How to measure success

The sale was a bit of an experience.  I didn't sell much, but did make expenses, including breakfast at Starbucks ($$$) and supper from Subway. We've made a habit of this expense, so that we can write the day off as an outing, or a recreational day.

 The various booths were quite varied, and included food being served from right in the middle of all the tables (??) by a very pregnant lady and her husband both from El Salvador, and  man selling violins that her had refinished (poorly), even a lady selling a book written by her husband who had been a railway engineer on the Canadien.  In the booth next to us was a young man ( early teens) selling containers/baskets, and other items that he had crocheted.  His grandmother was with him, and she was selling items she had created using a small kiln-mainly glass, such as buttons and melted wine bottles that had become candy dishes. I have run into the grandmother before, and would be interested in knowing her better. On our other side was a young woman, possibly from the Philippines, who was selling home made perogies.  She was actually the Program Manager for the whole building, and turned out to be an excellent contact.  I had known her previously mainly via e-mail.  My friend Susanne showed up, and took a very good look at my bags.  Since she juries all handicrafts going into St. Norbert Farmers' Market, I was glad to give her the opportunity to take a good look at them.  She has seen me working on them, but never the finished project.  I also had a chat with another artist who had been at the meeting of the sketching group, that I had walked out of.  She expressed some thinking similar to mine, and while she is continuing with the group, is also working on her own, as I'm trying to ( not too successfully at this point).

So, was it successful?  Yes, based on a couple of criteria, but based on sales--no.

We were directly opposite the couple from El Salvador, with the ethnic food.  We were appalled at the manner in which the food was handled.  Finally, when she started using one hand to move Cole slaw from the pail into individual containers, David felt compelled to say something to the Program Manager at the table next to us.  She had no idea whatsoever about possible problems from the health department perspective.  Not that there was anything that could be done, at that point, but I remembered when my two friends had made dainties to sell at a craft sale and were approached by a health inspector, and the fuss in the newspaper about the requirements that were being placed on food vendors at such events.  I guess we can even go back to Cathy being required to have her food handlers certificate to help out at the Legion.

Today will probably be spent putting everything away that we have hauled out of storage over the past week.  It's been awhile since we worked a sale like this one.