How about this new website. Really nice! I sure want to thank our expert webmaster Doug Little for the fine work he's done in building our new web home. If you need some expert site building just contact Doug he does some great work; you may contact him at webmaster@goodridgeguides.com.

Here we go into the summer selling season. "Hot," "Hot," here in the midwest. I can recall a few summers of heat waves where the fairs I was working just became an evening events. No need to open up during the day, everyone (except maybe the lemonade shake up folks) waited until sundown to sell under the lights. Not all that bad.

I am going to have to admit that I was wrong about the price of gas. I had said that it was headed to $4. A gallon, well it's there and headed straight on up. The price of gas is sure going to put a damper on the fair season as it will be siphoning off the discretionary income of many fair goers.

Should be a help for the flea market dealer as the shoppers are sure looking for a bargain these days. It really looks like we are all going to have to become shrewd shoppers and count every penny as it looks like George W. is going to take all of our money before he leaves office!

When we were selling we liked to sell outside as much as possible. Starting with the early spring and going through to the fall. From fairs, festivals and flea markets during the outdoor season and then moving inside during the winter months. We always talked about heading southwest for the winter but only did that in short bursts.

Here's a few cost saving suggestions - I would sure sharpen up my pencil and get serious about booking shows. No long jumps you haven't made before. And I would be real careful about booking shows on just word of mouth recommendations . I would do my research pretty thoroughly and check off or keep untried "1st annual events" local. If you are a hardy soul or frugal like me, I would make sure that my out of town spots allowed camping on the grounds preferably in your space. A good cooler, portable tv and radio and you're good to go.

I would also be careful about the type of merchandise that I purchased for impulse sales. When you set up you do need some low dollar impulse items, I call them "rent payers"- $3. To $5. As a rule you can pay your rent with these little jewels. However, that wonderful discretionary pocket money people used to so quickly pull out for impulse widgets is drying up. The trend seems to be leaning toward food & drink impulse over merchandise at events as the economy tightens.

It's going to be interesting to see if it's the bottled water or the cell phones that the Yuppies have to give up first as the gas prices get into their pockets.

For Georgia and myself it is sad to see the once great VP Fair in St. Louis being reduced to a weekend event. For the first few years of that fair it was one of the great events in the country. Massive crowds and serious sales. Fireworks like nowhere else, a fantastic air show and super talent. Wonderful event. Now it is just about reduced to a weekend Old Timers Festival. Oh well, old timers need some where to go.

Hope you like the new web site and if there is anything that you would like to see or feel that should be improved on just let me know.

Until then, here's to good sales and may the sun shine on every one of your spots.

Jim Goodridge