Thursday, November 15, 2012

Sale Day

Today is the Employees' Craft Sale day. This is the first year I have items in the sale and I'm so nervous!

I worked really hard yesterday--8 hours in the office, a quick 20 minute tutoring session with the 4th grader I'm trying to help with reading and math, volunteer services board meeting until 6:30 pm, arrive home at 7 to fix a quick sandwich for dinner and then settle down to finish sewing the binding on a set of place mats I wanted to have ready for the sale. When that was done, I had to gather all my items and put price tags on them, pack them up, etc. etc.  Finished about 10:30 and sat down to watch The Colbert Report. Love that show!

I didn't sleep last night. I woke up several times and had a very hard time returning to sleep. I ground my teeth a lot--a sure sign of being anxious.  I've been awake since around 3 AM and just drifted back into sleep around 5:30 when the alarm went off. I hit the snooze button as many times as I could and still have time to shower and get to work in time to set up my display.  Needless to say, I didn't have as much coffee as my poor brain is needing!

Managed to get everything set up and then realized I'd forgotten the box to hold the slips for my door prize drawing. What to do!  Well, there was an extra coffee cup in the break room that didn't look too nasty after I cleaned it out and it will do very well.  It's just not as cute as the box I'd left at home.

How does one decide what price to put on handmade items?  I don't even think of including minimum wage for my labor--the price would be through the roof if I did! I just think about how much I'd be willing to pay for an item if I was at a craft fair--and then I add $5 or $10 because I'm really cheap thrifty and don't like to pay a whole lot.  But what if I've priced my items too high for these customers?  What if nothing sells?  I'd be so embarrassed if all the other tables are pretty much empty at the end of the day except my table, still covered with all my unsold items!  Aaarrrrrgghh!  I've already priced everything but if anybody has advice for future sales, please let me know.

Actually, I sold one thing when the sale first opened up so I know the day won't be a total loss. But still--I want to sell everything!!!!  Any money made from this sale goes into the Jolly Ruby fund to help adults with disabilities lead fuller and more productive lives, so I really want to sell everything!

Please wish me luck, say a prayer, offer up some animal as some kind of sacrifice, or whatever suits you, to help me this day.  I'm avoiding going into the sale room this morning, but at 12:30 I go in to do my shift of being cashier and I'll be able to see all the unsold items on my table.  Why did I do this?  I just want to go home and cry. 

2 comments:

  1. Barb, you have all of my thoughts and prayers. You sold something this morning, so that is an indication that someone liked your work enough to buy one of your craft items. You have the jitters, but the next time you will be an expert. Let us know how well you did and post some pictures (if you have them) of what you put up to sell. Thumbs UP!

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  2. Hope you did well at your sale. I, also would love to see some of the items you made.
    Patricia

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