Most People Don't Read

I went to Mule Day in Winfield this weekend. I set up there each year and sell surplus camo pants and shirts and various other items I have accumulated over the years. Northwest Alabama seems to have been hit by hard times long before the bust of 2008. Every year I hear of new plant closings in NE Ala. At one time, it was typical for me to take in enough money at Mule Day to cover my expenses for several weeks. One year I even had enough to go a long way toward buying Christmas. Now, things are not as good. I am lucky if I make my space rent and gas money. If I did not already have my inventory paid for, I could not afford to go. A good business man probably wouldn't go anyway, but I've never been accused of being a good business man.

This year I decided I was gonna try something radical. I was going to sell every item I had for $5.00 each. Mind you some of this stuff cost me more than $5.00 but I wanted to generate some business. Besides, it isn't doing me any good sitting in storage collecting dust. Better $5.00 in my pocket than a dust catcher on a rack. This was a radical departure from what I have done in the past. One or two years I had put individual price tags on all items, that was a nightmare. Most years I have had a price list for the various sizes like $9.00 for smalls, $12.00 for mediums and $15.00 for larges.

I knew going in that people were not going to be ready for one price fits all, but it works for the dollar store, why not for me? I created six signs. Two of them said "All items on Hangers $5.00", three had "$5" covering the entire sign and one said "Pants $5.00, Shirts $5.00, Tees $5.00, Coats $5.00". In spite of having these six signs placed strategically around the booth, about half the folks came up to me and said something like "how much for your pants?"

One guy stopped in front of my "Pants $5.00, Shirts $5.00, Tees $5.00, Coats $5.00" sign, read it out loud, looked at me and grinned and said wouldn't it just be easier to say everything $5. I pointed him to the two signs that said just that and laughed. Then I told him that even with all those signs I still get folks asking how much for a certain item. Maybe I am wrong, maybe people do read, they just don't believe what they are reading.

As for the results of my new sales tactic, I did take in more money this year than I did in 2009 but after I cover my space rent and gas, I won't be taking any Caribbean cruises with what is left.