Sunday, June 27, 2010.

 

We arrived at Fernandez Park around 5:45 and we were shown a spot on the basketball court in front of the fence.  Seemingly not too bad.  Turned out to have three sides open and nobody on one side of us.  The show actually began at 8:00, but there weren't really too many people there roaming about the cars and vendor's booths.  You can probably guess where the people were at:

 

 

THEY DID GET A DECENT TURNOUT for the event, but a late crowd nonetheless which is typical for a Sunday event.  There were hundred's of cars all over the place and their owners had their chairs set up nearby.  However, I thought it was a bit too hot to be sitting out there.

 

WHERE'S DA FOOD?  Good question.  NO FOOD.  Only had a shaved ice booth and Kettle Korn.  About a block away were a couple restaurants, one that sells hot dogs and another was a Mexican restaurant.  Picked up a chili cheese dog which was decent and got a Taco Salad which was good, but expensive $8.95.  Nothing else closeby and I wasn't moving my van to drive away and go get something to eat.

 

WHAT IS IN THE DRINKING WATER?  I was visiting one of my friend's selling jewelry.  An elderly couple walks over to his booth and started looking at his silver jewelry.  Suddenly the lady asked "Is this for sale?"  I couldn't believe it.  What do you think we are doing there?  Helllloooooooooo?   Some of these people ask the darndest things!!

 

WEIRD.  A twelve-year-old boy came over to my booth and picked up one of the toy machine guns that I was selling.  I looked at him and said "the gun is $15."  He suddenly dropped the gun and ran away.  An hour later, he came by and picked up another one.  "That's $15," I told him again.  Once again, he quickly put it down and raced away.  Later on during the afternoon, can you guess what happened?  Yes.  Two more times.  Something in the drinking water again.

 

JERRY SPRINGER'S TATOO AND SCREAMING, KICKING WIVES WERE IN ABUNDANCE AT THIS SHOW.  They were there to show off their tatoos on their arms, middle-buttocks, thighs, legs and (uh uh uh can't say that).  Really, not very many serious buyers here.  They just wanted to guzzle down their suds and check out the cars from the 60's.  There were no bands here, but most of the music was pre-1970.

 

NOT MUCH FOOT TRAFFIC where I was located, out on the basketball court, which was not in the main traffic flow area.  Most of us did poorly as I ended up 60 percent down from last year and other vendor's did worse.  Last year, I was out in the field with perhaps 7-8 other vendor's and I did much better.  I was wishing that I had been over here back then because I though the flow was better.  Now, this year, I wished that I had been out there in the field again.  Dunno.  Darned if I do, darned if I don't.

 

I THINK THAT TRAFFIC FLOW would have been better had they not placed a police car and booth by the fence, obstructing passage and forcing the crowd to enter our area from the other side.  There is a long fence there with the ball field and cars on the other side, but if you opened this area and placed 3-4 booths next to the fence, the crowd would go that way and the vendor's in the basketball court area would have more traffic flow.  Don't know if these people would have bought, but it would have increased their chances.  However, I know they don't want to piss off the cops as they have a nice spot in the shade. 

 

WILL I COME BACK.  I don't know.  No other good cheap shows on this weekend.  Alameda County Fair.  No way, Jose.  That's 1400 dollars for a space there and I don't have the $30-50 items that you need to catch that fee and show some kind of decent profit.  Then you have the Gay Pride Festival in The City, but that is around $600 for a space and I don't have the right stuff.  I understand that this has been a good show over the year's and I'd love to return.  Spaces are only $50 and it is a nice show.  However, I need to make more here and probably need car-related items to sell.  I think that sunglasses sold pretty good and there were other items that did sell pretty good.  As for me, location was the problem and apparently, it meant a lot to the other vendor's also.  We did not have good traffic flow on the basketball court and you need another access.  The main flow did not pass by the main vendor booths and that makes all the difference in the world.