Deals 4 & 5 Update

Thursday 8th November

Well what a week since we last reported. We now have stock of T-Shirts & Poker sets (and no room left in the house!!).

Last weekend I decided to do a couple of boot sales to a) see the public reaction and b) SELL SOME. So Friday night I set the alarm for 6am and looked forward to spending a few hours in the freezing cold smiling nicely. I had prepared a load of posters to inspire sales, got all my bits and pieces together and promptly fell asleep by midnight.

Problem No 1: I slept thru the alarm!! I woke up at 6.50am!!! Well, thats the fastest cup of tea I have had in ages. Amazingly I was at the boot sale by 7.15 (its only 400yds away) and waited for the tea lady to make an appearance (Shes always late - I wonder if shes related to Nez!!!). Anyway, after a leisurely cuppa I started to set up the display (which looked pretty cool I might say) and await the masses. Lesson No 1: anyone approaching you before 9am at a boot sale is only prepared to offer you 10% of what your asking - I need to learn to say **** *** in more languages!

You meet some interesting people at boot sales, none more so than the guy who's pitched up opposite me. Well not directly opposite, that was another guy who spent all morning shouting 'Five pounds on the floor, eight pounds on the table' - three women gave him a slap!! Anyway the guy 'almost' opposite me wanders over for a chat and I discover he's one of the top amateur poker players in the country and will be in a televised tournement in a few weeks time. Good opportunity to get an assessment of our goods on offer. The morning passes slowly (thank god for Radio 5 and Eamon Holmes) and at 11.30 I decide to call it a day. No sales but lots of positive compliments and I've handed out my mobile number to a few people who expressed more than a keen interest.

Lesson No 2: Never kick a pasting table when dismantling it - They break!! Yep, I broke it. My comment at the time will not be published on here, suffice to say I apologised to the two nuns who happened to be passing at that exact moment.

I got home and unloaded the table. If tomorrows sale was gonna be on, I had to fix it. Now it's quite amazing what you can do with an industrial staple gun an after putting the two bits of the broken leg together and depositing enough staples in it to hold up the Forth Road bridge, it was as good as new!!

Sundays sale doesn't start until 11am so i get a lie-in, until 7.30!!! This one is a 20 mile drive away and I set off far too early and arrive at 9.30 (they don't even let the sellers in for another hour!!). Anyway, eventually I get in, find me spot and go and get the obligatory pre-setup cup of tea. Today I have an elderly couple next to me who think nothing of spreading their wares half way across my pitch (they may have beaten 'Jerry' in the war but they ain't gonna win this one!). I politely inform them that anything thats strayed over onto my pitch I will gladly help them sell (they seemed pleased with that) and that I would keep any monies received (they weren't pleased with that bit and promptly shuffled their stuff sideways). I set up and after seeing off the annoying 'early birds' (see Saturdays comments) I get some interested punters.

Problem No 2: The table collapses! Poker chips go everywhere! I feel guilty now as the first (and only) person that rushes to help me is the woman from the next pitch. I thank her politely and set about fixing the table. Lesson No 2: Never trust industrial staples!

Ten minutes later and with the help of more staples and a few well positioned boxes I have got my act together again. I get a lot more interest than Saturday on the poker tables and give out my mobile to a lot more people. I even sell some of the T-shirts.

Home time comes and no sales on the tables. I should be feeling despondent but I have had a lot of positive feedback over the weekend on both the product and the deal we are offering so I'm feeling quite upbeat. Maybe people haven't quite got into the Christmas spirit just yet.

As well as the boot sales we are selling on ebay so for all of our readers (especially any who feel tempted to make a purchase from us and help the cause) we will list links direct to our listings:

First, the T Shirts (Deal No 4):

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140175813651&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=004

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140176184190&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=004

And next, the Poker sets (Deal No 5):

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140177159313&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=004

I have managed to negotiate a good rate for postage on the poker sets now so we can offer them to a much wider audience. So check out the deal, it will make a great xmas present and help make our 'progress to date' posting look a lot healthier!! Thanks

More updates coming soon (as well as the long awaited input from Nez! - What do'ya mean 'Does she exist'....of course she does, could I make up someone like that??)