WV Flea Market Trip 2024

[WV Sawmiller]

   I finally got an opportunity to go to the flea market. I was torn between taking the mill or taking a trailer load of benches and such and finally opted for that. I loaded up last night and hurt my back trying to lift the trailer off the ball of my ATV. I should have balanced the load better with more on the end. The ATV is so low I can't swing the jack around enough to lift with it.

    When I arrived I found the crowd was not bad but less than I had expected. I found out after I got there there is a big flea market at the fairgrounds 20 miles away this weekend and some of the vendors and crowd were there.

  I had started releasing the cargo straps before I took this picture. I pit a layer of unfinished benches face down on the trailer, load a layer of benches face up on top of that with the legs intertwined the put a layer of moving blankets on top to protect the finish then put another layer of short benches on to of that face down. Finally I put a long bench on top of these layers face down benches which serves to tie them down. I added the working unit of a composting toilet    then sandwich in crates and short craft strips (walnut) and such in any vacant spaced. Next I run a couple of long straps from front to rear of the trailer a tighten them to tie it all down.

I think this pix shows the idea better.

    At the Flea Market spot I unload and set up.

   This angle of the picture makes it look like a wider than it was. From outside to outside is likely 15-16 feet. The boards shown were used to demo thin boards and I was pushing them for deer blind material. I don't know if I actually got any seeds planted.

   My only sale was an old proto type walnut bench. I expected the crates would sell and I give out business cards and hope I generate some future sawing jobs. I had several previous customers come by and talk. This venue has been very productive for me. Time will tell how today's visit turns out.

[doc henderson]

I really like the bench with the toilet seat!  

[beenthere]

New living room addition?  

[Old Greenhorn]

Markets sure are fickle, just like the buyers. I am guessing your one bench that sold may have been priced a little lower than the others? Some folks buy like that, they like your stuff, but they want a deal. I had a woman yesterday who tried to barter me down on the cheapest stool I had. I had it marked as low as I would go, just to move it.
Man you packed a ton of stuff on that trailer, holy Cow! If I had your pile of benches here I bet I would be selling them like mad. You gave me an idea. I may just make a bench this winter for next season and leave it unfinished and see how it goes. My (finished) slab benches sell for between $100 and $175 depending on the wood and the effort. I wonder what I could price an unfished bench at and still make it worth my while. I just raised the price on my rustic stools from $45. up to $50. because they move pretty regularly and I never thought $45 was enough to make it worth while but I didn't think anybody would spend $50 on a stool. I made 5 new ones for this last show but didn't sell any. I know the majority of your market purpose is to generate future business, not on site sales, per se. I hope you see something coming in from this one, it's a long day whether you sell or not.

[doc henderson]

that would be handy for those long trips if you have to pull to the side of the road!  

[WV Sawmiller]

   On the toilet I just show it as an option and tell people I make the building to go with it (since it is too big to take with me) I never expected to sell the seat alone but did have a couple ask yesterday so I made them a price and they took my card. We will see if they call back.

   I tell people to put a trash bag in as a liner and use sawdust every time they use it.  When the bag gets full remove the front panel, pull out the plastic tote, seal the bag and send it to DC and put a new bag in and stat over. 

   I may start telling them to send it to Kansas.

[WV Sawmiller]

Tom,

  The bench was $100 and he did not dicker. It was a fairly thin cut first slab with a nice face but not as thick as I like. I was glad to see it go and he seemed happy to get it. My son and 2 GD came to the market and he'd told the girls "I see Dad is here because the guy is carrying a 6' bench." Now I mostly make shorter benches that people can put int he back seat of their car or SUV.

[doc henderson]

Yes Howard, send it to Topeka.  I think we have a Dem Governer.  

[Ron Scott]

Looks like a standard USFS Wilderness toilet except for the modern toilet seat. 

[WV Sawmiller]

Ron,

   Were they composting toilets or did they have a pit?

    Mine is actually much cleaner than the old style pit toilets I remember as a child and as are currently used in the area by the park services. Those are pretty foul.

[doc henderson]

At Philmont scout ranch, you were not supposed to pee in the pit.  the stool and urine create more smell and volume.  without the urine, they rarely have to pump any pits.  some are quite off grid and rough or steep terrain.  solid waste is easily covered with sawdust, urine not so much.  also, I add ashes (from my firepit) to my Dogs waste I pick up and this cuts the odor to almost zero.  We used to add lime to the outhouses.  

[doc henderson]

They even told you if staff walks by a facility and hear water on water, they will pound on the wall to remind you.  tough now that women also go to scouting venues.  Lots of threats, kind of like the Military.  We were happy to pee outside.

[Ron Scott]

WVA Sawmiller,

The USFS Wilderness toilets back in the 70's had a sealed barrel under them which were taken out by sling under a helicopter when full. The barrel with its contents were then dumped into the nearest USFS sewage treatment station.

I believe that they are using more primitive composting toilets now.

