I had the privilege of taking part in a special Christmas shopping fair called KIDS SHOP on December 1st in Bellingham, WA. Kids, armed with $1 bills, set off in search of just the right present for family/friends/teachers. There were 33 vendors with amazing crafts. One little girl, a very discerning shopper, kept touching some calligraphy cards I had for sale at $1.00. After five visits she finally decided on a purchase for her nana. Parents sat in the “lounge area” and were available for consultation or as human ATM machines but most of them let the kids loose, thankful to sit down and, yes, check their iPhones! Of course some of the wee ones needed mom or dad….or sometimes a time-out!
Fellow writers Rebecca and Devin.
I was surrounded by kid vendors. This was pretty cool. To my right sat three children under age 8 who, with their mom, set up their OWN craft table and sold their own creations–fridge magnets, hand-crafted greeting cards, and many more thoughtful, well-priced items. We visited back and forth and talked about school, world events, education (they were home schooled), and entrepreneurship. To my left was the fishing table set up by budding entrepreneur, Devin. He creates his own fishing lures, makes clear Christmas balls with lures inside, some carved wooden fish with hooks to hold keys….and many more items, all with a fishing theme. His dad sat off to the side while Devin pitched to the masses. He was good; very good.
Attendance was steady. There were cookies, mandarin oranges, tea, and juice for everyone. In the last hour Devin came over to my table and announced that he would like to purchase a print version of Fly Catcher Boy. Most of my sales were to parents but after luring…um, inviting… kids to my table (I moved my chair to the front of the table and held the iPad version at their eye level), the kids would often return with a fist full of dollars to purchase the book. What could I do but sign it and wish them a Merry Christmas!
Devin visited my table several times to look at my book and talk about it. He finally said he’d like to buy it. I was happy and signed it. He returned later to announce that he “really, really liked the book”. I humbly thanked him. He went on to say, “You know I’m a writer, too.” This didn’t surprise me. “In fact, I’ve written several books,” he said proudly. I told him I’d like to see his work and he agreed that was a good idea.
Just as I was finishing packing up, Devin returned bearing gifts. A fishing lure. “This is so you don’t forget me.” Devin, how could I ever forget you! Thanks for a lovely day. Keep in touch!
