Rock the Village

Did you have the opportunity to pay for electricity? A fan would be very nice right now:)

One of those sideline misting fans.

Outdoor-Misting-Fan.jpg


Guaranteed to attract potential buyers.
 
We have electricity as part of the price for the space. We light the booth but did not think to bring a fan. Next week! As far as the misting fan goes, really? Around wood products? Is that wise?
 
These events draw thousands of people, even in this heat. The Village has many upscale stores and the area is one with a lot of disposable income. We have a very good location, across from the stage, and get a lot of traffic. However, as these thousands of people pass by I notice they all have one thing in common, not one is carrying a shopping bag. They have come for dinner and the concert, just a night out. Good location, lots of traffic, bad venue - for selling. I'll stick it out the next four Friday's in hopes of making back my investment, but I don't think I will do this again next year. I can only hope the twenty or so people that I spoke to that took a business card will call.
 
The booth looks very nice, Rennie. Sorry to see the sales have been dead. Here's hoping you at least get some good leads out of it.
 
" I had no sales but was able to show my portfolio to 5 people all of whom took my business card. I figured if I charged $.25 for every "you do beautiful work" I could probably make back the cost of the booth by the end of the season! "

Boy you hit that on the head... I probably hear that or "sure is pretty" 10-20 times in the course of a day at the Farmer's Market... we can't say it, but we can always think "if it's so pretty, why aren't you buying it" :D:D:rofl:
 
Bingo! :-D Tahlequah is the capital city of the Cherokee Nation. ;-)



Thanks very much! I've been to almost every one of those towns, I'm only about 30 miles from Muskogee. (another Indian tribe) I'm a Chickasaw Indian citizen from western Oklahoma but these eastern IT (Indian Territory for those of you with coastal persuasions) Indians don't seem to mind my infiltration. :rofl:
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I'm not sure of the tribal affiliation, but it's generally thought in my family that my grandfather was half indian... I think he was born in OK, but not sure his family originated in Virginia ....Granddad was a short man - about 5'7" and had a very swarthy complexion... the picture of his parents that hung on the living room wall showed his father as a smallish man with a huge mustache... his mother was a lady that looked very indian... she had long braids hanging down her front.... I wound up with an irish complexion from my grandmother on my father's side...
 
hope you have better luck rennie,

all the craft fairs out here lately have been horrible.

I wish I could see some booths like yours with real craftsmanship or creative artists.

They are all advertised here as craft fairs, and all it is is the same improrted hair stuff, toys, cell phone accessories, tons of food vendors, and most annoying of all, the companies that pitch/hawk as you walk by, like solar companies, investments companies, window companies......its getting bad here, so bad, we aren't going to many fairs lately.

I think if I get outside of NY Id see more the type of fair like you sell at, one where I can actually see something original or different.
 
My heritage has been a bit watered down. My dad's family was in fact Cherokee but none of his ancestors were on the Dawes roll so they couldn't prove their heritage for tribal citizenship. My great-great grandmother was a full blood but only filed 5/8 because while the Chickasaws are a matriarch based society, the US at that time wouldn't let an Indian woman manage her own affairs. As a result, my card more closely matches my complexion than my true ancestry... :p
 
Let's just say that experience is what you get when you don't get what you want.

Next week is the last. This week was a local country band, good but not a huge draw. Also, last night was the first night of the eastern Idaho fair in Boise and the night rodeo just a few miles to our west in Caldwell. Both very popular. Next week the main act is a Beatles tribute band and they are supposed to be very good. Hope they draw a huge crowd and I can finish off this experiment in the plus column.
 
I already said it but, the move of the table to the front is a real positive in my view. Way to hang in there; 100* in Idaho!?! What's that like? We desert basin dwellers think San Diego is humid. ;) conversely, my daughter who lives in San Diego complains of the dryness at my place just an hour and a half away. ! hope the booth experiment turns out well and I'll be watching for your final assessment :thumb:
 
Im sure the stock market tanking 10% in recent weeks is not making anyone feel or be in a spending mood.

regardless of your experiment, theres no denying the fact you are a top notch craftsman.
 
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Well, last night was number eight and the last of the season. Sold 2 more cutting boards. No where near enough to break even. I did, however, hand out a lot of business cards and had some in depth talks with a number of people. Hoping a commission will come along to make all that effort worthwhile.
 
I admire you for sticking it out, Rennie. Maybe a better venue will present itself next. It is the beginning of the holiday buying season, so things should be picking up.
 
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