Selfish Bay; or, It's Always Something

I have finally made so many cards that I can't possibly use them all or give them away to family members for Christmas.

So I thought I would sell a few.

I considered the methods. Flea market, mail-order website, yard sale, or standing in traffic and hawking my cards'n'books like a turn-of-the-21st-century paperboy.

Then I saw an item on the Knoxville News-Sentinel's website touting cake at the opening of the Market Square Farmer's Market. That led to a number of thoughts --

I love Market Square. I've loved it for years. When I was an ad agency copywriter working in downtown Knoxville, I loved going to lunch at the Soup Kitchen. Yet it was depressing because dang it, those beautiful old buildings deserved to be saved.

Later, I did a play with a small theatre company in the dilapidated and crumbling old Watson's building. Terrifying. And I loved it. So many ghosts.

I was a volunteer for the Tennessee Stage Company the first year they produced free professional Shakespeare in the middle of the Market Square construction madness. Again -- terrifying. But totally encouraging.

Since then, of course, the construction has been completed. I go to the Preservation Pub to see my far-flung friends come back to Knoxville to play there. Wesley loves to dine at the Tomato Head. I still like to walk through and just see what's on tap at Vagabondia.

(The prettiest scarf I own was purchased at that darling boutique, and I still feel like it was a decadent splurge -- but man, I love that store.)

So, I guess what I'm saying is -- I really love Market Square. And I thought, "Oh, hey, that would be a cool place to sell my paper wares." So I called the phone number for more info, and the nice Charlotte directed me to the Market Square Farmer's Market website, where the vendor applications and regulations are posted.

Dang it.

The regulations point out a couple of things that make it difficult for me to commit to selling my card in the Market Square Farmer's Market. For one thing, they don't provide tables. I don't mind that they don't provide chairs, umbrellas, fans, air conditioning, or any particular paper-specific displays. I mean -- that's just common sense. It's a Farmer's Market, not an art show.

But not only do they not provide tables? They charge $15 per space. Per Wednesday.

Seriously?

How is anyone supposed to make any money?

OK, I know that is just me being seriously whiny. I can't cram any kind of table into my beloved Prius. I don't have any money, so I don't know how anyone scrounges up the moolah for gasoline, the truck rental, the table rental, and the booth fee. I just wanted to display some pretty cards and hang out on Market Square once a week.

Oh, well, there's a side-of-the-road flea market south of Sweetwater. I'll call there tomorrow to see how much their tables cost.

But man, I wish I had an investor -- or a sugar daddy. Hmmmm. Note to self: Dress more scantily and abandon all scruples.