Hundred Dollar Bills

I am constantly fascinated by my beloved customers. They are so funny and quirky. Some like to be talked into buying a Bundaflicka Bag. Some like to be left alone to check them out and decide for themselves. I usually sit back and wait for some kind of cue. That's where my spinning wheel really comes in handy. I am busy in my booth, demontrating how I spin my yarn and making good product at the same time. It keeps me from looking bored or staring at the customers. My beautiful Robin wheel also draws curious passersby in for a peek. There are customers who look longingly at the bags, stroking and admiring them, but not buying because they are impossibly expensive for them. And then there are the 100 dollar bills...I've had three experiences this past summer with those C-notes. One local repeat customer said something like this - I've bought two bags from you already (over three years) and I think you should sell me this bag for a significant discount. I said yes, I would be happy to give her a break on this bag (the market is my summer job). Then she pulled out the 100 dollar bill. I didn't think too much of it until I saw her drive away in a Mercedes SUV. A few weeks later she stopped by to tell me she bought a 150 acre farm in Hamilton Village, a high-tax area. Hmmm, I thought. Just last weekend, I saw a woman looking over the bags as I was packing up. She said, Since you are packing to leave, would you let me have one of these bags at a reduced price? I said I have more shows to do and can sell the bags there, but, always trying to go home with a little more money, I said I can give you 10 dollars off. She said fine and opened her wallet. It was full of credit cards, including a gold AMEX and a few airline cards. She pulled out a 100 dollar bill. I was a bit annoyed since she was showing me she could pay the full $99 price but didn't want to. She just couldn't go the extra distance. And then there are the Do You Wholesale? people. I explain to them that I make everything I sell, and that my products are not purchased then resold at a higher price. They don't seem to get it. They want me to sell my stuff to them for a lower price so they can sell it for more and make money. No can do. I politely decline. Some are a little put off by my refusal, like the lady from the Cooperstown Farmer's Museum. She said, don't you realize we have 60,000 people come through our museum? That doesn't help me if I am giving my stuff away for nothing. I put my heart and soul into everything I make. I am blessed with customers who are happy to pay what I ask for my products as they know they are getting quality, American-made goods that are sold to support my farm. And to be sure, the small American family farm is a vanishing entity.