So sorry for the silence - it's been a loony week! We're gearing up for the opening weekend of the
Kansas City Renaissance Festival, where we own a booth (we're
Booth #400, if you can find us). We won't actually be selling our products ourselves (we're too busy making the damn things). Instead we have a phenomenal husband/wife team who manages the booth for us and sells whopping quantities of tankards.
Whereas all WE get to do is stay home and make them. And ship them. And make more. And ship more. And make yet more. And ship yet more. Et cetera for seven weekends.
KC opens Labor Day weekend, so we're frantically getting stock to them before opening day. We've been up until midnight a couple of nights, trying to keep on schedule.
I've got all sorts of nifty stuff to post - just no time to post it!
I love the renaissance festival! Ours in MN has just started, I haven't been able to go yet. Anyways, you don't have to post this comment, but I wanted to let you know about a great online renaissance festival fan community; it's at www.renaissancefestival.com
ReplyDeleteThe forums are quite active, though I don't know many of the Kansans specifically. They also have a forum under "Buy Sell Trade" for merchants to show off their wares.
Best of luck with the sales at your festival!
i cannot tell what they're made from - is it wood? they're beautiful - do you sell them online?
ReplyDeleteDo you ever do the shows yourself? What do you do with Matilda? I would like to get a "Matilda", especially in this economy but my husband wont let me as we would be really tied to the house if we had one. With the homeowners association that we live in, I can now raise a cow for meat, so if I can talk my husband into it, I would get one anyway. We don't leave often but 4 of our 5 children have moved out and to go see 3 of them is at least an over night stay.
ReplyDeleteDawn
The tankards are made with various different types of naturally-colored wood (about fifteen different domestic and non-endangered exotics). We used to do shows and sell directly ourselves, but since we're so rural now it's much easier to be wholesale only. At one point we had a retail website but it was such a hassle that we closed it. We decided to stick with what we do best - wholesale only.
ReplyDeleteDawn, good luck getting your "Matilda"! BTW, if you raise a cow with her calf and just lock the calf away at night, you only have to milk once a day (in the morning). Or, if you'd like an occasional day off, just leave the calf on the cow.
- Patrice
What are tankards and what is their use. They look beautiful. When we go to the smokey mountians each winter, I always go to the markets and shows in search of handmade items. I purchased some baking pottery last trip and use it all the time, expensive, but beautiful and definately serves its purpose! :)
ReplyDelete