Reflections on a Market past

I never did get to more blogging while I was at the market. It was a busy time and a lot of fun to boot. Our “F” row became quite the little family and we all had a great time; joking, dancing, singing, shooting the breeze. I miss everyone now that it’s all over. It’s the family of vendors that makes it all fun and enjoyable work. Sort of like carnies but probably with less issues and rap sheets.
Business was OK, I expected better from Union Square but it was what it was. The question on everyone’s lips was “When will they start shopping?” They didn’t come out in droves the last two weeks as they usually do. Nothing can be predicted these days about shopping mentality. People aren’t spending as much as they did and you can’t force them to buy your wares. A lot of looking and thinking but no immediate buying. So I have a lot of product left over. I don’t have to worry about inventory next year. Still, the let down I feel after the market makes me wonder about the future of my t-shirt line and whether it’s all worth the effort. I would like to focus more on my web business and less on markets. We’ll see how that all pans out.
One thing that kept me busy the last two weeks of the market was stockings. Apparently no one was selling them so I began to make some, and they sold like hot cakes. After putting all my sewing supplies away and cleaning the living room, out it all came and the room was awash with fabrics, looking like a sweatshop again. Out of 33 stockings, I sold all but 2. Not bad at $25 a pop! Each one was different so no one got the same stocking. I’m going to start making more for next year later this month.
The market ended on Christmas Eve and Maruska and I loaded up our UHaul with our things and went home. All I wanted to do when I got home was take a shower, drink some tea and decorate my house for the holidays. I’m not about the weeks leading up to Christmas, but rather about the days after and into January. You know the Twelve Days of Christmas don’t begin until the 25th and go to the eve of the Epiphany. Plus I like to include Russian Christmas and New Years (the 7th and 13th respectively) so my celebrating goes on until mid January. Anyway, post-market found me putting the lights up in the backyard and decorating the tree until the wee hours. I was tired, I should have gone to bed but something kept me going until the house was aglow with Christmas from front to back and inside too. Eddie, my neighbor, and I have a competition to see who can put up the most lights in the yard. He had already done his so I needed to respond now that I had a free moment. At 1 in the morning I was having a cup of tea in my garden, snow everywhere and softly glowing from all the lights I had strung up along the fances and 2 of the 3 wise men looking up toward the big star I wired up on the laundry ladder at the back of the yard. Very apropos to have them following the yonder star, just too bad I don’t have the third one. I found 2 in the trash about 5 years ago and have been searching for the third ever since. I recently saw one in a display in Williamsburg and wanted to stop and steal it but it was on a roof and might have been a little tricky. Anyway, my search for Melchior (that’s the one missing) continues so if you have any leads, let me know.
Christmas was quiet, ate roast beef with my neighbor Eddie, my friend Eric came over in the afternoon. New Years was a bit more raucous as it should be. I go into 2010 a bit unfocused, wondering what life has in store for me this year, the first in a new decade. I know teaching 4 nights a week is one thing to look forward to (beginning tonight) as is a trip to see my Afghans in Toronto next weekend. Other than that, we’ll leave it up to fate I suppose. Happy 2010 y’all!