OT Craft show question

[sweet sawdust]

When you have time.

[sweet sawdust]

OK, what I'm wondering is what are you selling at $2, $6, and $8? And what century was this? You're actually making a profit? I'm wondering because if I priced anything at $2, I wouldn't even be making materials cost, let alone anything for labor; and only about $2 for labor at $8.

Toys. At this show it was 1850. The $2 dollar item was a Gee-Haw whammey doodle stick. Its a stick with notches and a propeller that you rub with another stick to make the propeller spin and when you say the magic word the propeller reverses. I made them by the hundreds and they cost about a buck each to make including labor and materals. The $6 dollar item is a spinning disk ( button on a string) also make a few hundred at a time and cost about a buck and a half to make. Good selling low end items for kids who only have a few dollars to spend and with a lot of wiggle room when I need it. The $8 dollar item is the acrobat which costs about $4 to make. These are my low end items which I use to make booth fees and gas money at shows. For more info go to sweetsawdust.com and look at toys.

JOAT What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?

- Peter Egan

[J T]

Tue, May 8, 2007, 7:03am (EDT-1) [e-mail] (sweet=A0sawdust) doth clarify: Toys. At this show it was 1850. whammey doodle spinning disk ( button on a string) acrobat

Ah, figured just about had to be some type of toy, just couldn't figure out what kind - most toys must take highly skilled craftsmen to make, judging by the prices asked most of the time, no matter how simple they are. Or maybe it's because some people thank that 'handmade' is another word for 'exensive'. Yeah right.

When I was a kid, none of us ever had any interest in whammy doodles or acrobats. We used to string large buttons on a string tho. Get that thing spinning full blast and it'd probably have imbedded itself in the forehead if the sring had ever broke. We used to see who could make one buzz the loudest.

How about another sure seller? We used to make our own darts. Take one clean, shelled, corn cob, stick three chicken feathers in one end, stick a sharp nail, poin out, in the other end. Our 'dart board' was usually the side of a corn crib, darts stuck nicely. I know I was probably in the 6-7 age range making these, so they're safe for small children. We all knew that if we threw one at someone else, that hit or not that person would damn well throw a dart back, with all their strength, instead of just running off crying. Now that I hink about it, skyhooks used to go over pretty big too.

I turned 66 last Dec. You do the math.

JOAT What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?

- Peter Egan

[Markem]

Ah an early boomer. As opposed to me at late boomer.

Mark

[J T]

Tue, May 8, 2007, 12:21pm (EDT-1) [e-mail] (Markem) doth sayeth: Ah an early boomer. As opposed to me at late boomer.

And I still boom when I get the opportunity.

JOAT What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?

- Peter Egan