Hi, my name is Connie owner of “Beyond The Picket Fence Crafts”, I’m 66 years old and have been selling at markets for well over 38 years.
It all started as a side hustle (I think that’s what this generation calls it). Back then it was a means for a stay at home mum of 3 boys to contribute to the family income without having to leave home.
As most of us makers probably did, I started making crafts for myself, then gifts for family. It didn’t take long for friends to show an interest and it just grew from there. I started with party plan nights and then to my first market when my youngest was just a year old.
Markets in the 80s
I started my market journey at Dandenong market in the 1980s, sharing the trestle table of a friend, who kindly invited me to share her stall. My first business was making and selling felt baby crib mobiles and soft toys, which complimented her hand smocked baby clothing.
We started selling one Sunday a month. The usual produce market reverted to a craft only market. Undercover shelter and tables were supplied, and you only had to bring your own chair, table cloth, stock and cash float. No portable card readers back then.
At that time there weren’t many markets around. I knew of Red Hill, Berwick and Dingley craft markets. Since they were close to home for me, it wasn’t long before I had applied to sell at 2 of them. I was pretty lucky at Berwick to have an indoor site, but at Dingley, well now I had to really challenge myself by setting up a market tent, all the tables and display setup on my own. We didn’t have those fancy schmancy pop up tents like now. Back then Robian was the market name in tents and each piece was set up individually. I don’t remember how many times I’d put the wrong piece in the wrong place; it was a construction nightmare; but that little 2.4m x 1.8m tent saw me through for many many years.
It wasn’t long before I was doing a market stall every Sunday and even Saturdays. People would always be handing me a flyer for a school fete, or new market that was opening.
Those were the days. Markets would open at 9am but patrons would be there at 7:30am while you were setting up, rummaging through your boxes. The fact no shops opened on Sunday back then (and closed at 12pm on a Saturday) made for a bustling market day. It was definitely a great time to be part of the market scene. Sales were lucrative and you could make a good living out of it.
A Family Affair
As my boys grew older, they also took turns coming to markets to help me. Rain, hail or shine, we were there. Mind you I think I spent more on feeding them than making money. But it was a great life lesson for them too. Helping to interact with customers, learning about money and working hard. At one time my eldest would sell poffertjes to make his pocket money. I would mix up the batter at home and he would cook it on our potable BBQ. My middle son made Troll Doll pencils and the youngest made bumble bee balloons. It was a family affair and one I look back on fondly.
Markets 2020’s
Sadly, the market scene isn’t like it used to be. Needing insurance for products and public liability was not heard of in the 80s. Food stalls didn’t need to have a registered kitchen or license to trade. Big corporations have taken over the running of most markets from the humble community center volunteers. Big venues are hired, instead of the local school hall or oval. Stall prices have gone through the roof. It really is difficult to make a living out of it now.
Adding to that, the over-saturated market in so many crafts making it every harder. You must do something really unique now to stand out from the crowd.
Changes to my business
My crafting styles has seen some changes over the years. As mentioned, I started out with felt toys, everything hand sewn. I did some craft courses, and eventually taught some classes (well quite a few actually) at my local community center, with no YouTube to teach you a craft or skill the local community centers were a hotspot for new crafters to learn. From OMG Pickle People, lace covered tissue boxes and photo frames and dried flower arrangements, sewing clothes, painting and lead light and much more. It is interesting to see some of the old crafts and styles coming back now. Dried flower arrangements for example. I look back at some photos and they are truly cringe worthy to me now. I sit back now and think, “did I really make those”, not in admiration of my crafting skills but the fact they were a “thing” and people loved them, and I just have a chuckle to myself.
Thankfully over the years the arts and crafts scene has evolved, and handmade goods are quite desired and in demand.
I loved all the crafts that I created but found that my forte was country farmhouse style and it stayed in demand for many years giving me the opportunity to open my own bricks and mortar store up in the Dandenong ranges called “Beyond The Picket Fence” which I ran for 6 years, we started out in Monbulk and then expanded to Kallista and then Belgrave.
Before the internet was so profound in our lives, I used to subscribe to overseas country décor magazines to keep up with the latest trends. I was even featured a couple of times in an Aussie magazine called “Country Collections”.
Unfortunately, due to landlord issues I had to close my store and went back to markets full time again.
Not surprisingly my crafting style has changed over the years. I’ve become a supporter of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. I now mostly make seasonal décor; Christmas, Easter, Valentines etc, and in the off season I create glass garden art.
I primarily source my items from op shops, garage sales, trash, and treasure markets etc. I incorporate these items in my work as I want to give old unwanted items a new lease on life. Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a use. I love scrounging for old toys, old Christmas decorations, even old crockery and making something new with them. Fortunately, I’ve seen a shift in customers embracing that ethos too. Finding a decoration from their own childhood, long since forgotten, can bring back some of the happiest memories. Seeing their joy is what makes me happy, and that’s possibly, after all these years, why I still love doing markets.
You can find my business on
If you and your business have been trading OR selling at markets since the 70s/80s/90s and you are interested in contributing a blog on your experience and the changes over the years please contact me handmadeinaustraliafb@gmail.com