A while back I got a call from the manager of several of the markets where I vend. She wanted to talk to me about the appearance of my booth, and the fact that my equipment was starting to look, well, worn. I politely thanked her for her concern and got off the phone as quickly as I could to avoid saying anything, well, rude. It's bizarre to me to see such a strong emphasis on appearances in an environment where sustainability is supposed to be a key issue. To me it makes much more sense to use my tables and signs as long as I possibly can, rather than throwing them away and replacing them as soon as they start to fray. I don't think it's any coincidence that the vendors who put the least energy into hiding their rough edges tend to have the fairest prices. As a consumer, I want to see more of my purchase price as going into the food, and less going into keeping up appearances.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Appearances
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2 comments:
I am surprised at this! Having had a full-time concession business for a few years (after which it was no longer the fun we had anticipated), I can't imagine a phone call like you describe. How did you end the conversation? From what I can see, there is nothing there to justify that. Please don't get discouraged - we need more vendors like you.
BJ- Thanks for the kind comment. I told her--truthfully--that up until a few months ago I didn't have any indoor storage space, so my equipment was getting trashed much too quickly. I said I'd replace some things over time, but it wouldn't happen all at once. I figured I had more to gain by ending the conversation as quickly as possible than by making my point.
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