You are both valid in your feelings. I think people commenting miss the point. You don’t care if there are other vendors that sell similar items, you care if there are people there that are cheating the system and deceiving all the purchasers. Shady business practices at these events are common but the event coordinator failed at their role. Their role is to remove these people breaking the contract and cheating the system. Having a small business with similar competitors, I completely understand. There are vendors that follow the rules and those that don’t. For those that said they wish they saw you first, my biggest rule when shopping at markets is seeing everything first and then going to the places that stick out to me. I couldn’t purchase something without seeing other options first. Wishing your both and your business all this best.

I was an established vendor at a particular show that happened 2x a year and there were other crocheters but I did stuffies, one did wearables and another did flat work. After being there for 2 yrs, 5 events I showed up for the 3rd year and there were 6 crocheters. All of us selling the same things. I had signed up in the pre sign up to past vendors before going public. That was always my best show. Selling in the thousands. That 3rd year when there was all stuffy crocheters, I didn't even make my 100 event fee back. I had so much time and money into inventor, and I packed almost everything up to go home. Its been hard trying to get back into doing them again after that. All those vendors were sweet and talked and shared stories. But the Coordinator dropped the ball hard. And it was heart breaking, not only cuz Ididn'tt do well and lost money for the even, but I also took 2 days off of work for this event. Keep your head up and don't let this stop you. I am now working on getting back in the swing of things. Good luck and keep up the good work.

I'm so glad that you had some sort of support system in addition to Ben during this. You're always so supportive of other creators, and I love that you got that back in your time of need.

I totally get where you’re coming from and how you wanted to respond. I’m much like you and want things to be made right. I’d have done the same as you did, I feel your justified in how you felt and had every right to ask for the third crocheter to be removed. I recently found your content and I’m loving it. Keep it up! ❤

This is business. It's not personal. Can't let it get to you. There's always gonna be competition. Especially in crochet right now, because everyone and their brother is crocheting. Rather than letting the other crocheter get under your skin... just focus on how you can set yourself apart from them. Probably should start looking for/creating unique patterns that other crocheters won't have access to. Or branch out and do more than crochet. I've done markets for more than 15 years and always assume there will be another vendor selling similar items. They may not have my style, esthetic, or be as good of quality. But similar enough that the general public won't see the differences. Especially back when I was making rosaries and wire wrapped jewelry. It just is what it is. I never waste energy on it. Sure, it sucks when people say they wished they'd seen your stuff first. But you can't control that. Can only control your display, items, and response to it. To those people...give them a business card with links to your social media and/or website. Ask if they want to be on your email list so they can attend your future shows. You may not get that sale today, but you absolutely can turn them into future loyal customers. As far as the contract goes...the vendor who violated it by sneaking in another vendor who wasn't curated should be banned from future markets. At least for a year, if it's an annual market. If she routinely splits her booth with people who aren't on the contract, then she needs to be banned or whatever for a year or something. Maybe for x amount of shows if it's a weekly show. There have to be repercussions. That's the only way the soap lady will learn. Hopefully, you'll get a resolution on that. And hope your future markets go better. 😊

we do shows here but they are organized by local organizations, therefore not juried. personally, I don't care if there are a dozen other crochet booths at the event. I feel each individual's work stands out for itself. I ran into a fellow crocheter last Saturday at an event hosted by our local fire department. We chatted for nearly 15 minutes about youtube tutorials and how we must be neighbors from living on pinterest lol. We wished each other well and went about our day. I hope she did well. She was inside, I was outside. Got rained out big time and had to leave a good 3 hours early. Lightning, trees, you get the drift. I always tell them it's a shared booth, I bring my stepdaughter who sells 3D printed goodies, as well as another friend who sells bracelets. I welcome the company so I'm not by myself. We are very rural, all events welcome anyone. Doesn't matter if 10 people sell crochet or whatever. Everyone has their own style. Although some vendors are only allowed one booth per event - because that's what their representative companies allow, like Tupperware and such. Still a good time for all.

