Labor Day Weekend!!

[TheFerret]

Naween,

I remember last year when I was terrified to approach people and then decided that if they were nice on the forum, they must be nice in person, so I got over my fear and approached. I find having my R/F pin handy as I can just point to it and then point to someone else's and then introduce myself. I'm about as subtle as a punch to the gut though...

It was a crappy weekend sales wise. When people won't take free soap samples, something is wrong. Though one drunk college boy decided to eat six pieces (after being told they were soap and he'd be an idiot to eat them) and then promptly got sick in our neighbors plants. Yesterday was one of "those" days.

[Charlotte Rowan]

I only stopped by for a couple hours on Monday, but apparently the chocolate sales were down too. Hmm, wonder why everyone's sales were so bad? It must have been the heat.

I had a great weekend! Sure, it was hot, but I'm cold-blooded, I think, so as long as I stayed in the shade and drank lots of water, I was a-ok!

Brought the dog out on Monday just to check how much of a pain it would be to have him with me out there....and yup, it was a pain. Twice I had to pull turkey bones out of his mouth. It was fun having him there too, but I think for the rest of the season I'll save my $10 and leave him at home.

[Charlotte Rowan]

Hi Leyla, thanks for the compliments! Unfortunately we had to drive back to school for Jay to start his last term of college, so we wont be back this year. No matter how fast we drive, its always a nearly 10-hour drive back to canada, and  food, gas, hotel etc makes it pricey to visit more than one weekend. We're tossing around a two-weekend visit next year, so we'll see what happens. Next year for sure I will say hi to you though. I also have time now to order and receive a R/F pin, so I will have that as well next year.

...I was at the mead booth at 10 am on sunday....and saw a group of  you all standing in a circle....but I was shy and wasn't sure how to approach.....*sigh* next year I have to build some courage into my bodice....
(We were the lord and lady in grey/black/white jacquard if you saw us).

I saw you both bunches this weekend, amazing costumes are hard to miss!  I wish I'd known that you were interested in the group I would have grabbed you and brought you to meet people.  Will you be out again this season?

I noticed your lovely garb as well. We don't mean to be intimidating! I understand, though. I'm super shy and it took me forever to approach the group. Hope to see you next year!

[TheFerret]

There was no one out really on Monday. Crowds were leaving at 2 pm. We ended up entertaining the booths around us because there was no one to hawk to.

[groomporter]

We can't even blame it on the State Fair. Their Labor Day attendance was down 10,000 people from last year and down almost 40,000 from a record year in 2005
http://www.mnstatefair.org/pages/attendance.html

[TheFerret]

I'm blaming two things: the RNC and people not realizing that we are still around.

[Naween]

Thanks goody, looking forward to meeting you next year!
Campground looks fair enough, if our hotel in burnsville keeps going downhill we may look into that...though our tent is definitely not big enough to get dressed in (it barely fits Jay and I. ).

Still surprised by how few people/sales there were. We definitely thought saturday had significantly less people than last year (definitely saw less noble playtrons), but thought it was purely cause there was no Rendevous. Guess even mundanes weren't around. I wonder why, though we did find the interstates to be quite busy, so alot of peeps must have gone out of town.

[groomporter]

I didn't help to get this comment from a patron this weekend at MNRF about our
portable fabric games.
"$20? that seems a little steep for something printed on a napkin..."

It might be a good thing I didn't overhear it in person.

[TheFerret]

I think high gas prices also kept away a lot of "regulars" from the midwest who usually come up Labor Day weekend.

[Naween]

Sorry theferret, I have to shake my head slightly at the gas prices comment, in Canada the gas prices are almost $5/gallon! (We pay $1.30/Litre). We desperately wanted to fill our tanks again just before the border, but it was raining so hard we we're fearing tornado's were going to appear!

[TheFerret]

Sorry theferret, I have to shake my head slightly at the gas prices comment, in Canada the gas prices are almost $5/gallon! (We pay $1.30/Litre). We desperately wanted to fill our tanks again just before the border, but it was raining so hard we we're fearing tornado's were going to appear!

Oh, I don't disagree. We've been spoiled here for way too long but because of that, people are feeling the crunch suddenly and not realizing how easy it's been for us. Yes, other places (Europe) have better public transportation than we do but we've still been babied a lot.

[Ethel]

I actually had a great weekend!  Played so hard I'm beat to a pulp and am hoarse today.

Monday was way down in terms of tips, but we shattered our records at the stocks on Saturday...and beat it again on Sunday by another 20%!  We even had a single $120 show on Sunday, which was another record shattered.

Vil tips, however, were just slightly below average.

[Kiss-me-Kate]

I didn't help to get this comment from a patron this weekend at MNRF about our
portable fabric games.
"$20? that seems a little steep for something printed on a napkin..."

It might be a good thing I didn't overhear it in person.

I don't think people realize that your time is valuable and is factored into the cost of things out there.  Nick lowered the price on his mugs a few bucks this year and people were still whining. 


And duhhhhhhhh, you are trying to make a living!

[DeadBishop]

Yeah, I hear similar comments from nearly every vendor, usually, the common "we don't need that kids, I can make that at home for you". Some people just don't get it.


On a happier note, it was a great weekend!  (minus the choking dust).  Glad to see everyone who made it out!

[Kiss-me-Kate]

Suuuuure they can make it at home.