Successful family affair, The Handmade Expo returns to Toowoomba this month, bringing a 100-strong, vintage stallholder line-up.
The idea for the expo was realised back in 2008, as one mother, Miriam, and her twin daughters, Liesa and Micky, held a stall at a local market, selling their handmade items.
Competing with cheap, internationally mass-produced goods made the sale of quality, individualised wares extremely difficult. Just a few weeks later, the ladies were pleasantly surprised to welcome 3,000 visitors into their first market.
Visitors to this month's expo will be delighted to find everything from clothing and accessories for the whole family to soaps and candles, as well as homemade gourmets including fudge, preserves and baked goods.With the addition of vintage wares into the market, shoppers can also expect to be 'blown away' as they step back in time, with furniture, homewares and clothing for lovers of bygone eras.
For many small businesses, working with family can quickly result in their undoing, however, for The Handmade Expo it has proven to be key part of their success.While the three ladies' values will usually be similar, whenever their ideas are not aligned, their family bond helps them move forward without drama. "We are able to have quick and successful brainstorming sessions and find communicating extremely easy as we can be open and honest with each other," Miriam says.
Entry to the Toowoomba market is free, with delicious food and beverages available from Liesa and her husband's Three Sons Cafe.The Handmade Expo and Vintage Market returns to Toowoomba at the Clive Berghofer Centre USQ, 29 May.
