How to avoid a Market Trader's imploring gaze (and Why It Exists)
We've all been there at one time or another. A leisurely trip to the local Farmer's Market suddenly turns sour and brings you to the point of panic. Unexpectedly, a Market Trader and your good self have made brief eye contact. He/she has smiled pleasantly with a hopeful look that you will come over and look at their goods on display and possibly make a purchase.
Your heart beat increases exponentially and in your 'fight or flight' state your eyes dart around left and right looking for that distraction that will get you off the hook. You only came down for a loaf of bread and some small cake goodies, you never expected to be caught in the gaze of some small craft maker who wants you to buy from them.
Please note: This post was previously published on my Woodcraft website. As I continue to tighten the focus there around woodcraft and woodturning, I’ve moved lifestyle and observational posts like this one to David Condon Finds, where they fit more naturally.
Never fear, this blog post will give you four quick and easy guides on walking through a market unscathed while keeping your dignity intact. Continues below.
How to avoid a Market Trader's imploring gaze
Hold onto your horses. Here is your 4 method guide to avoid a Market Trader's needy, hopeful and imploring gaze!
( 1 ) The Uncompromising approach.
Nothing is going to stop me!
You arrive at the Farmer's Market and focus solely on the stall that you want to buy from. Your eyes never stray from your direct path and you don't even bat an eye as you walk over, benches, children and animals to get to your ultimate goal. Just make sure that you don't have to cross a busy road too, that can get messy.
Upon reaching your destination stall, make your purchases quickly with direct eye fixation between your purchases & your wallet and avoid the temptation to turn your head at all costs.
Repeat at any stall you visit as necessary until you have finished your shopping and return to your vehicle with all haste, again making no eye contact along your escape route.
Guilt Level, Zero! Difficulty level - Master.
(2) The abstract approach.
You walk through the market with eyes fixed on the ground as if you are carrying the gravity of the world on your shoulders only deviating at the last second to dart to the stall you actually buy from. It is very important that you don't look up at any stage.
The invention of the smartphone has made this process much easier as you can be pretend scrolling as you go. Once at the desired stall and the purchase has been made it's back to eyes on the ground again until you are in the clear. Again, you may repeat this process at any number of stalls and complete your shopping mission without any pangs of remorse.
Guilt Level, Zero! Difficulty level - Detached.
( 3 ) The stealth approach.
Hiding at the Farmers Market
This method requires a small bit more planning and can even take you off your intended path. Careful study of the best and most direct route to the stall you want to get to is absolutely vital. You may even squeeze between 2 stalls from the rear close to your intended target. Check how many stall owners may see you walking by and wait for them to turn away to chat to someone else or drink from their coffee cup before moving. Quickly dart over to your destination. If you are seen, don't worry. Just wave to an invisible entity in the direction you are going as if it is one of your friends and leg it.
Guilt Level, Zero! Difficulty level - Ninja.
( 4 ) The preemptive approach.
Instead of being caught in a gaze, bulldoze straight to each stall in the Market and have a nose. Pick up pieces of Craft or point in the direction of various edible goodies, it doesn't really matter with this method. Pass a comment or two sporadically as required and then move on. You can put the icing on the cake here by promising to come back or saying that you will 'keep them in mind' to the stall owner. This approach gets you off the hook on the day but may cause trouble at a later date when you are recognized. You may then revert to one of the other 3 approaches as you see fit.
Guilt Level, Zero! Difficulty level - Chessmaster.
Choosing the right approach is entirely up to you so weigh up the pros and cons wisely. Insert Smiley Face Emoji Here.
Conclusion
This has been a 'tongue in cheek' post but there is a more serious note behind it. Market Traders like Teachers and Police get very good at spotting behaviours in people walking by them. We often see the thought process behind every 'look' and 'look away' no matter how well you think you disguised it. It is not our intention to goad you into a sale and we don't want to make you feel uncomfortable in any way.
That “imploring gaze” isn’t about pressure, guilt, or trying to force a sale. Most of us don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. It exists because small traders live in a world where every conversation, every pause, and every human interaction matters. We’re reading the room, not judging it.
None of us like parting with money we don’t have. But it’s easy to forget that for small business owners, especially market traders, every week is a balancing act. Money spent locally usually goes straight back into a family and into the local community, rather than disappearing abroad.
You don’t have to stop shopping with big retailers. But even a small, occasional purchase, €5 here or there, can make a real difference. If everyone did that from time to time, small businesses would be far more resilient. Even stopping for a chat can matter. You might discover a maker, a story, or the perfect gift you didn’t know you were looking for.
And if you’re curious what some of us market types actually make when we’re not dodging your gaze, you can have a look at my woodturning and handmade gifts — all crafted right here in Kerry.
Buy smart, buy local. Support local businesses today!
Look for these Hashtags on Facebook and Instagram #MadeinTralee #LoveTralee
If you'd like to support local, visit my main website David Condon Woodcraft or for a snapshot view of my entire product catalogue Visit my Website Shop Here.
Thanks for Reading,
David
More Titles for You to Read:
The Customer Isn’t Always Right – And That’s OK
Learning Irish the Wrong Way Leaves All Irish People Embarrassed
How I Process Orders in My Small Business (And Why This System Saves Me Headaches)About the Author
I’m David Condon, a small business owner and blog writer based in Tralee, Co. Kerry. Running my own woodcraft business means I’ve seen first-hand how much confusion there can be around shipping times, delivery dates, and what “business days” actually mean. That’s why I wrote this post — to share a bit of what I’ve learned and hopefully save you some frustration.
Every so often I step outside the workshop to write about wider business topics like this one. If you’d like to know more, you can follow the link in the Note from the Author section below or visit my About Me page to learn more.
💬 Note from the Author
This post was written specially for David Condon Finds. If you enjoyed it, you might also like my other projects:
Phoenix DVD Blog – where I write about DVDs, Blu-rays, and life as a collector
David Condon Woodcraft – my main site focused on woodturning and handmade Irish pieces
If you’d like to support my writing, you can do so through the Buy Me a Coffee button below. It helps keep these side projects going — thank you!
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Original content © David Condon Finds — Written by David Condon. Please credit and link if shared.
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