first merchant experience

[tashabear]

This weekend I made my first foray into the wide world of SCA merchanting with a table at A Market Day at Birka, the largest one day SCA event in the Knowne World. (It's actually a 1.5 day event, as the merchants set up and are more or less open for business on Friday night, but Saturday is when all the damage is done.)

I had a great time. I was there with some friends from the local Tandy store in Chelmsford, for whom this was their first SCA event ever, and I guess they had a good time -- they were asking when they could merchant again, anyway. SCA events are a lot cheaper to merchant at than craft fairs (two 8' tables cost me $30), and we can sell the sort of goods we like to make.

Sales were slow; I actually only sold three things that I had made all day. I sold a flask (I made a leather sleeve to go around a purchased flask) and two book covers with hardcover blank books inside. One had a knight's belt on it. I made one for each of the SCA peerages: the Order of the Chivalry (knights), the Order of the Laurel (arts and sciences), and the Order of the Pelican (service). When people are being inducted into one of these three peerages, they go on a vigil, which is sort of a reception with visitors and snacks and a guest book, which is what I was hoping my notebooks would be used for. The woman who bought my book cover said that they'd forgotten that detail till that very morning, and that she had been sent to the merchants to find something to use, and I bet she was a total hero for coming up with something so perfect.

The other notebook was sold to a lady who is participating in the A&S50 Challenge. She has decided to learn 50 pieces of period music, and will be using my notebook to record her progress. She even commissioned another to record a second challenge that has something to do with sewing (there was a Middle Eastern music performance going on at DEAFENING levels behind me and I couldn't hear the details). I also got two other commissions, for book covers with personal devices on them.

The flask cover I sold amused me no end. I finally found a full set of rune stamps on eBay, so I stamped the word BOOZE on a piece of leather, dyed it, and laced it onto the flask. It was the easiest one to make, and the only one of mine that sold. (One customer tried to tell me that the flask in the sleeve was used; I tried not to tell him to get off my lawn.)

So between three sales, getting paid for two coronet commissions, and getting three more, I did pretty well. I also got lots of compliments on the truly gorgeous Viking apron dress I was wearing and got inducted into the Order of the Silver Crescent, which is the Kingdom-level award for service. It was a very good weekend.

Edited February 2, 2009 by tashabear

[Tina]

This weekend I made my first foray into the wide world of SCA merchanting with a table at A Market Day at Birka, the largest one day SCA event in the Knowne World. (It's actually a 1.5 day event, as the merchants set up and are more or less open for business on Friday night, but Saturday is when all the damage is done.)

I had a great time. I was there with some friends from the local Tandy store in Chelmsford, for whom this was their first SCA event ever, and I guess they had a good time -- they were asking when they could merchant again, anyway. SCA events are a lot cheaper to merchant at than craft fairs (two 8' tables cost me $30), and we can sell the sort of goods we like to make.

Sales were slow; I actually only sold three things that I had made all day. I sold a flask (I made a leather sleeve to go around a purchased flask) and two book covers with hardcover blank books inside. One had a knight's belt on it. I made one for each of the SCA peerages: the Order of the Chivalry (knights), the Order of the Laurel (arts and sciences), and the Order of the Pelican (service). When people are being inducted into one of these three peerages, they go on a vigil, which is sort of a reception with visitors and snacks and a guest book, which is what I was hoping my notebooks would be used for. The woman who bought my book cover said that they'd forgotten that detail till that very morning, and that she had been sent to the merchants to find something to use, and I bet she was a total hero for coming up with something so perfect.

The other notebook was sold to a lady who is participating in the A&S50 Challenge. She has decided to learn 50 pieces of period music, and will be using my notebook to record her progress. She even commissioned another to record a second challenge that has something to do with sewing (there was a Middle Eastern music performance going on at DEAFENING levels behind me and I couldn't hear the details). I also got two other commissions, for book covers with personal devices on them.

The flask cover I sold amused me no end. I finally found a full set of rune stamps on eBay, so I stamped the word BOOZE on a piece of leather, dyed it, and laced it onto the flask. It was the easiest one to make, and the only one of mine that sold. (One customer tried to tell me that the flask in the sleeve was used; I tried not to tell him to get off my lawn.)

So between three sales, getting paid for two coronet commissions, and getting three more, I did pretty well. I also got lots of compliments on the truly gorgeous Viking apron dress I was wearing and got inducted into the Order of the Silver Crescent, which is the Kingdom-level award for service. It was a very good weekend.

I would have oved to be there:-)

I have been on Birka (todays Björkö) several times, they started out an excavation around a decade or two ago to dig out a viking village, before that there was only sheep grasing there:-) A beautiful green Island, very small but easy for the vikings to protect.

[tashabear]

I would have oved to be there:-)

I have been on Birka (todays Björkö) several times, they started out an excavation around a decade or two ago to dig out a viking village, before that there was only sheep grasing there:-) A beautiful green Island, very small but easy for the vikings to protect.

I would have loved to have you there! When the pictures of the apron dress are available, I'll post them -- six of us made similar dresses, with huge Viking-esque peacocks appliqued on them.

[HorsehairBraider]

Hey, sounds like fun! I'm glad your helpers had fun too, that is hard when you have no helpers and must do everything yourself...

And there are always people like the person who tried to tell you the flask was "used" (I mean, what is up with that?! Does it hurt it if someone put water or something in it?) I just smile and remind myself to make a joke out of it later... I also actually had someone tell me a piece of my artwork was "used". Is the Mona Lisa "used"? Do people wear stuff out just by looking at it?

You have to have a sense of humor to work with the public... they always make me laugh, sounds like you have the right attitude! When is your next event?

[tashabear]

Hey, sounds like fun! I'm glad your helpers had fun too, that is hard when you have no helpers and must do everything yourself...

And there are always people like the person who tried to tell you the flask was "used" (I mean, what is up with that?! Does it hurt it if someone put water or something in it?) I just smile and remind myself to make a joke out of it later... I also actually had someone tell me a piece of my artwork was "used". Is the Mona Lisa "used"? Do people wear stuff out just by looking at it?

You have to have a sense of humor to work with the public... they always make me laugh, sounds like you have the right attitude! When is your next event?

My helpers weren't actually helpers; they were selling their own stuff. We haven't compared notes yet, but I think they did all right as well.

The bozo who tried to tell me my flask was used said that it smelled like there had been whiskey in it. I didn't smell anything... Next time I'll have a spare nekkid flask under the table and offer to swap it out on the spot.

I don't know when I'll merchant again. There's a competition I want to enter at the end of March, so I'll be making things for that (It's a pentathlon, so I need to enter 5 categories in order to compete for the overall prize). Lots of people who know me didn't know that I was doing leatherwork, so now they have commissions percolating in their heads, which is fabulous. I'd rather do commissions, particularly coronets, than merchant tables, but you have to do something to get the name out there.