Still going
Dec. 20th, 2021 07:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
offcntrHoliday Market continues busy. How busy? I totally forgot to take any pictures and missed my obligatory "Today's Theme is post on Instagram." Did it matter? Not in the least.
This weekend we shared the Fairgrounds with the Gun and Knife show, which means I had to direct several lost gunnies in conservative attire (F*** Biden/Inslee sweat shirt and camo) out of our building and around the corner to theirs during set-up Friday, and there was a record amount of mask non-compliance (noses showing, under the chin, or no mask at all) on Saturday. Sunday was back to normal, thankfully, and both days were busy to within a few dollars of each other.
Had some nice visits over the weekend: sara from here on Dreamwidth stopped in with offspring J, having braved the horrible Portland traffic, taking four hours to get from Olympia to Eugene. And Sunday morning was potter's day: Beth and Skip, current and former Club Mud members, stopped to buy cards from Denise, and Faith (Local Clay) and partner Dave stopped in to pick up a bowl for his daughter in Cincinnati. (I really gotta figure out that "Where in the world is Off Center Ceramics" feature I've been considering.)
Sunday was also our annual Pottery Smash (aka Charity Auction with Percussive Interludes). It's a vendors-only event held before opening, to raise money for the Kareng Fund, Market's artists emergency-relief resource. All the potters, and several other vendors, donate wares. I use it to get rid of seconds that otherwise clutter up the shed, and share the auctioneering with fellow Agents of SMASH Alex and Jon. Folks get bargain--and occasionally not-so-bargain--presents for themselves and families, the Fund gets an injection of cash, and Alex takes home a big box of pot shards. More shards than usual, in fact. After the last couple of years, I think we needed the catharsis. Don't have any pix of the actual event this year, too wrapped up in the doing, but you can see photos from 2018, including video, here. Highest bids went to two non-pottery items: a pair of wooden bowls, lathe-turned by Reed from the remains of a venerable Big Leaf Maple that formerly graced the Shady Grove at the Oregon Country Faire. One sold for $300; I think the other drew $290.
At this point in the season, I'm counting down. No stick butter dishes left, one large covered casserole. One regular 4-cup teapot left, so I get the 6-cup model, duplicate from a special order, out to fill the hole in the display. (Repeat after me: An empty space is a missed opportunity.) I'm out of dragonfly soup bowls and chickadee stew mugs, and have only one hen and one cat painted mug. All the octopus tall mugs have sold, though I still have two octo-pie plates. Two days left to sell, we close 4 pm Christmas Eve.
I'm rapidly blowing through my dessert plates, though better stocked on dinners, despite selling eleven this weekend. Had a fellow ask if I gave any deals on sets. 5% off on sets of four, 10% for six or more, I said. He proceeded to pick out six dinner plates and six soup bowls.
Finally starting my own Christmas shopping this weekend. My family has been trained to expect their packages around Epiphany.
This weekend we shared the Fairgrounds with the Gun and Knife show, which means I had to direct several lost gunnies in conservative attire (F*** Biden/Inslee sweat shirt and camo) out of our building and around the corner to theirs during set-up Friday, and there was a record amount of mask non-compliance (noses showing, under the chin, or no mask at all) on Saturday. Sunday was back to normal, thankfully, and both days were busy to within a few dollars of each other.
Had some nice visits over the weekend: sara from here on Dreamwidth stopped in with offspring J, having braved the horrible Portland traffic, taking four hours to get from Olympia to Eugene. And Sunday morning was potter's day: Beth and Skip, current and former Club Mud members, stopped to buy cards from Denise, and Faith (Local Clay) and partner Dave stopped in to pick up a bowl for his daughter in Cincinnati. (I really gotta figure out that "Where in the world is Off Center Ceramics" feature I've been considering.)
Sunday was also our annual Pottery Smash (aka Charity Auction with Percussive Interludes). It's a vendors-only event held before opening, to raise money for the Kareng Fund, Market's artists emergency-relief resource. All the potters, and several other vendors, donate wares. I use it to get rid of seconds that otherwise clutter up the shed, and share the auctioneering with fellow Agents of SMASH Alex and Jon. Folks get bargain--and occasionally not-so-bargain--presents for themselves and families, the Fund gets an injection of cash, and Alex takes home a big box of pot shards. More shards than usual, in fact. After the last couple of years, I think we needed the catharsis. Don't have any pix of the actual event this year, too wrapped up in the doing, but you can see photos from 2018, including video, here. Highest bids went to two non-pottery items: a pair of wooden bowls, lathe-turned by Reed from the remains of a venerable Big Leaf Maple that formerly graced the Shady Grove at the Oregon Country Faire. One sold for $300; I think the other drew $290.
At this point in the season, I'm counting down. No stick butter dishes left, one large covered casserole. One regular 4-cup teapot left, so I get the 6-cup model, duplicate from a special order, out to fill the hole in the display. (Repeat after me: An empty space is a missed opportunity.) I'm out of dragonfly soup bowls and chickadee stew mugs, and have only one hen and one cat painted mug. All the octopus tall mugs have sold, though I still have two octo-pie plates. Two days left to sell, we close 4 pm Christmas Eve.
I'm rapidly blowing through my dessert plates, though better stocked on dinners, despite selling eleven this weekend. Had a fellow ask if I gave any deals on sets. 5% off on sets of four, 10% for six or more, I said. He proceeded to pick out six dinner plates and six soup bowls.
Finally starting my own Christmas shopping this weekend. My family has been trained to expect their packages around Epiphany.