Call of the wild

[offcntr]

...at Howliday Market!

Actually beats most of the calls I've been getting lately: Your Google business listing... This is our final attempt regarding your car warranty... Your Social Security number has been suspended due to illegal activity in Texas... (Voter fraud, d'you think?) Makes me want to howl.

Tremendously busy at Market today, probably my best single day, certainly best outdoors at the park blocks. Last week, tall mugs and pie plates were selling. This week it was painted mugs--fifteen total--with soup bowls a strong second. Still sold some bigger items: a teapot, colanders, serving bowl, casseroles. A woman who collects roosters came back a couple of times, agonizing over whether to buy a rooster pitcher for $38; I asked, Should I be mean and show you my rooster cookie jar as well? Oh, please, she replied.

So she bought the $48 cookie jar. This happens often enough that it's probably a thing, psychologically speaking. People caught between two alternatives will snap up a third choice when it's introduced into the mix. I try not to use this power for evil--hence asking if I should be mean--but I have noticed it.

Also, she and her husband are remodeling the kitchen, so she may be in touch for a big rooster tile.

My favorite interaction of the day: group of college-age friends including a couple, I think?, are looking generally toward the right side of the display, when young woman looks left, sees a butterfly mug. Picks it up and shows it to young man, saying, This would be perfect for [name]. You're right! he says, taking it from her. I'll get it for them!

No, she says, I meant for me to give them. Oh, he says, not relinquishing the mug, I thought you were suggesting I give it. She leaves the booth, slightly grumped.

I slip out the side, catch up to her before she gets to Rachel's booth and say, You know, there's a matching bowl as well...

She dashes back, claims the butterfly bowl in triumph, even beats him to the counter to purchase it. [Name] is getting a matched set this Christmas.

One drawback of being so busy, especially without Denise's help, is that I sometimes forget to write down sales, which is a bother when it comes time to update inventory and the In Stock page. This morning was particularly bad--I had $178 unaccounted for. Fortunately, I was able to assemble the missing sales with the help of memory and the Square transactions list, so I'm pretty sure I have everything.

Comments

[james]

I'm glad the rain held off for a day, for the Market! (We started to cruise through, a couple weeks ago, but so many people, we couldn't deal. Is it bad I want to go on a day when it is terribly slow and no one shows up to shop??)

[offcntr]

Me too! They were predicting rain all week, and instead we got sunshine! Though it really poured overnight.

I understand not wanting to deal with crowds, though I suspect a rainy day would just concentrate people in the booths. I had a couple this last week email me about picking up some things, and we arranged for them to come in at 9:30 (I'm always set up by then) so they could avoid the crush. It's usually a little slow right at opening, but in less than half an hour, it's busy.