Yesterday I had the most unusual morning. Selling my prints here can be complicated because the government has a number of business licenses that can totally hamstring artists and other crafts people from selling on their own. Selling to shops that already have business licenses ($5000/yr) is ok once you have paid duty on what you have brought into the country. However, yesterday there was a community "yard sale" held in the parking lot of the Coco Beach Bar. It was supposed to be from 8:30 AM to noon. The sign said "anyone could sell anything" so, armed with my customs/duty stamped notice that I had already paid the government 45% of the cost of the prints I brought with me, I borrowed a table from some other boaters and set up what I had left of my various prints. I had been warned to get there at 7:30 because people come early. I thought that was a little extreme but went along with it.
I got there at 7:30 (very early for me) and the lot was already packed! (It is about 1/2 the size of a football field, I think.) Local people were everywhere. That means a lot of Haitians who have come there for work and, because the economy is so bad, are struggling terribly. Also there were plenty of Bahamians looking for bargains because the economy is stressing everyone here. (To explain that could take all morning.) People were selling and buying everything from water drums to golf carts to kitchen supplies, tools, fishing gear, plants, clothes, furniture, you name it. At one point a pickup truck came in with a toppling load of furniture, put it out in the middle of the area, and went back for the rest of the ensemble! (Matching couch, coffee table, chairs, side tables, a rug etc, etc.) The truck was swarmed by people!
Needless to say these people weren't looking for art prints! But some of the winter (second home owner) locals were also milling around, getting bargains for their condos, etc. The boaters don't but much because the don't have any room! But it was fun to talk with people who recognized the places in my photos and understood the inspirations for some of the art on the cards.
Around 8:30 the tourists and guests arrived, when the event was supposed to start, and I began to sell my work. After that there was a pretty steady supply of interested people at my little table. Because my friend Patti volunteers at the Treasure Cay Primary School and I knew they needed more money for programs not paid for by the government, I made a sign that a percentage of my sale prices would go to the free lunch program. Some of the children don't get a hot meal all weekend. I had also checked with the woman who is in charge of the volunteers for this program. The yard sale is an annual event that mostly benefits the library and the community center but I didn't know that until I was already there. It was ok to help support other charities. It was terrific that the Humane Society (which pays for spaying & neutering strays) was selling edibles for lunch! They even had cookies for your dog.
What fun that a couple of the visitors to my table regognized my work! They had seen it in Native Creations on Green Turtle Cay. There are also a few things in the Marina Store here at Treasure Cay. So, at about 11:20 the vendors were beginning to pack up. I had very few things left and a nice contribution for the lunch program. I had had a wonderful time meeting lots of interesting people. The people at the next table loaded my table and rolling cart onto their golf cart and brought me back to the dock. What a totally unexpected and delightfully memorable experience! I'm sorry I didn't bring my camera. -- Florrie
No comments:
Post a Comment