I am here in South Africa. I sell Mandala Art and ever since i have started selling the diy dot art kits they fly off the table. I am the only 1 that sells this combination of finished product and product that they can create for themselves. Perhaps put bags together with the instructions on how to do it with all that is needed and I PROMISE you they will sell....oh and I bet you NOONE else will be able to touch your sales

Ok this is just weird , I feel like I am watching a high school drama movie . Just make your stuff and sell your crafts, It’s also creepy on your behalf. To fallow her and look at what the other vendor was doing . Two wrongs don’t make a right .. ever think maybe they won’t want you guys back due to the drama . If the other table does not have insurance how does that even affect you ?? There is NO reason to have drama in the craft world . Totally a bad vibe from this video.. so better guys . Take your issues to the coordinator of the vendor! I go to many markets and there is always multiple tables with crochet and usually same things being sold .. it’s truly by chance on what gets sold .

I hate that you had to deal with that! I’ve been dealing with a really similar situation! Last year I was at an event that had inside booths, and outside booths. I was the only crochet booth inside, and there was another vendor beside of me who did a totally different thing - they bought multiple things from me, and talked to me ALL day. I ended up selling out the first day of a two day event and didn’t come back for the second day. The very next event I set up at, where the year before I had been one of only 2 vendors, this person shows up with crochet stuff - but not just crochet stuff the exactly same stuff she had bought from me at the first event. And they very obviously went out of their way to avoid me at that event. Then on a third event, we were side by side and again they avoided me all night. I probably wouldnt have been so irritated by it if they hadnt been so obviously avoiding me. They also register for events under one craft but have different ones and it gets under my skin so bad because they do it to avoid the rules about only having x amount of each craft at an event.

I find it hard to believe that the coordinator did not ask the other vendor and her friend to leave (and gave poor reason why she/he did not). The coordinator should have known that this is a breach of contract. The question is: Is this a juried event? if so, then only one crocheter of amigurumi should be there and another crocheter should be allowed if making other nonrelated items (wearables/household). But the other crocheter, on the other side of event, may have done the same as you by scoping out the event the year before also. Your other vendor friends are correct on talking to the coordinator afterwards by letting you process your thoughts and cool down. I hope this does not happen to you again at other events and have great success.

While I'm with you on the rule breaker, bc rules are important, I'm turned away from the nasty comments you made about someone else's craft. Doesnt matter if it's a kit that was just slapped together or not. It's something they are proud of. I'm a crocheter, soap maker, resin artist, i do paintings and canvas art. If i see something interesting, I'm trying it out. Most of the things i deem worthy of selling, it's because i worked at developing the skill. And i have every right to sell, at a booth i paid for, everything i do. When i first started doing booths as a soap maker, every show i went to, there was at least one other soap maker there. You wanna know what i did? I talked to them, shared stories. I bought their soaps. Took them home and tried them out. There is room for all of us and being nasty to someone's craft is unbecoming. Advice is worth what it costs to give, but I'll share some anyway. Always try to be the bigger person. Because if you are out there bad mouthing someone else's craft, you will be a problem in the future. You'll become what you are complaining about.

yeah it's a pain. But it'sreally important to keep a good vibe at markets/festivals so you have to put up with it on the day. In the future I would ask how many other crocheters there are before I signed up.

I'm so sorry you had to deal with that kind of nonsense. That was not cool of the crocheter that wasn't supposed to be there. I'm hoping she won't be allowed back, along with... Soap? Or whatever you said the other person's name was that they split the booth with.

I am glad to hear your side of this I always invite my son to join my booth ( he never joins) but never thought to include him in my paper work but I totally will now if he ever dose I do not wanna be a rude vendor thank you for the insite

I haven’t seen this mentioned but check out your event/coordinators prior to shows. Many just want to sell a booth space. Especially if there’s not an admission cost for customers to enter. I stopped doing shows for another craft a long time ago and will never sell crochet

It’s one thing to have a valid grievance about a vendor; it’s another to go on KZfaq and slander and try to shame a vendor. Deal with the contract, deal with the event coordinator, and follow through to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Business is business and it’s not for everyone. I hope it works out for all vendors involved. If not, then learn from it as it may turn out to be a cheap lesson that will save you so much more at bigger events in your future. PS…. You asked to let you know how we would have handled it……..my response is the first thing I would of done is to approach the other two vendors and professionally and respectfully communicate your grievance and ask the the crochet vendor to finish the day, but not return for the remainder of the show. Then return to your booth and keep the situation to yourself and carry on and focus on your customers. If the crochet vendor does return the next day then report it to the Event Coordinator and let that person handle it and eventually follow through with the event coordinator to find out the outcome.

