Really BIG urban Sportsmen's Show, got there to my mostly-set up booth on time, both staff arrived on time, we went to work.
First customer was the premier local fishing guides, Jack Glass' outfit. Son Brandon showed up, Dad is fishing, probably drifting the Sandy River for Winter Steelhead with a boatload of customers at close to $200 per pole. Brandon is manning the booth at the Show. He fires out his credit card, and I quick-draw my smartass phone, plug in the Square, and swipe his card. Hmmm...the display says "swipe again". I do, about 10 times. No joy. No worries, I am ready for this failure. I sit Brandon down at my Xoom tablet, call up my new website, and hit on "Join Us". He fills out the mask. OOOOOH NOE! "Fatal error" #whogivesarip is displayed. I go to the Final Backup, my Event Logbook, and sign him in with pen on paper. He promises a check next day. Shortly afterwards, his other crew comes over and signs up, then a few more folks he knew. After searching, I find my Webmaster's phone number, and we get the website repaired. Just for grins, I try to swipe my own credit card on the Square, and presto, it swallows MY $50 with ease, and duly zings me an email showing the deposit. I have to look up Brandon now and tell him to get a new card...
We had a ton of interest, all positive, but the basic pitch needs to be shortened and made into more of a closer to bring in more cash. We're getting the feel of it all, though, and today will be better, I'm sure. The Salt Water Taffy brings them to the table at our booth, and while they're putting the grabbus on some candy, we have a chance to say a few words to the peeps. Just have to make them pull out their cash, checkbook or credit card now...
It would be real easy to eat up the profits. This outfit is right across the aisle form my booth. Yummmmm, JERKY! Fantastic jerky. Unlike Link's, World Kitchens, or Oberto, my usual choices (I haven't made my own for 35 years), Jerky Hut's is soft, just chewy enough to make you chew it long enough to get that sweet/salt down your throat, it bites off the strip easily (real beef, it's NOT ground, pressed and dried like the others), and does NOT stick in the teeth. After the discount I got as a fellow Vendor, I have to give them a plug, and they DESERVE the plug just for quality.
Speaking of eating up the profits, the Expo rules say you have to eat their food, can't pack a lunch to work. $5.50 burgers, and their patty is only slightly bigger than that in a Mickey D's $1 burger. $4.50 for a hot dog. I had a Garden Burger for lunch, first one of those excuses for real meat I've ever eaten (and known about). It wasn't great, but it kept me going for a few hours, that and glomming a 4-oz package of jerky...oh, this report wouldn't be complete without reporting on the Water Robbers. $3 for a half-liter bottle of water??? You gotta be shitting me, Expo Commission.
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