What can go Wrong at a Market

[Min]

I'm starting this thread as an offshoot to this one about damage done by a child at a market. I would like to expand it to include other issues that can arise at markets. It's exhausting doing markets and having to be aware of everything going on; stuff happens that we can't always control.

I'll start off with what happened to a friend of mine during an outdoor summer market. My friend is a glass artist and a few years ago we happened to be across from each other. It was a really hot day and many of the vendors had ice cream buckets or dog bowls of water out for all those people who think it's a good idea to bring a dog to a really crowded hot market on pavement. () Anyways, the inevitable happened and a well watered dog needed to have a widdle. My friend had some of her work on a table with a nice covering on it going to the ground and apparently the front corner leg was a good spot to go. Once would have been bad enough but since she couldn't really clean it off there were many more dogs who thought they should mark her table covering also. 

 

[kswan]

Witnessed this myself as a very nicely dressed older man stood watching his dog relieve himself on the side of a tent! Another vendor at this same show said she stood in her tent as another dog owner stood and watched the dog piddling away on the tent leg. Even after putting up a sign that her booth was not a dog toilet, people were still letting it happen. It may have been because the show was in a city park where their dogs normally just pee on everything they can reach. 

I have no idea what the solution to that might be, other than bring a towel and cleaning supplies with you. Maybe even just squirting the area with cleaner might deter dogs even if you can't get a full cleaning done. A towel is great in case of rain anyway which is more likely than pee.  

[rox54]

I saw on an Instagram account I follow that an artist didn't realize until she lost hundreds of dollars at a show, that her Square wasn't working! They were posting on IG to ask customers to check their accounts and kindly contact her if $ wasn't deducted. I just want to suggest to frequently check that your sales are recording so this doesn't happen to more people.

[MartinD35]

19 hours ago, Min said:

bowls of water out for all those people who think it's a good idea to bring a dog to a really crowded hot market on pavement. ()

I've seen  little dogs in oversized handbags over a woman's shoulder countless times. The expression on the dogs faces range from cute to hysterical (in a good way). But I'm always amazed when I see a big lumbering dog walking his human. Why? 

The shows I've been at vendors do not leave water bowls out for dogs. Maybe this helps since thankfully I've never witnessed a dog relieving itself at a show.

 

1 hour ago, rox54 said:

I saw on an Instagram account I follow that an artist didn't realize until she lost hundreds of dollars at a show, that her Square wasn't working!

I always check both our phones and chip readers the day before a show.  Once at a show neither of our chip readers stayed connected.  At best all we had to do was restart the app. At worst we had to reboot our phones, and once I had to do this multiple times before I could get everything working. IMO there's only a few things worse than having a customer wait for your digital device to work when they are ready to move on. I decided to change the setting on our phones so the screen blanks out after 30 minutes which work perfectly as our chip readers stayed connected. I also have a battery backup able to recharge 6 phones in case it was needed. At the end of a six hour show both our phones where between 40-50% and the chip readers still had two lights without having to recharge either.