[TheForge] A recipe for Emperor Wilson...

[Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer]

Grant:
Renn Faires have changed a lot over the years and vary from place to 
place in the character of the audience.
I started at the 4th Rennisannce Pleasure Faire in LA and did both that 
one and the one in Marin county for years. They were kind and fed me 
then, and now I still get comissions from cards I handed out way back 
then. When I finally got enough comissions to quit, I was really pleased.
It helps to be mildly extroverted, the folks want a show to get them to 
you, then you need to get them involved so they will buy something. A 
bit of a carny attitude helps.
Picking the right faires is critical.
Because it's difficult to predict the mood of the audience...I used to 
present items across a spread of prices.
Sort of like fishing...if you go for the little fish, your chances of 
not going hungry are better..but you have to clean them all.
Going for the bigger fish becomes more of a gamble.
Tossing out some chum attracts the fish. If the fish begin to bite, 
other fish will join the action, and even compete to bite the hook.
I found if i could make something 
Novel,rennish,self-advertising,inexpensive , involving and 
humorous...they'd usually sell...and attract folks to look harder at the 
bigger stuff....Rennissance whimsey on a stick please.
For daggers you'd want to swath the whole idea in an aura of Romantic 
BS...ideally with a story that the customer could project themselves 
into ...only with an offcenter dagger....or something....well crafted 
praddle to the fore.....mmmm..sorry...left over attitude (guess i did a 
few faires too many).....They really can be fun...and even 
profitable...sometimes........Pete

gblacksmith wrote:
> Philip:  What has been your level of success as RennFaires?  I throw 
> this question out to all hands.  What are the associated costs vs. what 
> folks buy there, and price points.  Do you think there is a market for 
> handmade rondel & quillion daggers?  What other accessories do they 
> like?  In short, what is the best way to make the RennFaire circuit 
> work?   Grant
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phlip" <phlip at 99main.com>
> To: <rwilson9 at twcny.rr.com>; "Sponsored by ABANA" 
> <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 11:40 AM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] A recipe for Emperor Wilson...
> 
> 
>>
>> Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...
>>
>>> So what have you been making of late, Lady Phlip?  BTW, I love the 
>>> period
>>
>> sunglasses in that pic of you and John...<G>
>>
>> Actually, sunglasses are quite perion, although not quite those frames 
>> ;-)
>>
>> Mostly, at the moment, I'm making stuff for the RennFaire. Trying to get
>> some 5/8 sq cut to make up some tripods, as well as more period-looking
>> tie-downs, etc for my shelter (although the shelter itself is thoroughly
>> modern- still, a bit at a time ;-) My roommate, Rob, was going to hacksaw
>> the 5/8 for me, but yesterday he flipped the car and tore up his left arm
>> pretty badly, so I'm looking for alternives to me and the hacksaw ;-) 
>> If it
>> were just one or two, I'd go ahead and do it, or heat it and cut it on 
>> the
>> hardy (which I just made) but 6 of them? It's too damned hot ;-) I need
>> either a cut-off saw, a band saw, or an apprentice who lives a bit closer
>> than Alaron does ;-)
>>
>> And, my friend Oso just sent me over some stainless steel wire, so I can
>> experiment with pattern welded billets. I'd have been happy finding some
>> just plain steel wire, but if this is what he suggests, considering the
>> quality of his work, I'm all for it ;-)
>>
>>> I fired up the coal forge about a week ago to beat a machete out of a
>>
>> chunk of old leaf spring.  The brush in my sidelot had grown up so 
>> much even
>> the powered reel on the brush hog couldn't knock it down.
>>
>>>
>>> Tips on lighting up a coal forge that's been dormant over 2 years in
>>
>> upstate NY:
>>
>>>
>>> 1)  Make SURE you've chased out ALL the skunks that took up residence in
>>
>> the pedastal box.
>>
>> Hee hee hee ;-)
>>
>>> 2)  Raccoons find the chimney and flue of forges to be excellent 
>>> breeding
>>
>> creches.
>>
>> Better neighbors than skunks, all things considered, unless you have
>> chickens ;-)
>>
>>> 3)  Water left in covered quench buckets for more than a year gets 
>>> STOLEN!
>>>
>>> <G>
>>>
>>>
>>> = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
>>>
>>> Emperor Wilson
>>
>>
>> Funny how that works ;-)
>>
>> My roommates finally let me get a dog, a beautiful husky bitch, with blue
>> eyes, 3 years old. I had rather a naming contest here on TheForge (her 
>> name
>> was originally "Precious"- 'nuff said) and I owe someone here a beer when
>> finally we meet. FYI, guys, I've named her "Swage" but I'm using the
>> Medieval French spelling (gee, wonder why ;-) so her Official New Name is
>> "Souage" ;-)
>>
>> She's a love, although almost completely untrained- we've been working on
>> that. Every morning, we go for a walk- good for both of us- and at the
>> halfway point, there's a pond with ducks and geese. Got permission 
>> from the
>> owners to use the flat ground in front of it to train her, so in another
>> couple days, when she's a little better at walking on lead, we'll 
>> start up
>> formal training. Meantime, today, I took her with me in the truck, 
>> while I
>> ran errands. She did very well, whatever I asked, once I showed her 
>> what I
>> wanted. Dunno for sure, but with her basic good manners, and her willing
>> attitude, I just might have a good obediance dog ;-)
>>
>> Now you're single again, don't chase too many wild women ;-)
>>
>> And, when are you coming to Pennsic? We could use another cranky old 
>> smith
>> to learn from ;-)
>>
>> Saint Phlip,
>> CoD
>>
>> "When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
>> Blacksmith's credo.
>>
>> If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
>> cat.
>>
>> Never a horse that cain't be rode,
>> And never a rider who cain't be throwed....
>>
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>>
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