Ever since my first puppet festival in 2007 I've had the urge to promote puppetry in the UK in a big way. I'd love some comments / suggestions on my latest idea!



Ok.. so I have the website, I have puppet making supplies that I sell on my website and on Ebay and Folksy (the UK equivalent of Etsy) but its still lacking something.. yes, PUPPETS!



What I would love to do is pull together a collection of puppets from a range of US (and worldwide) puppet makers in every shape and form and sell them in the UK via my website (and maybe Folksy and Ebay too). The plan would be to buy them as a normal customer, maybe a couple from each builder and see if they sell in the UK in the hope it would lead to much larger orders (with trade discount? ..hmm?) at a later date.. and I just found out that a really high quality craft fayre is being held near christmas at my favourite venue, the Lowry Outlet Mall close to the Lowry Theatre in Manchester!  (scroll down the page below for picture and details).



http://www.creativecrafts-online.co.uk/html/venues.html



So.. I plan to have a puppet stall at this craft fayre.. it will get lots and lots of publicity so now I'm looking to you guys.. all those great puppet builders out there, for some puppets to stock my stall with. Would anyone be interested? Does anyone have any suggestion? comments? warnings that I should consider when doing this? Naturally you will be credited for all your work and you can include your website / business cards with your products.....



If this works I have a place at several summer festivals next year to do the same thing!



Wyoh (a little (lot) excited)

Wow, this looks exciting.  My only problem is that I wouldn't be able to sell my puppets at a discounted price....or at least within reason.
I don't have too much on my website right now, but I'm adding more today.
Take a look and let me know if you're interested.
Good luck!
Sara

I would be interested in talking to you more about it. Email me.

Drpuppet

Thanks for your interest Sara and Jay.. I'll pm you

Wyoh

Hi wyohming

We are a small UK manufacturer of finger puppets, pearl mason designs. If you are interested in selling puppets and like our designs we are looking for distributors please contact us.

All the best

ps just trying out dawanda as well as folksy and our own site to see how they go.

 

I would offer some of my puppets, but I don't think they'd sell. Craft fairs tend to be about finger, glove and muppet puppets, not shadows. (Speaking of experience from my single market attendance, where I sold nothing and got funny looks)

Good luck with it though, it's a great idea!

id be intrested to sell at big discounts, just so i can get some more supplys. pm me if you are intrested in talking to me.

That's a gsreat idea, wyohming. I had been looking for such a shop as a marionette-maker for a long time , but few month ago I just gave up. Is your idea still likely to become a fact?

Thanks for all your interest
I'm having a crazy time with the day job at the moment, contracting and working away a lot but I hope to be off work for most of july and most of next year after February so I'll start things up again then I hope!

Wyoh