Tuesday, August 02, 2011

The Great Coffee Debacle; Or Angst at the Mall


Coffee! I need COFFEE, but I can’t have any until one’clock. Just got back from the dentist to have a tooth bonded due to the fact that I have brushed it so vigorously over these however many years I actually cut grooves on the surface. This was a total non-event procedure, but you’d never have guessed it from the array of equipment – safety glasses so water doesn’t spray in your eyes, red stuff that numbs your gum for the novocaine, the novocaine itself (for WHAT? I’m a survivor of the whining torture drills of the 60’s, remember?), two hand tools, and a very cool blue light to harden the goop used to coat the tooth. But now here I am back again with a numb lip that extends to include half my NOSE and an intense craving for Folger’s dark roast. I had a cup before I left, but come on – there’s books to be listed here!

Speaking of books, I was amazed when the dentist comes in and says, “So, I hear you’re at the antiques mall, Tess. How’s it going?” How he knew this I have no idea, but I was tickled pinker than a carnation that he did. We talked books until the novocaine kicked in which made me even more tickled. By the time he got ready to roll he could have performed acupuncture of the mouth and I’d have been fine with it.

But now I’m in my new office perched on the edge of the fabulous purple chair longing for coffee and wondering why sales turned sluggish after two weeks of intense online commerce and the best month at the antiques mall since we signed up. Sales always go up and down of course – that’s retail for you. But this summer they seem extreme in both directions. Of course it could just be me because I have not had a huge influx of new stuff and I pulled out so much of what I did get for various other sales outlets. Anymore I’m getting increasingly reluctant to cast pearls before swine. Saturday I bought this two volume art set in a slipcase that is drop-dead gorgeous, yet booksellers are offering it online for $10. The thing is in mint condition, gloriously illustrated with one whole volume devoted to the art of Ludwig Denig, an 18th century American folk artist whose work, in the way of folk artists, emits a sweet naivete until you absorb the intensity of the colors , the inate sense of graphic design, and the subject matter and your jaw drops on the floor. No way will I part with it for $10. Not happening.

I know I sound like I’m turning into the Norma Rae of bookselling – all militant and soapboxy, but I’m really not on a crusade. I just know that for me things have changed. I'm not the same seller who began this business 14 years ago. I'm not even the same seller I was two years ago. I am willing, eager even, for change and see myself moving in new directions. I’m not sure exactly what that means yet, but I’m working on it.







Well, you’re not going to believe THIS. Since I couldn’t have coffee I stopped writing here and took some of Saturday’s books over to the antiques mall along with a tea cart (forgot to mention I got that at the estate sale too) to replace the table with the drawer that sold not long ago. As soon as I got to my booth I noticed that the booth next to mine is practically empty and wasn’t on Saturday. Just as I realized this, Lisa, the assistant manager, came by and I asked her if it’s coming available. She said she didn’t know yet, but that there are three people on the waiting list for a booth of that size. Then, about five minutes later, I heard myself being paged on the intercom and there’s Lisa coming towards me to say that it is available and the manager says I can have it since it’s next to my present booth. Do I want it? YES! Can I do it? No. But I really, really, REALLY want it. I didn’t even realize how much I want it until I could have it, but can’t.

First of all, I don’t have enough bookcases, but those I could acquire by tomorrow. What I can’t acquire quickly is enough books to make it profitable right out of the gate. Of course I have a lot of stock if I move my entire online inventory, which I actually think I might do if all of it was old enough to qualify. Technically the newest item I’m supposed to have over there should be from no later than 1974. As it is, I push the parameters to 1979, but I can’t go any further than that. I chewed this over a million times and have the stomachache to prove it, but the bottom line is it just can’t happen. Acquisition remains our biggest problem and I don’t see it improving in the short run. If I take the booth my overhead for both spaces would be in excess of $500 a month and the one wouldn’t be pulling its weight.

As I write this, regret and sadness seem to be oozing out of my pores. Who knows when another booth right next to mine will be available? Since I’ve been there it’s happened three times to the same booth, but all of the people on the list now are already dealers who have mall booths, not newcomers as the previous tenants were. I guess I could move to another bigger booth later, but something tells me it wouldn’t be smart because people know where to find me now. A better choice would be to rent a second booth of the same size when I’m ready, make it look exactly like this one and cross advertise them. Then if one next to either of them frees up later (four chances) I could move the other one next door to IT.

Whew! I feel like I just fought the Battle of the Bulge. All I wanted was a distraction which I guess you could say I got in spades. But I’d have been a whole lot happier had I stayed here and written this blog, blissfully unaware that the darn thing was up for grabs.

See what happens when you're deprived of coffee?

2 comments:

Saturday Evening Post said...

I'd take it. Nothing ventured....

(I'm fearless with your money)

tess said...

Hah! Well, it's safe to say that because it's too late. I bet they called the first person on the list before I was out of the parking lot!