The red Glens Falls to Lake George trolleys have been running largely empty this week. In light of the fact that this weekend is America's second biggest summer toursim holiday, that's not good. Oh, Lake George was mobbed...but...not quite as mobbed as it used to be. The beach was half-empty on Saturday, and that's unheardof on a weekend. I was told by a worker that, rather stupidly, most hotels and motels and other businesses, aren't bothering to offer deals to the tourists, let alone lower their rates, and yet they are whinging about how bad the trade is, this year. Foolish people. Is it better to lower rates and make a smaller profit, or, to charge the same and risk losing business?

When I had my flea market business, I used to often undercut my competetor's prices--yes, I made a much smaller profit, but, I NEVER lost any money. Not once in five years, did I ever go into the red. I often just broke even, but never showed a loss. Of course, it was only a seasonal weekends-only business, and profit wasn't so important--it was really a hobby, more than a business. We did it because we enjoyed it, and if we made money on it, that was a big bonus...but as long as we at least broke even, mum and I were pretty happy. Mind you, we both had "day jobs" at the time, so we could afford to just break even.

I did most of the buying, as well as handling the booking of flea market locations, the cleaning of any items that were dirty, the packing, hauling and setting up--and selling of unsold merchandize at auction. Mum handled the pricing, bookeeping and selling...oh, and the nagging and back seat driving. ;D We made a great team.

We sold just about anything our meager budget allowed us to buy--well, anything interesting, that is: antiques, collectables, used housewares, toys, books, whatever. This was before the greedy guts nouveau riche discovered e-bay and The Antiques Roadshow, and started paying ridiculous prices for junk, erroneously believing that anything old, was valutable.

It could make for a long day, though. I'd work my day job during the week--whether in the office in the 80's, or the riding stable in the 90's--then, attending auctions at night...sometimes not getting home until well past midnight. If we had a flea market booked for Saturday, that meant I'd get home around midnight Friday, be up to 1 or 2 in the morning cleaning off and re-packing merchandize. Up at 5 or 6am, to pack the pick up truck with boxes and our tables, etc. Drive to the flea market--which might be 5 miles away, or 50 miles away, set up, sell all day, pack it in, get home, shower and change, unload the truck, re-load the truck with stuff going to auction to sell, then, after stopping for a quick bite at some fast food joint, I'd be bidding and selling at a country auction barn til' midnight, again...and possibly go to another flea market on Sunday. It was a LOT of work for a hobby...but, I'd do it all over again, were I able to.

I've learned that some people haven't the sense of a gnat, and could care less what they pay for something...but, also, that many people deeply appreciate getting a bargain and/or saving money. Oh, there are always cheap bastards out there (usually men with slicked back hair and gold chains--sorry guys..I've chalked it up to a sexual insecurity/testosterone thing), who will try to bargain you down, even after you've lowered your prices to the minimum profit.

But, most people are really happy to find something they want for a reasonable price...and, we always were nice to our customers as well, smiling, greeting them, chatting them up and asking--if they looked interested and weren't just "window shopping," to let us know if we could assist them. We met some of the most interesting people that way. And, we seldom got bored (well, we did when there were no customers). We also could get a great tan, sitting outside all day, if we were at an outdoor market...or, we could get muddy and wet...or be chasing around things, if it got windy. Indoor flea markets are lovely. :)