# Another day of fun and games at the County Fair



## rocky1 (Nov 4, 2017)

Last day of the fair for 2017 and manning the both on the afternoon shift once again.

Double booth, same location for 23-24 years now.





Offer a variety of honey, beeswax in 1 oz and 1 lb cakes.





A few specialty items... 2 oz squeeze bears, bee finger puppets for the kids, and lip balm.





And, the observation hive to attract everyone's attention and draw folks to the booth.





Last weekend we about froze, today it's 85 degrees and something like a sauna in here. Sweating just sitting in the booth! Oh for fun!!

Reactions: Like 5 | Way Cool 7


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## Tony (Nov 4, 2017)

Very cool Rocky! Doing any good out there? Tony


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## rocky1 (Nov 4, 2017)

Always sell a lot of honey during the fair, but it's available all over town all the time. Have one convenience store chain carries it, so literally available 24/7/365 in a dozen locations.

Then there is the aggravation of carrying it around the fair. And, spending all their money on rides and $6 lemonades and such.

We do a lot of referrals to local stores while here, along with the sales, hear from a lot of folks that they have a jar or two at the house, 3 of those in the course of this post in fact. Thus it's really difficult to determine total impact on sales honestly, Tony.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Tom Smart (Nov 4, 2017)

Hows come there isn't even just a little corner of space for Woodworking items?

Reactions: Agree 6


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## Schroedc (Nov 4, 2017)

Sounds like it was a good time! I want a couple of those finger puppets

Reactions: Funny 2


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## rocky1 (Nov 4, 2017)

Tom Smart said:


> Hows come there isn't even just a little corner of space for Woodworking items?



Cause fair goers are typically a cheap lot!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## rocky1 (Nov 4, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Sounds like it was a good time! I want a couple of those finger puppets



Amazon... A dozen costs less than $9! 75 cent item we sell em for a buck.


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## CWS (Nov 4, 2017)

rocky1 said:


> Last day of the fair for 2017 and manning the both on the afternoon shift once again.
> 
> Double booth, same location for 23-24 years now.
> 
> ...


I was on our county fair board for 27 years. It was always a good week. Was time for the young kids to take over. That is a very impressive display. When we showed our cattle we never sold many at the show but got a lot of sales later in the year from people who visited us at the show.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## ripjack13 (Nov 4, 2017)

Nice set up rocky....

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## rocky1 (Nov 4, 2017)

@Schroedc - Busy Bee Finger Puppets - $8.39 for 12 of them. Kind of a toss up as to who likes them most. Some kids go crazy over them, think they are just too cool, then you get some that aren't even interested in them. Then some little old ladies come along that think they're just adorable, and they'll buy half dozen of them for the grandkids. Then you get guys up in mini-sota that thinks they're cool and wants a couple mailed 2000 miles to them. Your wife will love them, she will have all sorts of ideas of what to do with the left overs take my word for it. You'll be ordering more, if you only order a dozen. 

However... If you truly just want one or two, I can send them to you. I ordered a couple dozen last year, just to see what they were like, kept a couple for the grandniece, carried 22 of them to the fair, after the first night we ordered 5 dozen more. After 9 days of the fair, we had one left; sold 80 of them in 9 days. Forgot to order them this year ahead of time. When I was working the booth last Sunday, I placed order for 4 dozen since it was saying I wouldn't receive them until Wednesday; we might have a dozen left when it's done, but they were moving pretty good so I'm going to guess maybe not. I put out a dozen when we started today, broke out the second dozen about 4 hours later. We'd sold the first dozen I put out and 5 - 6 that were already on the table in just 4 hours. There were maybe a dozen left in the old crates on the back corners of the booth, but I only had half dozen on each side up front so those likely got moved up fairly quick. 

Personally, I like them because there are no small parts a child can choke on. The wings are too big for small kids to swallow, and everything else is one piece. They're cheap, they're cute, about half the time, if you can get the parents to dig their wallet out they'll buy something else, and the old man has had more than $34 worth of fun showing everyone with a sense of humor, the difference in the friendly and unfriendly finger puppets.

Reactions: Like 2


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## rocky1 (Nov 4, 2017)

CWS said:


> I was on our county fair board for 27 years. It was always a good week. Was time for the young kids to take over. That is a very impressive display. When we showed our cattle we never sold many at the show but got a lot of sales later in the year from people who visited us at the show.



