Monday: Set up for the Allentown fair, did lots of paperwork associated with the business, received a call that a family member has gotten me a possible in at a store that's not yet built up in Massachusetts. I need to send product samples and then sit and wait to see on that one.
Tuesday: Made Honeysuckle soap (about 100 bars), met with the family lawyer and dad to do some will and medical stuff, printed flyers, went to the show.
Wednesday: Made another 50 bars of Honeysuckle, slept most of the afternoon (headache), went to show at night
Thursday: Down with headache most of the day, tried going for dinner, failed, went back to bed
Friday: Still sick, went to show at night
Saturday: Went to show all day
Sunday: Ran errands with C: Home Depot, BJ's, etc. Still not 100%, took another nap. Went to show at night.
9.05.2005
Allentown Fair- Day 6
Best day of sales so far. One more day like that and I'll actually go home in the black, as long as you don't consider what has been spent on parking or food during the week. Although sales are slow, at least it's been fun. B,M, C and I all get along really well, and we spend the time joking and laughing and sharing funny stories. It funny, on the boring days I tend to each twice as much as when I'm at a busy show, where I can go all day without food sometimes. I've tried the turkey dinner, the sweet potato fries, fired vegetables, lots of ice cream, and a couple of burgers and hot dogs. Some of the food is really, really good, like the chicken dinners, but a lot of it is mediocre at best.
Last night we were commenting on how so much of the local press coverage of the event has been negative. How bad the nightly shows are and how you'll get robbed by playing the games of chance. They've liked Allen Jackson's performance, and given multiple articles to the local magician who made a cow disappear and then reappear a few days later (4 full articles to be exact). But you'd think that will all the bad things happening in the US right now, they could find a few human-interest stories amongst the entire fair. They have a few, the 4-H stands out as a great thing to applaud, but I haven't seen much else. Once again I am sad to see how the Morning Call supports its local fairs and festivals.
But its just one more day left…
Last night we were commenting on how so much of the local press coverage of the event has been negative. How bad the nightly shows are and how you'll get robbed by playing the games of chance. They've liked Allen Jackson's performance, and given multiple articles to the local magician who made a cow disappear and then reappear a few days later (4 full articles to be exact). But you'd think that will all the bad things happening in the US right now, they could find a few human-interest stories amongst the entire fair. They have a few, the 4-H stands out as a great thing to applaud, but I haven't seen much else. Once again I am sad to see how the Morning Call supports its local fairs and festivals.
But its just one more day left…
9.04.2005
Allentown Fair- Day 5
OK, So I officially think this fair is a wash out. There is nothing that I can do about it, there are just not people and the people there just aren't spending a lot of money, and what money they are spending certainly isn't on soap.
B has this idea in her head that she talked me into this show and now she feels guilty that it looks as if I will come out of it in the red. But she forgets. After Mayfair I gave her an application to the fair because I was approached and asked about being a vendor in their new "crafters cove". I sent in such application and then was told that there would be no cove this year, but I could be a regular vendor mixed in with the others. After looking at the price and the number of hours in conjunction with my current show schedule I decided not to do the fair. I would be by myself, I would be there 10+ hours a day for a week, C may or may not be in town, and then my dad may still be staying with us. But I decided then that in 2006 I would either participate in their "crafter cove" (if they got one going), or I would be a regular vendor, regardless because my show schedule changes for 2006 and I felt I had the ability time wise and resource wise to be thee in 2006.
At Musikfest B came and asked my why I wasn't doing the fair, was it because I had so many shows before hand I would be too tired, was it because I wouldn't have the inventory, was it because it just cost too much money? I explained it was because it was just too many hours for me, and that I was worried about inventory, but that no longer was a concern. She suggested that we get a big booth and put our items in together, that way she could work the show and I could come help when I had the chance. Awesome idea! To me this was the answer. How to be at a show, but not physically be at a show all the time, see if the show is good in 2005 and solidify if I wanted to be there in 2006 or not.
And here I am, learning that the fair isn't for me. Better to know this year than next. Hey, I chose four new shows this year, and of the three that I have completed two were good, that is still a good average. I'd be happy to go to Vegas with those odds. I hope of the three or four new shows I want to do next year that two end up being good. I'd be happy to find two new good shows a year. And I never know, some of my best customers have come from my worst shows. They reorder in big quantities, they come by and see me at other shows, and they refer their friends to me. Just the fact that people may recognize me in the future is a good thing; it may be why they purchase from me and not someone else. No show is a waste, sometimes you just have to wait to see why you wee there, but the reason will show itself eventually.
B has this idea in her head that she talked me into this show and now she feels guilty that it looks as if I will come out of it in the red. But she forgets. After Mayfair I gave her an application to the fair because I was approached and asked about being a vendor in their new "crafters cove". I sent in such application and then was told that there would be no cove this year, but I could be a regular vendor mixed in with the others. After looking at the price and the number of hours in conjunction with my current show schedule I decided not to do the fair. I would be by myself, I would be there 10+ hours a day for a week, C may or may not be in town, and then my dad may still be staying with us. But I decided then that in 2006 I would either participate in their "crafter cove" (if they got one going), or I would be a regular vendor, regardless because my show schedule changes for 2006 and I felt I had the ability time wise and resource wise to be thee in 2006.
At Musikfest B came and asked my why I wasn't doing the fair, was it because I had so many shows before hand I would be too tired, was it because I wouldn't have the inventory, was it because it just cost too much money? I explained it was because it was just too many hours for me, and that I was worried about inventory, but that no longer was a concern. She suggested that we get a big booth and put our items in together, that way she could work the show and I could come help when I had the chance. Awesome idea! To me this was the answer. How to be at a show, but not physically be at a show all the time, see if the show is good in 2005 and solidify if I wanted to be there in 2006 or not.
And here I am, learning that the fair isn't for me. Better to know this year than next. Hey, I chose four new shows this year, and of the three that I have completed two were good, that is still a good average. I'd be happy to go to Vegas with those odds. I hope of the three or four new shows I want to do next year that two end up being good. I'd be happy to find two new good shows a year. And I never know, some of my best customers have come from my worst shows. They reorder in big quantities, they come by and see me at other shows, and they refer their friends to me. Just the fact that people may recognize me in the future is a good thing; it may be why they purchase from me and not someone else. No show is a waste, sometimes you just have to wait to see why you wee there, but the reason will show itself eventually.
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