Twisted

17 November 2007

It’s raining.  It’s been raining solid and steady since about seven o’clock.  Before that, the skies were grey (until it got dark, and then they were just . . . dark) and the sprinkles came and went.  We knew we were in for rain, and I guess we’re just grateful it held off as long as it did.

There was something really odd about today, though.  The crowd was once again, very large, from what I understand—-but very few of them came into our booth!  And those who did, were first-timers, who didn’t really get it. (Or they were dear friends who already have closets full of our costuming!)  I must have answered the “are these for sale or for rent?” question twelve times—that’s usually a once a weekend sort of question.  Donny had one patron ask him, “is this real leather, or did you grow it?” 

What?

Try-ons, with no resulting sale in record numbers.  People who wanted deals on $65 sales.  People who didn’t think twice about carrying a lit cigarette or cigar into a shoppe.  Our per capita was down by 60 percent.  The majority of the crowd in attendance today was absolutely not our crowd!

Kelly and I discussed yesterday, how interesting it would be to somehow learn if the advertising was aimed at a different demographic for the first half of the faire than it is now.  And that was before today’s twilight zone-ish day!

It is fun to have Ian and Darcy here visiting from Colorado.  Jim from Milwaukee and NormTuba were here today.  Emily and Bridget visited, as did many favourite patrons:  Betty and Darrell, Jim and Sharon, Marjan, and many others.  And we saw a number of folks from Scarborough’s Performing Company.  Actors trying out new characters and such.  And we saw our dear friend Amanda Kate and learned of her upcoming nuptials.  Congratulations Amanda and Johnny.  I warned Johnny that it was probably a good thing that Kyle stayed home this weekend, ’cause otherwise he’d have had that whole fatherly talk to do!

My photo is of the pretty twisted rayon cords that Ginger has hanging in her shop for sale as “girdles” or belts with her beautiful dresses.  I did show off my bonnet tonight, and the girls did giggle a bit.  But, I think they are a little bit charmed, too.

So, abyssmal sales today, and now rain.  Yippee.  The site is already flooding in spots.  Tomorrow will be special, I’m sure.  At least I expect to have time to sew on those last couple of cloak clasps.  Cloaks might be our big seller!

~MB