you chose, feel free to add details of your own websites, Facebook pages etc (assuming your retail price with us is the same as the items are sold elsewhere). Your label will need to include a craft maker’s code, which we can give you nearer the time. Each individual item must have its own unique code. One thing to bear in mind if you are new to selling, try to choose labels that don't detract from your article, e.g. labels that are too large for the item.
Is there a limit on the amount of items I can send to you?
- We ask that the total value of items sent does not exceed £350 however this is flexible if arranged in advance, i.e. when makers are further afield and sending items via courier, or individual items are of a higher value. Please discuss this with us.
What items shall I send?
- We mainly leave it to you to choose what you send. What we ask you to consider is that it is a seasonal shop with Christmas in mind. That doesn't mean everything has to be in reds and gold, but just bear in mind that a summery, floral beach bag will most likely not sell at that time of year and would make it very hard for us to display it effectively. Another thing to consider is sizing - the wider the size range of an item the wider the potential customer base, e.g. a jumper may have a much more limited market in a pink 0-3 months than it would have in a unisex colour in a 3-4 year size.
As well as customers coming to us for gifts and decorations, we find that items for the home, accessories, humorous items, toys etc also do well.
When do items need to arrive?
- If you want items to be on display from opening day then we ask that they are with us by early September, as documenting items can take a very long time. It also allows us to find effective ways of display. However, providing we still have space, we can take more items throughout the season.
When do you open/close?
- Our first day of opening is usually the first Saturday of October (this is still to be confirmed). We then open Thursdays- Sundays, with the last day being the Sunday prior to Christmas Day. The last day is often when crafters come and collect their items, but this is not imperative.
When do I receive my payment?
- You can either receive payment when you collect items or at the end of the season. Payments can be made by bank transfer (preferable) or cheque. If you would like a payment early please just let us know, it’s all very flexible.
When do I need to collect items?
- We ask that all items be collected (or courier arranged) by the end of January at the latest.
Do you take gold/silver items?
- Sadly we cannot accept items of precious metals.
Will all my items be on display all the time?
- We aim to have all items on display all the time, however if there are many duplicates from the same maker, or if an item is not of a high quality then they may get held back. We are continually moving the stock around to give everyone a fair chance with sales.
How much money can I expect to make?
- This is an impossible question to answer. We have had crafters make sales of well over £400 to those who may have made no sales. What we try to encourage is quality items that are unique in that they cannot be found on the high street. This formula seems to work well to provide the biggest returns.
Do you take outdoor items?
- Yes, we do have space outside to display items. Of course, they are brought in overnight.
What documentation is required?
- We use Sale or Return (SoR) forms. These give both sides a little protection, i.e. you are still the owner of the items until they are sold. These will be sent out nearer the time and will need to be returned to us. Please keep a copy for your own records.
**We also highly recommend that everyone has some form of product liability insurance.**
Will photos of my items be used on your website/Facebook page ?
- We try to help crafters promote themselves as much as possible through our shop. During the opening season we frequently post photos of makers items with links to their own websites, pages etc.
Then at the end of the season we add the information to our crafters’ list on our website. Just let us know if you would rather not be included.
I live far away, how can I get my items to you ?
- Many of our crafters use courier companies like My Hermes, as Royal Mail services now are quite costly. Be sure that you are covered for the full value of your package. Please advise of the day your package is likely to arrive.
How many crafters do you accept?
- In previous years we have had 40-45 crafters displaying with us. Some with just a few items and some with well over 100. Around 40 crafters is our limit due to the amount of administrative work involved in sale or return. It's mainly organised on a first-come first-served basis so we ask crafters to get in touch with us as early as possible in the year.
Tannenbaum Barn
The Swan
Baythorne End
Essex
CO9 4AF
01440 785430
Email: tannenbaumbarn@btinternet.com
You can follow our progress on Facebook too: http://www.facebook.com/TannenbaumBarn
We aim to stock a diverse range of items and although many of our crafters are local we also take items from makers who are further afield (although you would need to take into consideration the cost of delivery/postage etc). We also aim to build a good relationship with crafters and love to meet as many of those displaying here as possible.
Whether you are interested in displaying one piece or many we look for items that are traditional or contemporary but most importantly, well made.