Thanks Curt!

Fair board loves the old man, consider him a part of the fair after all these years. Pretty much everyone else is luck of the draw after a specific date, that booth would probably go empty if he didn't sign up.

A few observations for the benefit of those doing shows...

Dad's specifically requested that location every year since his first, because it has traffic coming and going from 3 directions. Door opening out to the mid-way is the bright spot to left of the observation hive, and then of course it's centrally located in the main exhibit building with traffic down both aisles.

The side he and the wife are sitting on in the first picture or two up there typically sells more honey than the other, which we've attributed to a few things:

1.) Traffic is walking directly toward the booth, seeing it from a distance. The other side; they pass it quickly.

2.) The observation hive is always on that side, and it draws a lot of people to that side of the booth, where you have a chance to engage them in conversation.

3.) Those coming off the mid-way entering the building either turn right and never get near the booth, until they make the half lap around the building, or they'll get about half way across, see the observation hive, dive over for a quick closer look at that, and/or slow down when they turn the corner and stop to check all the honey out while they're slowed down.

4.) The old man likes sitting on that side so he can look at the people coming his way, rather than watching everyone's ass going the other direction. And, a lot of them recognize him from all the years past and stop to visit with him.

So any of you that wants to sell lots of goodies, rent two booths, carry enough stuff that it takes a crew of 9 to set up, then park an old decrepit fart and a hive of bees on the incoming side of the booth. It works every year!!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


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## rocky1 (Nov 4, 2017)

Tom Smart said:


> Hows come there isn't even just a little corner of space for Woodworking items?





rocky1 said:


> Cause fair goers are typically a cheap lot!




Case in point... Local gun store was selling raffle tickets on a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 300 WSM, digital camo, threaded barrel, selling it with muzzle brake, Color Match scope and rings, Ziess Scope 3-9 x 40. Combination on this gun and scope runs right around $3000. Proceeds going to the High School Football Team.

Only 500 tickets being sold on this gun. Tickets were $25 each, or 5 for $100.

Didn't sell 200 tickets. Prize isn't going out, funds are all going to the football team.


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## Tom Smart (Nov 4, 2017)

rocky1 said:


> Cause fair goers are typically a cheap lot!


That they are, but I see space across from the hive, yeah, right there where the finger puppets are. I might be tempted to sacrifice the $1 finger puppets for a small pen or call layout. Maybe even a cutting board or two. One pen sale could equal 20 or 30 finger puppets. Not that I don't like finger puppets.


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## woodtickgreg (Nov 5, 2017)

I tried the sampler pack of honey from you, the orange blossom was my fave.

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1 (Nov 5, 2017)

Tom Smart said:


> That they are, but I see space across from the hive, yeah, right there where the finger puppets are. I might be tempted to sacrifice the $1 finger puppets for a small pen or call layout. Maybe even a cutting board or two. One pen sale could equal 20 or 30 finger puppets. Not that I don't like finger puppets.



Oh, I have considered it, and it may some day happen, but at this point in time, it simply isn't worth the hassle Tom. This is not to mention that if I made more profit on goodies in the old man's fair booth than he was making, he'd want me to pay for his booth!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## DKMD (Nov 5, 2017)

Looks like a cool setup. What is this sampler pack of which Greg speaketh? Perhaps a website allowing for direct sales?

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tony (Nov 5, 2017)

DKMD said:


> Looks like a cool setup. What is this sampler pack of which Greg speaketh? Perhaps a website allowing for direct sales?



It's good stuff Doc, you're definitely missing out!! Tony

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## rocky1 (Nov 5, 2017)

Website is - 

www.thomashoney.com

But I'll cut you a better deal Doc. Have to go back and see what I was charging the guys for those, but it included 3 - 8 oz. squeeze bears in Gallberry, Orange Blossom, and Clover honey.

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## Sprung (Nov 5, 2017)

The sampler is great! We're enjoying it - but my wife and I agree the Orange Blossom is the best. We'll be back for a larger container of it once our sampler is about gone!


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## woodtickgreg (Nov 5, 2017)

My sampler was gone in no time, lol.


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## rocky1 (Nov 5, 2017)

So was Marc's!


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