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102 - Retro Revolution Roundup
Aug. 7th, 2016 03:10 pmI started the day crippled with self doubt and nausea-grade levels of regret. The Retro Revolution Video Game & Retro Toy Show set-up had shaken me quite a bit, wondering why I had thought I could sell my lamps to a bunch of folks who would be looking for old Atari cartridges and Power Rangers toys.
About 1/4 of the dealer tables for the show were empty, which allowed for several dealers to spread out and take up more space but it still looked very thin in there from my perspective. I was glad I had brought a big box of "Rescue Toys", toys that I just couldn't being myself to turn into lamps till I had given them a chance at finding a home, because for a very long time it looked like the only chance I had of making back the cost of my table would be from the few bucks that came trickling in from those sales.
I was unprepared for the polite nods and outright dismissals of the "Early Bird" crowd at a Toy Show (people who had paid extra to get in the door early), but I should have realized that if you pay extra to get in to a toy show you probably have some pretty specific things you're looking for. Eventually, once I shook off those early morning blues, I started chatting up people and explaining my lamps and having a good time.
...And that's when the MAAAAAAGIC started ;)
One person and his lady-friend where VERY interested in one of my lamps, "They Grow Up So Fast", but wanted to haggle me down to $60. Since the showe hadn't even officially opened yet, I passed - I PASSED ON AN OFFER! Usually I am a *huge* pushover and ready to gladly take whatever sock they may toss at good old Dobby, but this time I said no! I said I had to hold out till at least when the show opened to regular customers, "Sixty Bucks is more of an 11am or Noontime price".
They came back at 10:45ish ready to leave for the day and I said well okay then, sixty bucks :)
Emboldened by this sale, I was now ready to get loose :) I had officially made back the amount I paid for my table PLUS ten bucks now, so everything after this was pure gravy :)
Ever since the "Regular" (non-Earlybird) customers started filtering in at 10am, interest in my lamps had been steadily climbing. I had to keep telling people that it was okay to take pictures of my lamps, feel free to ask questions if you want to know how to make your own, and of course doing all my silly little jokes and voices :)
Soon, another lamp sold! WOO!
"Fa La Lah La-La Laah, La La-La Yo Ho!", a skeletal pirate ship full of skeleton warriors and Papa Smurf (he's a powerful wizard, why not try some Necromancy?) purchased as a gift for one of the Seafair Pirates who couldn't be there today. I love knowing where my lamps are going :)
Near the end of the day, one last sale to this young fellow who looks like he walked five hundred miles AND he would walk five hundred more:
He had spent A LOT of time coming back to my table all day long, trying to decide which lamp he loved the most. In the end, he ended up taking home "Jurassic Funk" :)
And last but not least, I offered a trade to the lady at the table next to us. It was her first show ever (long time Ebay seller, first time in-person seller) and she did *pretty good* I think... I kept cracking her up with my lamp descriptions and various jokes, and we had just a grand old time so I *had* to make sure she went home with one of my lamps!
I traded her "Infestation" (A lamp I may attempt to recreate sort of or at least recycle the general idea of) for an incomplete and fairly beat-up vintage copy of the HeroQuest Board Game, which is a CRACKING GOOD Game! The best part of this HeroQuest trade was that I got to keep on doing my impression of Bardic Broadcasts. HeroQuest is the greatest game ever made, and anyone who says otherwise, is WRONG. Here's why:
(Seriously, you gotta watch that video)
We made new friends like Sean, Shay and Erik... we got to see old friends like Greg, Anne, Cory, Daniel and Fred... it was a good time :)
NEXT UP: Get some lamps listed in my Etsy store, and getting ready for Oddmall in November!
About 1/4 of the dealer tables for the show were empty, which allowed for several dealers to spread out and take up more space but it still looked very thin in there from my perspective. I was glad I had brought a big box of "Rescue Toys", toys that I just couldn't being myself to turn into lamps till I had given them a chance at finding a home, because for a very long time it looked like the only chance I had of making back the cost of my table would be from the few bucks that came trickling in from those sales.
I was unprepared for the polite nods and outright dismissals of the "Early Bird" crowd at a Toy Show (people who had paid extra to get in the door early), but I should have realized that if you pay extra to get in to a toy show you probably have some pretty specific things you're looking for. Eventually, once I shook off those early morning blues, I started chatting up people and explaining my lamps and having a good time.
...And that's when the MAAAAAAGIC started ;)
One person and his lady-friend where VERY interested in one of my lamps, "They Grow Up So Fast", but wanted to haggle me down to $60. Since the showe hadn't even officially opened yet, I passed - I PASSED ON AN OFFER! Usually I am a *huge* pushover and ready to gladly take whatever sock they may toss at good old Dobby, but this time I said no! I said I had to hold out till at least when the show opened to regular customers, "Sixty Bucks is more of an 11am or Noontime price".
They came back at 10:45ish ready to leave for the day and I said well okay then, sixty bucks :)
Emboldened by this sale, I was now ready to get loose :) I had officially made back the amount I paid for my table PLUS ten bucks now, so everything after this was pure gravy :)
Ever since the "Regular" (non-Earlybird) customers started filtering in at 10am, interest in my lamps had been steadily climbing. I had to keep telling people that it was okay to take pictures of my lamps, feel free to ask questions if you want to know how to make your own, and of course doing all my silly little jokes and voices :)
Soon, another lamp sold! WOO!
"Fa La Lah La-La Laah, La La-La Yo Ho!", a skeletal pirate ship full of skeleton warriors and Papa Smurf (he's a powerful wizard, why not try some Necromancy?) purchased as a gift for one of the Seafair Pirates who couldn't be there today. I love knowing where my lamps are going :)
Near the end of the day, one last sale to this young fellow who looks like he walked five hundred miles AND he would walk five hundred more:
He had spent A LOT of time coming back to my table all day long, trying to decide which lamp he loved the most. In the end, he ended up taking home "Jurassic Funk" :)
And last but not least, I offered a trade to the lady at the table next to us. It was her first show ever (long time Ebay seller, first time in-person seller) and she did *pretty good* I think... I kept cracking her up with my lamp descriptions and various jokes, and we had just a grand old time so I *had* to make sure she went home with one of my lamps!
I traded her "Infestation" (A lamp I may attempt to recreate sort of or at least recycle the general idea of) for an incomplete and fairly beat-up vintage copy of the HeroQuest Board Game, which is a CRACKING GOOD Game! The best part of this HeroQuest trade was that I got to keep on doing my impression of Bardic Broadcasts. HeroQuest is the greatest game ever made, and anyone who says otherwise, is WRONG. Here's why:
(Seriously, you gotta watch that video)
We made new friends like Sean, Shay and Erik... we got to see old friends like Greg, Anne, Cory, Daniel and Fred... it was a good time :)
NEXT UP: Get some lamps listed in my Etsy store, and getting ready for Oddmall in November!