Please feel free to contact us for further information and, where possible, send photos of your items, your location and a rough idea of the retail prices.
Frequently asked Questions:
How does sale or return work?
- We display your items, you set the retail price and we take a commission of 25% when they sell, paying you at the end of the season.
Shall I label items?
- Yes, please label all items and if you chose, feel free to add details of your own websites, Facebook pages etc (assuming your retail price with us is the same as the items are sold elsewhere). Your label will need to include a craft maker’s code, which we can give you nearer the time. Each individual item must have its own unique code. One thing to bear in mind if you are new to selling, try to choose labels that don't detract from your article, e.g. labels that are too large for the item.
Is there a limit on the amount of items I can send to you?
- We ask that the total value of items sent does not exceed £350 however this is flexible if arranged in advance, i.e. when makers are further afield and sending items via courier, or individual items are of a higher value. Please discuss this with us.
What items shall I send?
- We mainly leave it to you to choose what you send. What we ask you to consider is that it is a seasonal shop with Christmas in mind. That doesn't mean everything has to be in reds and gold, but just bear in mind that a summery, floral beach bag will most likely not sell at that time of year and would make it very hard for us to display it effectively. Another thing to consider is sizing - the wider the size range of an item the wider the potential customer base, e.g. a jumper may have a much more limited market in a pink 0-3 months than it would have in a unisex colour in a 3-4 year size.
As well as customers coming to us for gifts and decorations, we find that items for the home, accessories, humorous items, toys etc also do well.
When do items need to arrive?
- If you want items to be on display from opening day then we ask that they are with us by early September, as documenting items can take a very long time. It also allows us to find effective ways of display. However, providing we still have space, we can take more items throughout the season.
When do you open/close?
- Our first day of opening is usually the first Saturday of October (this is still to be confirmed). We then open Thursdays- Sundays, with the last day being the Sunday prior to Christmas Day. The last day is often when crafters come and collect their items, but this is not imperative.
When do I receive my payment?
- You can either receive payment when you collect items or at the end of the season. Payments can be made by bank transfer (preferable) or cheque. If you would like a payment early please just let us know, it’s all very flexible.
When do I need to collect items?
- We ask that all items be collected (or courier arranged) by the end of January at the latest.
Do you take gold/silver items?
- Sadly we cannot accept items of precious metals.
Will all my items be on display all the time?
- We aim to have all items on display all the time, however if there are many duplicates from the same maker, or if an item is not of a high quality then they may get held back. We are continually moving the stock around to give everyone a fair chance with sales.
How much money can I expect to make?
- This is an impossible question to answer. We have had crafters make sales of well over £400 to those who may have made no sales. What we try to encourage is quality items that are unique in that they cannot be found on the high street. This formula seems to work well to provide the biggest returns.
Do you take outdoor items?
- Yes, we do have space outside to display items. Of course, they are brought in overnight.
What documentation is required?
- We use Sale or Return (SoR) forms. These give both sides a little protection, i.e. you are still the owner of the items until they are sold. These will be sent out nearer the time and will need to be returned to us. Please keep a copy for your own records.
**We also highly recommend that everyone has some form of product liability insurance.**
Will photos of my items be used on your website/Facebook page ?
- We try to help crafters promote themselves as much as possible through our shop. During the opening season we frequently post photos of makers items with links to their own websites, pages etc.
Then at the end of the season we add the information to our crafters’ list on our website. Just let us know if you would rather not be included.
I live far away, how can I get my items to you ?
- Many of our crafters use courier companies like My Hermes, as Royal Mail services now are quite costly. Be sure that you are covered for the full value of your package. Please advise of the day your package is likely to arrive.
How many crafters do you accept?
- In previous years we have had 40-45 crafters displaying with us. Some with just a few items and some with well over 100. Around 40 crafters is our limit due to the amount of administrative work involved in sale or return. It's mainly organised on a first-come first-served basis so we ask crafters to get in touch with us as early as possible in the year.
Tannenbaum Barn
The Swan
Baythorne End
Essex
CO9 4AF
01440 785430
Email: tannenbaumbarn@btinternet.com
You can follow our progress on Facebook too: http://www.facebook.com/TannenbaumBarn