DirtRoads

Sales up 80% over my highest March record. 28% increase over highest April Record. Last year was okay with 4th quarter strengthening . I almost made up for being closed 6 weeks.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/her-3-000-year-old-bones-showed-unusual-signs-of-wear-it-turns-out-she-was-a-master-ceramicist?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Bolts on mine are also at 2 different heights. My motor had slipped and that was causing the noise and chain was really lose. I slipped it back and lowered the one side so chain is tight again. But you see it is sloped to one side . I can't lower the other side for some reason. That center bracket is probably holding it. The center bracket was loose and slid around. Now it is tight. I hope I can get installation manual from Bailey and set it up according to factory specs. Thanks for all your trouble. Especially considering you have one hand. Owe you one for doing that. Sharon

Talked to tech support today at Bailey. Guess we aren't supposed to mention names, but that guy is always so helpful and polite. Told me to find out where the noise was coming from. No idea why I didn't pop off the cover before calling ....... Anyways, the machine had slipped a bit in the mounting bracket, making the chain loose and the motor wobble. It popped back in place, but I need to see exactly where those two screws in the mounting bracket should be. They slide up or down a bit ... I guess to adjust for the chain. No idea where the instructions are. @Mark C. if you could snap a pic behind the motor side ( that shows the mounting brackets) that would be great. If not, no problem I'll ask for diagram tomorrow. But the machine is working 100% correctly now, but I want to be sure mounting is right.

I was referring to the videos on Bailey's website. I did have a plastic lid get caught in it. I've looked well and don't see anything. There is one scratch .. not very deep ... and it covers about 25% of roller. Left a message today but it was late. And I think that storm is in Bailey's area

Makes a loud retching sound and leaves a ridge line. It started with just one ridge line and now it seems it makes one on every roll. Calling Bailey tomorrow but I just wondered if anyone had any ideas. It does this when you have a heavy load going through the machine. This machine used to push through 6 inch blocks and that is what you see in the video. Thanks in advance.

Think about a location where you sell, live, work.

"lead carpenter on the pottery museum rebuild"

From working?

Update: The mayor of Canton, MS shut down the Canton Flea Market October 8. He vetoed the decision made by city aldermen. However, they say they can reverse the decision next Tuesday. I decided I wasn't going before this. So not planning to go even if they reverse. They said No. Then Yes. No again. And now it's up for decision again next Tuesday .............

Hey Stephen. I've done the Garden Extravaganza in Jackson, MS in a previous business and have put some jewelry in a booth for the last 3 years. I never did as well as I have in other shows. I don't recall seeing many builders or designers at the show (could have just avoided my booth). That fee is a little high. Some buyers go there just for gardening items and bedding plants. Some don't like seeing "junk" in the show and avoid those booths. The booth I was in had Raz flower jars, some metal outdoor pieces, home decor and a small display of my best selling jewelry. I go down to work the jewelry in that booth (they are a wholesale customer) because its less than an hour from me and is a fun outing. I actually heard a few people complain about our booth because there were non gardening items. That Jackson show claims to be really picky about non gardening and we had to have the jewelry in a "non conspicuous spot" . BUT I just read vendor list and noticed a lot of non gardening (eeeeek Cutco Cutlery and other "junk" ..... Glitz & Glamour). But I do note that some of the top landscape businesses in my area are there. Note the prices (click on exhibitor packet). A lot less than the Texas show (but probably a way better clientele in Texas) https://msnla.org/msnla/exhibitor-info/ (we had an end cap, 2 corner booths $800 .... a really nice set up) I did see a booth of pottery bird feeders and bird houses. I think you need to make it on your sales, not prospects. But that's just me thinking. Where are your art tiles used?

Didn't mention it but 3 of the shows are indoors, in the Mississippi Trade Mart Building. That building is old and a new one in place sometimes next year. Ventilation is not great in that building. The Canton Flea Market and Fair are both outdoors. It's truly appalling those indoor shows are going ahead. My area at the Canton Flea market is going to skip spaces between booths. I usually have 6 booths on a corner and will cut back to 4. If I do it, I'll form a square and customers will only be able to shop on the outside of the square. I have a service road on front, a house in the back that has a 20 foot corridor. One side will face a sidewalk and the other side an empty lot. I am going to strictly enforce no one in booth, with shoppers on outside. I'll block the small entrance of the square with a small table. Probably only 3 total workers there. I know the money was the key motivation for Canton. The booths cost $140 for 10x10 and the city gets $80, with my church getting $60. Plus the merchants in town were begging for the show because of the influx they get of shoppers. Plus city gets sales tax and increased gas, food, etc taxes.

Shows in Mississippi that are going forward: The Market Shows Sept 18-20 https://www.midsouthmediagroup.com/holiday-market-of-jackson-ms Canton MS Flea Market October 8 http://www.cantonmsfleamarket.com/ Mistletoe Market Jackson MS Junior League Nov 4-7 https://www.mistletoemarketplace.com/ Hand Works Jackson, MS Nov 20-21 https://www.handworksmarket.com/ Another event, Mississippi is having the annual state fair. I was told that this is the main reason for all of the other shows going ahead. https://www.mdac.ms.gov/bureaus-departments/state-fairgrounds/fair/ The only one of these shows I do is Canton. They voted last Tuesday to cancel it and had another meeting today and voted to have it. I'm not sure about my participation yet. (My recommendation to board was a polite "no". I know we aren't suppose to mention politics here, but it's widely known Mississippi is 100% Republican from the Governor on down. I'm not sure how these things are decided, but isn't it mostly by the Governor? (I never watch news or vote) Please no political assessments here, but I'm pretty sure that has something to do with it. Please correct me if it's different. Like I said I'm personally apolitical but I'm sort of shocked by all of these events going forward. But the Canton show was voted on by the City Aldermen in Canton, MS, which I doubt is Republican influenced. So I guess it's a city decision, that can be over ruled by a governor.

July store sales down 15% from 2019. August store sales down 30% from 2019. Only 5% down from August 2018. The store is still profitable. Labor cost down more than 50%. I've permanently eliminated one position and for now my Saturday help. (I can easily handle store on Saturday. My full time pottery worker fell and had to have hip surgery and won't be back for 3 or 4 months. I've bought enough stoneware bisque to equate to about $12K extra sales. I should be close to the projected pottery demand. I had calculated on losing my October show, the Canton MS flea market Oct 8. However today, they announced they were having this event. I'm going to take mostly jewelry,

If I wanted to add specs to a white glaze to make it look more like this, what would you use? This spec comes from grog in the clay. I'm looking at a few poured pieces and Laguna told me they didn't make a slip from #65 stoneware. So the pieces are smooth, no specs. I bought a glaze that says "with specs" but it's not enough.