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Friday night at the pottery show
Nov. 18th, 2017 08:47 amI always get the first work shift at Clayfolk. Friday night is crazy busy; the line to get in runs all around the building. First customers to checkout go to the cash/checks side, but pretty soon we're busy on credit/debit as well. We've borrowed a trick from last year's show at the old Walmart building in Talent: setting up a back-and-forth meander to control the sale queue. They've added a clever bit: it's a double queue, cash on one side, cards on the other, with a host guiding people to the correct check stand. Other hosts are keeping the folks waiting occupied, surveying them about how they heard about the show and handing out Hershey's kisses. The whole operation seems to be running very smoothly, and the VISA machines are even running a little faster than at Clay Fest.
After the shift, other checkers and wrappers tell me how many of my pots they sold. I only saw three come through my station, but when I get back to my booth, there are two customers each with a shopping basket full of my pots just leaving, so I'm doing pretty well.
Denise is exhausted. While I've been crazy busy on the sales line, she's been crazy busy in the booth, digging out restock and requests from our fans.
About 7:30 the frenzy passes. The aisles are mostly empty except for a few browsers, the sales line finally catches up, and small clusters of slightly stunned potters compare notes in the intersections. The show remains open until 9 pm, but by then it's mostly just us grazing on the leftover cookies and punch, then going back to our homes or hostels and falling into bed.
After the shift, other checkers and wrappers tell me how many of my pots they sold. I only saw three come through my station, but when I get back to my booth, there are two customers each with a shopping basket full of my pots just leaving, so I'm doing pretty well.
Denise is exhausted. While I've been crazy busy on the sales line, she's been crazy busy in the booth, digging out restock and requests from our fans.
About 7:30 the frenzy passes. The aisles are mostly empty except for a few browsers, the sales line finally catches up, and small clusters of slightly stunned potters compare notes in the intersections. The show remains open until 9 pm, but by then it's mostly just us grazing on the leftover cookies and punch, then going back to our homes or hostels and falling into bed.