Show of eerie tigerness

[valis2]

I decided to try broadening my show horizons this year. While perusing a community flier a few months ago, I noticed that they held a community sale in a community park, and I thought, it couldn't hurt. I signed up and paid $16 for two days ($8 per day).

Today was day one. My total take? $13.

Needless to say, I am 95% convinced that I should not bother with day two. I have a ton of eBay stuff to do--stuff that actually makes me money--and I have a ton of RL stuff to take care of before I leave. Plus, they had the air conditioning on full blast, even though it was only 45 when I got there, so I nearly froze to death. And now my throat is a bit sore.

Still, even though it may have cost me money to do the show, I must grudgingly admit that I did receive hilarity in return.

My booth was next to a bottom feeder, someone who is selling products from catalogs (honestly, it has that MLM feel). It was her first show ever, and she had two other people to help her with a single table. (As far as I could tell, neither she nor the other two helpers took in a single dollar. And it was clear that she's purchased quite a lot of inventory.)

Across the room was someone with fleece blankets, made from commercially available patterned fleece.

I have this theory about some of the designs on their blankets. You see, I am firmly of the belief that some guy sat at his worktable in 1977 and decided to draw:

a) Horses.
b) Dolphins.
c) Tigers.
d) Disembodied leopard heads.

...all in a very distinct 70's/early 80's style. Flash forward to today, and he's living on his own private island. Because. Seriously. These designs? Are still everywhere.

Anyway, the woman next to me saw them, and was drawn like a moth to a flame. She bought six of them, including the disembodied leopard heads horror. She came back to her booth to find her checkbook. While she was digging in her purse, I looked up to see a giant 70's tiger head slowly floating across the floor toward her.

Just after the rather frightening reaction in my primitive hindbrain, I figured out that it was the blanket woman, slowly walking across the floor, holding the blanket fully outstretched in front of her.

I then composed an extemporaneous song in my head in its honor:

Oh, on your knees
Oh seeeeeeeee the tiger blaaaaaaanket
Oh tiiiiiiiiiiger, diviiiiiiiiiiiiine
Oh buy, the tiger blankieeeeeeeeeee

Alas, you are all being deprived of my rendition of the Tiger Carol because, even after four years of attempting, I cannot get LJ's voicepost feature to work.

Comments

[aubrem.livejournal.com]

: D I can just picture those blankets. I know those blankets. We ALL know those blankets.

I love this post. Please tell us more about the "show" subculture. : )

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I know those blankets. We ALL know those blankets.

I think that images of these blankets are now transmitted in the womb to all living beings.

I love this post. Please tell us more about the "show" subculture. : )

hee! Glad you enjoyed--I will try to share more about shows and showpeople in the future. *hugs*

[tudorpot.livejournal.com]

I went to a local community craft show and had a hard time not LOL at the ugly. Huge- 2ft x 1 ft baby pink, thick polyester yarn, knitted handbags, then there are the towels with fabric sewn on- MC Donalds log for example. Who would want a towel that had the golden arches on it, really. There was worse but fortunately my brain refused to store it in my RAM.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I am very glad that I have managed to block most of the horrors from my mind--otherwise I'd be put away. Seriously.

And LOL McDonald's towels! ahahah!!

[tjwritter.livejournal.com]

Who needs to make money when you get so well entertained!!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

hahaha!! I should just write a book instead. All of the Weird Stuff That's Happened to me at Shows.

Funny thing is, this is the tame story. I can't even repeat the long, drawn-out weirdness that was the rest of the day. Suffice it to say, the bottom feeders were top notch for crazy stories.

[artystone.livejournal.com]

ROFL! Every time I go into a fabric store I wonder just who would buy this stuff and what they'd do with it. AAAHHHH!!!!
I think you're right about that artist guy, but he's not alone on his island, he shares it with the guy who used to work in the next cubicle--you know the guy who "designed" those psychedelic rugs they now sell on the sides of roads.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Every time I go into a fabric store I wonder just who would buy this stuff and what they'd do with it.

Now you know. You can make splendiferous blankets out of it! The blanket woman kept stretching out her arms and showing off each blanket. Naturally, I kept looking up. And wincing.

I think you're right about that artist guy, but he's not alone on his island, he shares it with the guy who used to work in the next cubicle--you know the guy who "designed" those psychedelic rugs they now sell on the sides of roads.

Oh yes!! How could I have forgotten him?

Also, the single rose (TM) and the piano with a rose (TM) designs were probably the work of someone who is also very rich right now.

And let's not forget the classic kitty "HANG IN THERE!" design as well!

[verdenia.livejournal.com]

Hee. I was checking out the fleece section of a fabric store semi-recently. Most of it was fugly. ;p

Glad you got some fun stories. LOL.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Fun stories do take the sting out of it, lol!