[doc henderson]

The parts of our nose that smells, is very similar to taste buds in our mouth and on our tongue.  This is why we smell our food.  we do not eat it if it smells bad.  covid effected both smell and taste.  the parts of waste that are liquid are the easiest to move to vapor and the air so we can smell it.  Wet poop is smellier than dry, and a liquid montage of urine and stool is even smellier.  when you think about it, we are really tasting what we smell.  Sawdust and ashes can absorb the moisture and neutralize the pH and make it not smell so bad.  It would probably still taste really bad.  Dogs eat it, so maybe it is a psychological thing.  maybe I am too tired!  

[Ron Scott]

Wind operated roof turbines and solar operated fans are now used in the more modern campground vaulted toilets to help control smell.

[NewYankeeSawmill]

At Philmont scout ranch....

I forget where... somewhere up in the ADK's there was a scout camp I went to w/ my oldest. They had a modern facility attached to the new building we slept in, but the 'old privy' was still functional. The adults were allowed a few minutes of privacy after the coffee went around. Sitting there alone looking out over a mountain lake. Best one of those I ever had....

[NE Woodburner]

somewhere up in the ADK's there was a scout camp

Was it Sabattis Scout Reservation? Located a little NW of the town of Long Lake.

[NewYankeeSawmill]

somewhere up in the ADK's there was a scout camp

Was it Sabattis Scout Reservation? Located a little NW of the town of Long Lake.

Could have been, sounds familiar.. Was a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away. Had my first bear encounter, and didn't even know it! ! Scoutmaster said something AFTER we got back to the cabin from our stargazing trip to the field - did you guys notice that bush we passed that was moving?

[Chuck White]

Could have been Massawepie Scout Camp that you attended!

[Magicman]

Back in my Woodworking Days, I carried 6-8 various clocks to our local flea market.  I had a nice display with sorta velvet table cloth and stands with the wall clocks properly displayed rather than laying on the table.  I had Pine, Walnut, and Pecan Mantel and Wall clocks.  This was in the early 1980's and my clocks were priced in the $125 - $250 range so not cheap.

Imagine my disappointment when I loaded up and headed home selling not even one clock.  Nada, none.....  Lotsa lookers taking cards, but no sales.

A few weeks later folks started calling.  They wanted one for their Husband, Wife, Children, Parents, etc.  This was in August and they wanted them for Christmas Presents.  One lady wanted one for each of her 3 children.  I was a busy dude building and filling those orders.

From then on, I only took a few for display only.  They could be bought but could pick them up at the end of the day. 

In the 1980's & 1990's when I had a cabinet shop, I was the clock and furniture man.  Now when I meet folks their question is "are you still sawing?" 

And then there are those that will say, my clock is still running". 

Jeff's Clock

[Resonator]

Now a days you'd probably sell more wooden "device holders" than dial clocks. Their idea of a tik-tok is a video.

[WV Sawmiller]

   As I have mentioned I consider and even list my flea market trips as an advertising expense. I do good sometimes to make enough to pay the lot rent and it is only #15-$20 around here but I have gotten several good jobs from my flea market visits. Often someone calls me 6 months to a year later telling me they are ready to saw those logs we talked about back in June. I have no idea who they are as I talk with so many people, many which never pan out. 

    Also the flea market is a pretty tight knit community and the other vendors buy from me or send other customers to me. The owner of the flea market saw the sign on my truck door and had me saw 2 big hickory logs there in the flea market. I have done demos and sawed logs there and brought the mill to show it off. It is a great eye-catcher and generates lots of conversation and questions. All that is great advertising.

[Old Greenhorn]

ok. Well all markets (regions) are different, and each 'show' in each area is different, and each weekend at any given event is different. My shows range in cost from $25. up to $70.00. On top to all that Howard, your business model is different than mine and mine is different from others. Making lumber is a sideline for me, for you it's the main gig. I don't think I have a main gig but making and selling at shows is right near the top, then picking up commission jobs at those shows is also a good component and sometimes works out in my favor. I get a lot of folks asking me to make stuff I am uncomfortable or not competent to make, like finished cabinets. I also get a LOT of tire kickers. We all do, that's the 'show business'.
 I don't think You can make a decision to change your selling plan based on just a few shows because the crowds and the buyers are so dang fickle. What doesn't work at one show may work very well at the next show.
 
 I've said it before Howard, if there was a way for me to buy a few of your benches at your retail and bring them up here and sell them at my retail, I bet we would both make out ok.

[beenthere]

Howard, don't miss a chance to take Tom up on that deal, or at least try it on a trailer load. 

[NewYankeeSawmill]

Could have been Massawepie Scout Camp that you attended!

Sadly, the years and beers have taken their toll... Originally from Western NY area (Go Sabres!), but the scouts camped all over the state. We did one "winter" campout every year, sometimes in the finger lakes, etc., wherever we could find a scout-cabin for the weekend. Nobody did tent camping in January! I suppose the boy's got a T-shirt with the camp name and logo in the bottom of his drawer, I should try to find it!