What Goes Into Prepping for a Market (And Why It’s Worth It)

People often imagine that setting up at a market just means showing up with a table and some products. But if you’ve ever done it—or watched a vendor hauling bins, ironing tablecloths, and rearranging displays for the third time before 8am—you know: it’s so much more than that.

Market prep starts long before the alarm clock goes off at 2:30am on Saturday morning.

It begins in the studio, with fabric and zippers and lists. With me at the sewing machine, creating bags, accessories, and home goods one at a time. It involves scenting candles, pouring wax, labeling tins, and whipping up hand cream batches. It’s late-night product tagging, folding and stacking, checking inventory, and hoping I remembered everything.

Then there’s the display itself—figuring out what goes where, what creates flow, and how to draw someone in without overwhelming them. It’s choosing signs, packing my car like a game of Tetris, and hoping the wind stays calm.

But market prep isn’t just logistics. It’s an act of care. A creative ritual. It’s me asking, “How can I bring a little color and a lot of joy to someone this weekend?”

Because markets aren’t just about selling products. They’re about showing up. They’re about connecting face-to-face, hearing people’s stories, and sharing mine. They’re about building something real, one Saturday at a time.

So yes, it’s work. It’s hauling and folding and hoping I didn’t forget the change box. But it’s also something I look forward to every week. Because every time someone picks up a bag and smiles, or stops to say they love a scent, or tells me they’ve been looking for something just like this—it’s worth it.

And that’s what goes into prepping for a market: care, creativity, connection.

And maybe, a little bit of joy stitched in.