Just Subscribed. Happy to have found you. You are so right about making friends with other venders. It helps in so many ways. Quick story..... I used to do really big fairs, many years ago. I had a smaller ornament that could be personalized on the spot. We were usually quite busy. So at one of these fairs, I looked up at my line and there a was a guy in a top hat (part of his costume) that was obviously a vender. He gets close and is towering over me as I was sitting to personalize. He proceeds to accuse me of copying most of his stuff. I had never seen this guy before and it was before the internet was like it is now, so no way to look him up. The booths were separated by curtains and one of the guys behind me (and the curtain) went to the coordinators office and told them I was being harassed. They sent someone down, but the guy had already left. Thankfully, because he was upsetting all my other shoppers and people in line waiting. I did later send my daughter to find his booth nd he had totally different stuff. Not even the same sort of thing at all. We also did ten + fairs with these coordinators and they didn't want to lose us. It would have been a big revenue loss to them. They did go and talk to the guy and tell him to leave us alone. In the end it blew over. The guy was a bully and not allowed back. I just do not know what I would have done with out my friends that I knew from previous shows and the sweet guy on the other side of our curtain. It was great to have the coordinators as friends as well.

Buying a turtle and naming it Danny Devito now.

I am soo glad you have that support to help you stay sane through that. Definitely need someone that will hold people to the rules. Kids are awesome for the funny things they say and do. I know you mentioned something about "you know how i feel", i am new so dont know yet. Its why i love them though.

My question is who looks after all the stuff over night, or do you pack everything up and un packet in the morning?

Well Sarah I'm glad you had people there to calm you down. Because as a new Yorker I would of flipped my top😮

This happens all the time at events. I think you got too upset over the circumstance. You have to rely on your quality. No way to know which way people will walk through the event. Enjoy your time and appreciate what you did make at this event. You yourself ruined your time there. Relax.

I’m so sorry you had to deal with this. There are rules and procedures for a reason. If they’re not going to enforce the rules then you don’t need to participate in the show. IMO.

Do you have the link for the alligator pattern?

Your seahorses are SOOO cute!!!

Holy moly. This is the first time I've ever seen you and the first I've heard of that market, yet I crochet a lot and live only a few miles away from that exact spot. The weather was terrible for sure and I was working those days, but I would have loved to have seen your booth and to have spent some time talking with you about your business. There's SO much in just this one video that I didn't know and have never thought of! I'd love to meet some time and talk crochet business with someone who really knows and understands.

Gosh I can see how angry you are and to be honest we as vendors pay a lot for our booth and licences and certificates and put a hell of a lot of work in creating beautiful handcrafted products...so I can understand how you must have felt jaded that someone could swoop in and sell Tumu stuff or pay a lot less for a stall and no paperwork.... especially if they effected sales too....I'd be livid too! I think the organiser was really at fault and probably didn't want either a confrontation or an empty booth but in my eyes they have broke the rules and should therefore pay extra get the right paperwork and move onto separate booths or had been told to leave....Hope the next event goes better and isn't it nice that your fellow vendor family stepped up and tried to help you xx watching from the UK and I don't even crochet lol I sew and knit but I love your set ups etc and it gives me ideas for my own. Keep smiling ( ps I'm stealing the line of tap it jiggle it swipe it I do it all I just don't take kids or pets .. lol well perhaps the pets) hugs from the UK

Im really sorry that happened, I've only been to two markets and they weren't very big, so nothing like this has happened to my knowledge. I know this is something that would get under my skin and keep me up at night.. just knowing they're getting away with it everywhere. The event coordinator should have removed them, why else would you need to sign a contract? I guess everyone is allowed to break the rules!

Rules are made to be broken and if you said something to the coordinator and they said that they wouldn't ask themto leave you should have just dropped it personally and just had a rant to my family and friends

You need to understand that.....who cares. If your stuff is good & priced right, itll FLY!!!!!! If not, well, maybe you need to re-evaluate you & your business. To watch both of you, is rather embarrassing, TBH. Sorry, but I did TONS of Cloud events, i would absolutely NEVER get on here and act like this.

i glad that have you have other people that you have their to. that suck drama happens so proud for cool so be able to go back if want to i glad that it did work out it end for you. i do agreed with you that was some bull crap for other lady she should not be allow do craft show if she cannot follow the rules if ask me

I have done craft shows where the other crochet vendors actually came up took pictures of my things and checked on all my prices.

