Radio One Market Days are soon to make a return*, the collection of random stalls you see crop up every so often by Union Lawn or the Link if it’s grotty weather. Calm yourself and slow that naughty racing heart of yours – the upcoming Market Day on Wednesday, March 26 will be the first of five this year. Critic Te Ārohi sent our artsiest reporter to wander the (hypothetical) stalls of Otago’s up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
Market days are sure to cater to student needs with all manner of taste. The stalls proudly display everything from crocheted creatures, perfect prints, dick-shaped candles, and even the "extreme non-vanilla” according to stallholder Batty Batwitch. Woof. And it’s free for students – both to go and sign up!
Critic yarned to a few stallholders to ask them about the behind-the-scenes of Market Days. Each reported a positive experience from their crafty perches. They felt well supported by the venues, staff, and allocated furniture. Illustrator Bruna, who sells art at the market, said it was “super fun”. “Sales were good and the kids were awesome,” she told Critic, saying she would “absolutely” do it again.
Not Your Nana textile stall’s Desi told Critic that she was a market day veteran, having sold her wares there for over a decade. “I once completely forgot [a market] back in 2019. I was mortified," she said. "They run far smoother than a decade ago.” Crochet queen Maiya said, "I love market day. I just wish more people knew about it.”
Combining stallholder expertise and student zest, dynamic duo Batty and Chloë are avid market-goers. Batty has helped Chloë become a seasoned marketeer throughout six stalls — selling everything from batty (heh) accessories to prints popular with medical students for their "anatomical accuracy" — developing skills that have helped her in retail work. Herself a veteran stall-goer, Batty insists that these events "are the best markets in Dunedin."
Maiya, who applies her Polytech education at the market, asked us to plug a heartfelt message for those who visit Market Day: "Support artists." Factoring in only material, not labour, into her pricing, she encourages us to not compare market day prices unfavourably with "certain online marketplaces."
Undoubtedly, the secret sauce of Market Day's success is its stall spot pricing. Charity stalls are $10, individual-run stalls $20, commercial stalls TBC, and student stalls are titillatingly free. You heard that right. F-R-E-E. The risk is low, and the opportunity for a profitable yarn high.
Applications open 3-4 weeks before Market Day on the OUSA Facebook and close about 10 days before – something aspiring stallholders should bear in mind. Stallholders humbly plead that you exercise object permanence and come to see them if they are in Union Hall (yes – it’s a bit trickier to find, but they get lonely). The dates for Market Day are already on the OUSA calendar and Critic semester planner, so you’re left with very few excuses to miss any.
*The online version of this article has been amended. Critic reported on a Market Day that hadn't yet happened, a mistake by the editors and not the author of the article.