TLDR; at end
I make handmade plushies. I tried a flea market out and had multiple plushies damaged by the end of it.
So I didn't so well at the flea market. The market was super busy though. After speaking to other vendors those who made handmade items didn't do so well, but the garage sale booths did great. I think new handmade items isn't what the customers were there for.
While I was there I had a preteen girl swing one plushie around by a delicate piece on it. I watched with morbid curiosity to see if it would hold up. It didn't. Haha. I took that one as a learning lesson to make them structurally more sound and repaired it when I got home.
Next a small boy and his mother came by and he started grabbing at all the plushies with dirty hands (he kept pausing to play in the dirt on the ground then go for more plushies). Im a soft spoken person and started to speak to the mom multiple times... But before I could get a word out she was rubbing the stains with her shirt telling me they're fine. I tried so many different things to try to get those stains out with little success. I now have two of them I don't know what to do with because I won't sell a stained plush.
The damage, cleaning, and loss of items has set me back quite a bit. I broke even at the market. But when accounting for the damage I'm at a huge loss. About 15 hours worth of work, not including materials.
Also these plushies are quite expensive and not intended for kids (even though they love them lol). They are millennial gaming themed and are quite a lot of work and material. I have yet to have someone buy one for their child.
Some other side notes. I haven't had this experience at other markets before. I think maybe the kids are more unruly at this one because it's a flea market? I wasn't planning on returning, but my mom asked if I would go 50/50 with her on a booth for her own garage sale stuff and that might make it worth it for me if there is no damaged items. I also thought I could add some beanie babies instead as they're cheap, but am still worried about kids coming in and damaging them.
Also don't get me wrong. I love kids. I keep a lot of freebies on hand to give out to them and love interacting with them. I'm a mom myself and am just frustrated because if my child had damaged something I would offer to pay for it.
TLDR; when kids damage product what is the right way to handle it? Should I put up signs that if they damage it they buy it? If so how should I word that? Should I keep it away from kids somehow? I don't want to come off as hostile. But that market was crazy how the parents let their kids run wild 😭