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Meet local craftsperson and cardmaker Lorna Kyle who is a regular at the Avenue Vintage and Antique Market.

Tell us a bit about yourself Lorna!

I’m a craftsperson, living in West Ealing and The Avenue Vintage and Antique market is my local market. I have been trading for nearly 20 years and I sell my handmade cards and eclectic Artwork at many London Fairs and also in All Original, a crafts and gift shop, in Ealing Broadway.

The Avenue Vintage and Antique market allows me to promote and sell my work but also gives me the opportunity to display my specialised vintage work such as using old cigarette cards on cards and artwork, working with old trading cards such as 1966 Star Wars cards, personalising vintage mapwork and, my most recent project, framing original 7” vinyl records. I can put on a much bigger display of my vintage work at this market than I can anywhere else.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I find inspiration absolutely everywhere, from the pattern of a fabric to the lucky charity shop find. The difficulty is …to be different….and to offer your customer a unique design/product

Why do you choose to trade at The Avenue Vintage and Antiques Market?

I wanted to trade at a local Market, ideally one that I could walk to and carry my work/displays to. Over the years of attending The Avenue Vintage and Antique market, I find I am bringing more and more but still, happily, could carry it all back home if the car failed. Would take about 10 trips though…

I wanted to be able to say to customers that I live ‘across the road’ and for them to realise that by supporting this market that they are supporting someone in their community

What’s your market day routine?

I walk around the corner to The Avenue at 7am. Sometimes have to wait for the guys to finish erecting the gazebos but as soon as they have, I put up my garlands and signage and put my tablecloths over my 3 tables. My husband then drives around with all my stock, unloads for me and drives the car home. It then takes me about 1 and ½ hours to setup my stall, ready to sell at 9am. After that it is a whole day of talking, engaging with and selling to customers. Customers are often happy to chat and it’s a delight to talk about your products. After all, I’ve made them, I want people to enjoy them, I want people to say to me face to face that they like what I’ve done.

What are your top tips for running a market stall?

That’s really a million dollar question but probably just ‘be invisible but be available’

No one wants to be bombarded by a seller. Acknowledge your customer with a friendly ‘hello’ but then let them look and NEVER sit there reading or lost on your phone. If you aren’t bothered to engage with a customer then why should they engage with you and buy your products?

What ‘star item’ are you bringing to the next market?

I don’t really have an individual piece (as an antique dealer might have) but my framed 7 inch vinyl are proving very popular so I would always plan ahead to do a display for a certain event i.e. for Father’s Day in June, I would bring James Bond framed vinyl theme tunes to the May market and also make more football / Star Wars / Batman art pieces that could be given as a present to dad.

I think it’s important to keep your stall looking ‘fresh’ so I’m always on the hunt for how I can tweak my display without annoying customers and yet still clearly display everything that I bring. No one wants to see the same old tired things.I’m also very lucky that I do sell in All Original as the staff there have told me that many of my shop customers have said that they saw me at The Avenue Vintage and Antique Market first and have just followed me to the shop. I also like to think that I bring something a little different to The Avenue Market, it’s always a huge pleasure when customers say that they didn’t expect to find a stall like mine in a Vintage and Antique Market, there is room for crafts here as long as you tailor it to the general theme of the Market.