Sitting In a Parking Lot

I was a vendor at my first show as JH Hats this past weekend. I had hoped to be inspired by it to write my next blog post. But, as I sit here to reflect on the event, the image that keeps flashing in my mind is that of the empty parking lot I was set up in and myself all bundled up to stay warm. It’s hard to imagine there is any inspiration or much to reflect on with those conditions. The first thought that creeps into my mind out of the empty lot is, “I can’t believe we were charged $300 to sit out here for two days and have maybe 100 folks walk by. $300 for two days would be reasonable if there was a crowd or if we were inside. So much money goes into finding out how to best spend your money when you first start out. In this case, the $300 would most definitely have been better spent on social media ads or saved for a different event. Finding the right event for your product is a challenge yet worth the investment if it’s the right one. I am tempted here to write about what seems like faulty thinking in regards to breaking even at craft fairs but that’s really more of a discussion I need to have with a business professional.

So, whereas this blog will not be about the cool folks I met who gave life, personality and a forever home to my hats, it will be about folks I met and observed while confined to my 10 by 10 space. I know hats are a very niche accessory. I know it takes a certain amount of confidence to start wearing one. I also know everyone can wear a hat when they find the right size and style for just for them. Several men who tried out a hat, turned to their women partners and would say, “What do you think?” The women would give a quick and resounding, “NO”. The men were willing to try something new, step slightly out of their norm but were quickly shut down. I heard more than one man ask his woman partner if she wanted a hat and it was always met with an answer that felt a bit like, who do you think I am? The women who tried out hats were women who already owned and wore hats. Many women would walk by saying, I do love hats, I just don’t wear them. But why not? Why deny yourself something you love? Because you lack the confidence. That’s why. It seems men are rewarded by society when they take a risk and they are groomed for confidence but women, taking a risk is risky and we’ve been conditioned our whole lives to conform. So ladies, wear the hat, even if it’s just a metaphorical hat for something you want to do but have not had the confidence to try. You do look good in a hat!

I set up the booth alone the second day of the event. I left many hats at home and simplified the booth. As I was setting up, I noticed a man and child dropping another man off at the bus stop which was directly behind my booth. The man had a suitcase and backpack with him. He was dressed all in black and wearing a flat cap covered by the hood of his black hoodie. He had large skull rings and teeth that did not appear to have the luxury of a dentist. After some time passed, he approached me asking if I was familiar with the area because he would like to grab a coffee before the bus arrived. I directed him to the nearest coffee shop and he rolled his luggage and backpack over for me to watch while he was searching out his cup of joe. When he returned we spoke for a while. He told me about a tyrolean hat that he bought in Germany and lost in a house fire. He said they are also called traveler’s hats because people put pins in them from the different places they have visited. He also lost a hand carved cuckoo clock from Germany in that house fire. Then, he grabs his bag so he can show me the battery powered heated vest that he owns. At this point I am picturing him climbing Mt. Everest with that heated vest and his tyrolean hat. Shortly after, the bus arrived and he was off maybe to hike Mt. Everest or to stay warm in the streets. There is a small separation between the two in my imagination.