I don''t understand why the coordinator couldn't do anything about the situation! They were breech of contract!! Both should have been made to leave and banned!! No excuse for that especially since it was a charity event, it's SAD how shady some people can be!! I would have talked to someone over the coordinator and insisted they be removed, sounds like to me the coordinator just didn't want to deal with it!! Rules are rules and had a contract to boot, they had full right (in righting even) to make them both leave! Disrespect at it's finest!

Obviously you are valid in your opinions & feelings, however I do think a lot of this drama is caused by you. You also potentially hurt your chances of coming back because you’ve now approached the coordinator at least twice, they’ll remember you as the “drama booth”. Sometimes it’s better to just ignore & move on even if other people aren’t following the rules, you yourself also stated you didn’t follow the rules by moving your booth around & being outside of your “square.” While she’s not in the right, you technically weren’t either. It’s a fine line, but rules are rules 🤷🏽‍♀️

Sarah, sorry this happened. I would have lost it!

Saw the hate comments first but rather then helping push then to the top by responding directly to them......why are you here? I know im here because i enjoy the content....if you're so offended by the drama, dont watch! Anyway.....im an event coordinator and have had this happen many times. It would piss me off and id want to kick them out but the people above me always made me allow it....super frustrating.

i am also from NY ... i applaud your restraint lol

I'm so sorry to hear about the drama.

I hate shady ass people like that…. Love you girl stay positive and proud of your hard work

Boy did this bring back a memory! Only it wasn't another vendor who was taking videos it was a group of ladies with a running commentary on ooh I could make that type of comments. That was my last event. Not necessarily because of them but the general vibe was off and then they doubled the price and decided they would make everyone buy a city license and between everything all together I decided I was done. Oh and I got heat stroke one day. Had to have my friends husband drive me home. I still have a few of the the items and that was 14 years ago....

Oh the horror. How have you recovered?

I feel for you guys

Well i always walk around to ALL booths before buying anything so I can make sure I get exactly what I want. Those people should've dont the same thing. If having someone else there selling ami items is such an issue for you, or you're afraid your stuff won't stand out against others, then DON'T do anymore fairs, etc.!! Hate to tell you, you can NOT be the only one at craft fairs!! Everyone has the right to get a booth and sell their stuff just like you do. Now the videoing was WRONG and she should've been made to leave after that!!

Love the passion you guys have.

I would demanded that the woman be removed from the event

I went to an event the day before mothers Day, and there were 4 crochet vendors. I had crocheted flower arrangements and amigurumi. 2 of the other crochet vendors had amigurumi also. I completely sold out of everything. I am okay with other crochet vendors being there if I do well. Lol

I enjoyed your early excitement, the behind-the-scenes segments, seeing the struggle be real on the cold and rainy days, your doing the fair, even with your migraine on Thursday, creating nights even after a full day, but you showed your joy to be operating your booth. The drama around the crafter, who broke the rules, took a lot of your positive energy away. After reporting the rule-breakers to the event-coordinator, you should have just gotten your mojo again, concenrated on the good things. You had a great Saturday. Maybe next time hand out flyers pushing your stand / location, make little freebies, make a deal with the other legal crocheter to co-promote the other stand. Btw, I‘m thinking you could totally sell kits for those who‘d like to crochet the stuffies themselves, branch out to amigurumis, offer themes like maritime animals, desert objects, other than cacti, … the skies are the limit. Also, a cute husband and wife team is a great selling argument, especially when they are friendly and smiling and giving a positive vibe. I look forward to your future adventures.

OMG I can’t believe you are this dramatic! Your products look beautiful but i wouldn’t buy just because your energy. I have done craft shows for over 30 years and I can tell you this happens all the time and is NOT a big deal. This is the first and last video I will be watching of yours! Byyee

Wow. So much anger over a craft show. Maybe you need to just make your stuff and let people buy what they like best. Make more things that not everyone making plushies has made. Be creative and make them unique in some way. I'm sure that the event coordinator heard drama about that other vender and will try to do better in the future. It's that persons job and if venders aren't happy about that they won't come back. You need some "hakuna matata!" in your life.

You tried to have them removed from the event and you're wondering why they came up and recorded you like what the hell you started it. You started it. You were Petty first. Clearly this lady thought I'll just be Petty back

You are the one causing yourself so much drama. It happens all the time and it’s easier to just ignore them. Not your place to be judge mental or be event detective. Get over it and enjoy your event. I hear things like that all the time and I just smile and say maybe next time you’ll see our booth first. Best to be cordial than be upset.

Tired of people posting their drama on KZfaq 🙄