The most important ingredient to a successful Christmas market is the vendors or small business owners and this market has benefited from having some of the best. One of my favourite small business owners who participate every year is Earl. The first time I met Earl, was also my first time for organizing the market and I had actually refused his participation.
My main concern is that everyone who participates does well at the show and I would hate for anyone to not make their table fee. So when I asked him what his business was and he told me...well I thought...he’d never make any money selling that and I didn’t want to take advantage of him as he seemed like such a nice man! Well didn’t he ask to book a table for the next year; I agreed but figured that he would forget by the time the next show... if I ever did another anyway.
The next year Earl showed up at my desk with his deposit to hold his table. I tried to talk him out of it... again thinking he wouldn’t make any money... but he was determined. So I took his money and pushed down my twinges of guilt. He set up his table of Cranberries and Christmas Wreaths (who knew he also did wreaths?) and sold out almost within the first two hours! Who knew that everyone loves freshly picked cranberries?
He now books his table a year in advance and I think he sells out every time. His wreaths are incredible and I always have to ask him to reserve me two to make sure that I get ones for my family (I think that I would be banned from the Christmas Festivities if I did not produce one of his wreaths) His cranberries are always freshly picked and make fantastic cranberry sauce to go with the Christmas Turkey. I think that something would be missing for me without his participation each year so thank you Earl for proving me wrong and persevering through my ignorance.
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