Saturday was a good market for some reason. The place was packed right from 7:00 a.m. until noon. Valentine's Day? Phhht. Around here, come holidays, people buy their flowers, chocolates and good eats to throw on the grill and then vamoose to the malls and big box stores. I did overhear people talking about the price of roses, everything from $100+ for a dozen roses from a "real" flower store to $20+ from Wally-World and its ilk for roses of dubious quality. I think somehow the word got out about the crazy good price for roses at the
Woodstock Farmer's Market, which could explain why so many new people were at the market.
The Floral Express sells roses as well as all kinds of mixed flowers, your choice, 3 bunches for $10 with baby's breath. Not to mention, as I mentioned a post or two ago, with care the roses in particular will last up to
ten days. Even I, with my notorious black thumb, can keep 'em going for ten days.
Remember the budding paperwhites: look at us NOW!!!
Note: It's about -40C today with the windchill, but sure looks like spring in here. I don't know how my poor truck started in that obscene cold this morning, but it did. AND the heater worked!
Meanwhile, back at the market, there was one lady very pleased to have finally tracked me down. A while ago, she'd bought some very distinctive earrings from a store which suddenly went out of business (wow, was I surprised!) and for a year and a half she's been looking for me. Told me she was talking about the earrings to a friend just the other day and now she's found me again. Bought another pair of the same style of earrings, took my card this time and promised to be back.
In between lots of customers and pals stopping by to chat, I made these four chokers and an adjustable bracelet, all which are currently out on approval:
This particular customer has very specific likes and dislikes, and the easiest way to make things he will like is to as much as possible narrow down a selection of beads he
does like out of all the new ones I get in and then riff on various combinations thereof. He didn't like any of the multiple skull designs I made last week, so this week I used only one skull.
Something else is coming up: another big move for me at the
One of a Kind Antique Mall. You know the tired old mantra, "location, location, location"? Of course you do -- and like all cliches it sucks that it's so true. When I first started selling at the Antique Mall, my showcase was right up by the front door and sales were pleasantly steady. In a long overdue expansion from one to three computerised cash stations, I was turfed out to make way for a wrapping station, and ended up just a few feet around the corner lost amongst at least a dozen other showcases -- and where my sales have tanked bigtime.
May 1st, though, I will be in this shiny white showcase right next to the cash desk. Yes, when the place is particularly busy on weekends people will be lining up right in front of and blocking the showcase to anyone walking by,
but every single customer in that store will be standing in line there for a few seconds to one, two, five, ten, maybe even fifteen minutes with nothing better to do than to look at Nancy's and my jewellery, collectible beads, antiques and junque.
Every. Single. Customer. Talk about location. Same vendor number:
800. Nancy's is
847.
I'm standing to take this picture just inside the front door of the mall right where my old showcase used to be.
 |
To the right of and just past that guy walking down the aisle
is Booth 800/847, which is mine and Nancy's. |
John and Jack, the two owners of the Antique Mall.
Dapper Jack behind my new showcase, 800.
 |
| (No, the rifle is a reproduction) |
Don't forget,
The Gem Expo is coming up in Toronto at the Hyatt Regency in the middle of March, the weekend of the
13th, 14th and 15th. PLUS... for the first time, I will be selling Nancy's and my antiques and junque and Roman glass and collectible beads at the
Woodstock Nostalgia Show and Sale on
Sunday, March 8 at the Fairgrounds on Nellis Street.
Thanks for looking!
